Back To School Supplies

Every year I look forward to back to school shopping.  And not just because it means sending the offspring to school and having a full quiet hours to fill each day.  There's more to it than the anticipation of mommy time.  It's the new school supplies.

What is it about new school supplies? 

The spiral notebooks, and packs of new notebook filler paper seem to already hold the promise of anything and everything that might end up there.  Notes to be taken, and reports to be written.  Blank pages whisper with anticipation of the words to fill them in the coming months. 

Each pen and pencil eager to meet page.  To pour forth the wisdom , knowledge, and new skills to be learned this year.  New poems, short stories, and creative writing essays are there in your hand, ready to come to life. 

Colored pencils, markers, crayons, and glue sticks are there too.  Prepared to take part in the artistic expressions of students.   Standing ready for whatever educational project may be assigned. 

Oh... the new box of crayons.  I could go on for days about the simple joy of opening the box for the first time and seeing all those perfectly formed points peering back at you.  The distinctive waxy smell that only comes from this particular source and once smelled brings forth a flood of memories of new coloring books or the first day of kindergarten.  New crayons and I have a very special relationship. 

I think if we look deep down inside, many of us still wish someone would take us by the hand every August and lead us to the store to buy us a whole new supply of fresh school supplies.  Which is probably why I can never resist the urge to buy myself a new notebook or a fresh pack of pens when I purchase the items on the teacher's list of needed supplies for the year.

And yes, sometimes I even sneak in a fresh new box of crayons too. 

Write That Down

I know I've mentioned this before.  More than a few times.  But I'll say it again.  I'm a list maker.  I love my lists.  They keep me organized.  I make To-Do lists, lists of books I want to read - and those I've already read (thank you Goodreads!) , I keep lists of what I need to get at the store, what I am making for dinner each week (thank you cozi.com!)  I even suppose my calendars could be considered a list of all the dates and happenings I don't want to forget about.  (and now it looks like I have a sort of list of all the lists I have!)

My problem is the things that don't make it on to a list.  If it's not written down, I tend to forget it.  (I'm pretty sure that's a very bad sign of something - but I don't want to think about that too hard Or I might start a list of all the things I imagine are wrong with me.)  This happens a lot when I think of something to blog about, or when I hear about a book I want to add to the TBR list, or when I hear a song I'd like to add to my iPod.  Of course I never have my actual list with me when this happens.  And by the time I have access to my list I have forgotten what I wanted to add to it!

I think what I might need is to start carrying around a teeny tiny little notepad and pen around on my person at all times.  Maybe on a ribbon around my neck!  That way when something comes up which I want to remember I can just make a note of it right then and there.   Then I can keep a list of all the things I want to add to other lists. 

Maybe this list thing is getting out of control.