Back to school... almost

What is it about school supplies? I mean, is there anyone out there who doesn't like them? I cannot believe it is time for that back to school shopping already. The Oaks put their school supply list up and I had my first look a couple of days ago. I am a little disappointed that I filled up on so many extras last year and the list is about a third filled already. I enjoyed looking through the Sunday ads today. I don't usually, unless I am particularly bored after lunch, but today it was exciting to look through and see where I was going to get the cheapest Elmer's glue. Am I right? Who's with me? I know you're out there. Don't lie.

The other end of back to school shopping I am not a huge fan of. Clothes and shoes. Our public schools recently went to school uniforms, so that actually made it easier to purchase things reasonably priced at places like Target and Wal-Mart who didn't usually carry things like that before. The problem is, even reasonably priced adds up. Sophia won't need too many items this year, because she still fits most of her things from last year. She needs a new plaid jumper though, the one she has simply won't do. The private school where she goes has a special plaid that they wear for their dress uniform. They wear it every Wednesday, which is also the day they have school-wide chapel. They are quite possibly the cutest little things when you pull up on Wednesdays and everyone is in their plaid and green cardigans. Even the older kids look cute. The problem is, the oh-so-cute plaid is oh-so-damn expensive. I am sure we can do with one jumper like we did last year, it's only once a week she has to wear it, but she needs a new one. She's going to need two new pair of shoes, one dress and one tennis. She's going to need a few tops, but if she would just stop growing like a little weed I wouldn't have to buy her anything. I bought a pattern for a pleated skirt, and tried it out on this purple corduroy. I think it turned out well and I am going to make as many as I can during my two week break with the khaki fabric I have left from last year. Butterick patterns are on sale at Joann's this week for 0.99 and there's one for a drop shift waist jumper. I think I will make a couple of those too, but I may need to pick up a little more material. Either way, it ends up being way cheaper than the $15 a skirt or whatever it is at the "reasonable" price.

I can remember school shopping and being so excited to pick out which one of my new outfits I was going to wear to school on the first day. That fun has been taken away with uniforms, but I hope that Sophia still has fun picking out shoes and the like. She already got to pick out a new backpack when they were on sale at Old Navy a couple of weeks ago. She's excited for 1st grade, but a little nervous. Her response is usually, "I don't want to do homework." Ha! Good Luck with that kid.