We're Almost Ready

It's Back-To-School time across America .... for all sorts of students, including here at Beck's Bounty. We homeschool, of course, but some aspects of Back-To-School are universal, it seems.
In May I assembled a list of what we wanted and needed for our next school year. And I ordered our Math curriculum and our Tapestry of Grace curriculum.

Then I spent most of June and July ordering books ... and more books. Finally, our books have all arrived, and are organized on our school room shelves. (Ordering the books - this is the FUN part of our preparations for a new year.)

And so the Supply List began ....

And the dread loomed .... supplies .... SUPPLIES .... and that means s-h-o-p-p-i-n-g ... and even worse, it means shopping while the stores are usually crowded with other shoppers. UGGG !! (Have I mentioned that I do NOT like to shop, unless it is for books. HA !)
So, last evening, a moment of bravery struck, along with a wish to just get-it-over-with .... so I donned my bravest outfit (HA ! Not really.) and headed out with a list ....

I braved the crowds, who were all searching franticly for specially colored folders and specific sized rulers, and 12 packs of crayons. The isles were filled with parents hunting for very specialized items that were listed on their child's class supply list from their school (convienently located in assorted bins throughout the stores).

I will say that I am sooooo thankful not to have to endure those searches for very specific items. I have "binder" on my list. And I buy one that will serve our needs, so searching for the needle-in-the-haystack is unecessary. The quality and size matter -- not the color or brand.

I will say that I was shocked, again, at the condition of the isles of school supplies -- parents (I cannot say "adults") just rake through the supplies and trample over whatever falls on the floor. What a disaster the rows were !

I overheard parents discussing having to supply their child's classes with cleaning supplies and paper towels, chalk, hand sanitizer, kleenex, bandaids, file folders for recordkeeping .... I do not recall those items ever being on my school supply lists as a child. We needed 2 notebooks, 3 folders, crayons, and pencils, and other REAL school supplies. The "operational" parts of the classrooms and school were on the school's to-do list. Hummmmmmm ....

Since we school at home, the operational parts of school are part of our home .... shewwwwwww. (wiping my brow, thankful not to have to buy all of that.)

I finally gathered my supplies -- pencils, printer paper, printer cartridges, cardstock paper, binders, pens, crayons, letter tiles, page protectors, sketching pencils, erasers, Prisma colored pencils, glue stix, markers, dividers, and a whole lot of notebook paper. TA DA !!
I waited in line for nearly 30 minutes, while various concerned school-shopping-parents commented that I had forgotten bandaids or paper towels ... and they took turns complaining abotu their school suppy lists, their schools, the teachers, and more. When asked where my children went to school, I explained several times that we homeschool so I did not need those things nor have those issues. A few parents said ... I have thought about doing that ... it HAS to be better than all that public school has going on ... and it HAS to be better that "this" (pointing at their lists and carts of school supplies).

Quietly, I thanked God for the blessing of being able to homeschool ... for those reasons, and for so many more.

Shopping was finished -- HOORAY !! I arrived home late last evening, tired, but thrilled to be finished.

I made a quick trip today to Staples to drop off some work for the Copy center to do today, and to get a few last items that I wanted ....

And now ... I AM FINISHED .... shopping that is.

Now I just have to get our school room in order, and my lesson plans finished for the year, but I still have lots of time for that. (we are starting school September 1st).

For now, I will sit back and smile, knowing that I do not have to SHOP again for a while now. (Did I mention that I hate to shop, except in the bookstore ?!?!)