| I have to confess it - I am an office supply store junkie. | | | | However, for all you school supply lovers out there |
| When my children were in elementary school and it | | | | (surely I can't be the only one!), let me give you some |
| was late August, other parents were looking forward | | | | advice. Never take a six year old with you when |
| to getting their kids back to school. Most of them were | | | | shopping for school supplies. I thought my grandson |
| busy shopping for back-to-school clothing, or doing the | | | | would have a ball, shopping for his Grade 2 kit. I didn't |
| last minute rounds of dentist appointments, hair cuts | | | | bargain for all the bright shiny things the middle and high |
| etc. Meanwhile I was happily drifting round the | | | | school students need. After many "no"s - "no you don't |
| stationery store, three class lists in hand. | | | | need a geometry set, it is not on your list. No, you only |
| I loved those crisp, fresh notebooks, some with wide | | | | need crayons, not color markers. No, there is no |
| lines, some with regular lines, some with half the page | | | | calculator on your list......." I had a rather disappointed little |
| blank for drawings. Oh, who could resist those beautiful | | | | boy on my hands. A quick trip to his favorite burger |
| colors, crayons for the little ones, pencil crayons for the | | | | joint soon fixed that - wonderful how easy it is to |
| older kids. I would pick out boxes of shiny new pencils | | | | distract a six year old! |
| and lovingly sharpen them all once home. | | | | Well, last year he started Grade 3 in a new school. |
| Well, time goes by, and even though I insisted on | | | | This time I went to an office supply store that prides |
| shopping for supplies through high school and even into | | | | itself on great customer service. I asked for the Grade |
| college years, the sad time came when no-one in the | | | | 3 list for his new school. "Here we are" said the helpful |
| family needed me to buy school supplies any longer. | | | | girl, "Just wait here a moment." In about three minutes |
| At last came new hope. My grandchildren reached | | | | she was back with everything on the list. Sigh! |
| school age. My school teacher daughter thought I was | | | | Dear grandson's school has now also gone to the |
| crazy when I pleaded to be allowed to do the school | | | | pre-order system, but I still need my fix occasionally, |
| supply shopping - no luck there, my granddaughter's | | | | which explains why our home is full of half used |
| school sells pre-packed kits. My other, | | | | notebooks, packets of pens, pencils, rulers..... |
| still-a-student-herself daughter was delighted to let me | | | | There is hope on the horizon for me. In another five |
| buy the school supplies for my grandson and I was in | | | | years my new little grandson will be starting school. I |
| business once more. | | | | can hardly wait! |