School Supply Mania Begins

Geez o'pete! The school supply list was published today. It's a far cry from when I went to school - show up with a pencil and a spiral bound notebook (of your choosing) and you are set!

Here is the list for Kindergarten:

1 large box facial tissue
18 Pencils (#2)
1 pair blunt scissors
2 boxes of crayons (8 count)
1 box of crayons (24 count)
1 box of Snack Sized Ziploc Bags
1 box of Sandwich Sized Ziploc Bags
1 box of Quart Sized Ziploc Bags
1 box of Gallon Sized Ziploc Bags
1 package of Lined Index Cards – 3x5 – pkg of 100
1 package of Lined Index Cards – 4x6 – pkg of 100
1 Soft Pink Eraser
5 Letter Sized manila folders
3 Pocket folder (regular size) with brads
4 Glue Sticks
3 Medium sized White Liquid Glue
1 Yellow Highlighter
1 Spiral Notebook (no college rule)
1 package of Construction Paper – assorted colors (12”x18”)
2 packages of Construction Paper – white (12”x18”)
2 packages of Manila Paper – 12”x18”
1 box of colored pencils
1 package of white paper plates (Qty 15)
1 plastic school box
1 box of tissues (large)
2 sets of Washable Watercolor markers
2 sets of Washable Watercolor paints

It was against my better judgment, but I purchased a "School Supply Kit" to the tune of $55 from the PTO during kindergarten registration. Basically, this means that on the first day of school, all of the supplies listed above will be on Avery's desk ready for him to start the educational journey of a lifetime.

I can easily see how the above items would add up to over $55. I'm sure that I got a great deal. But, I really did look forward to going to Wal-Mart, fighting the crowd, looking for that perfect pencil box, snatching the last package of Wall-E pencils from the peg ... I was looking forward to it. I think it would have helped emotionally prepare me for my firstborn child leaving the nest.

The teachers are wise to mom's like me. At kindergarten orientation, they drilled into our heads to only buy generic supplies (speaking to those that didn't buy the kits). They end up taking all the pencils, crayons, markers, etc., and putting them into big canisters for the kids to use. They don't actually use "their" supplies. Gone are the days of labeling everything with your name. Now it's all "Community Property".

I'm sure we'll need some supplies for home. We've set up a desk, chair and lamp in Avery's room so that he can do his homework away from the television and noise. He'll appreciate some fancy pencils and markers, I'm sure.

We'll see how I do ... if I miss the shopping, if I feel like the PTO has stripped me of my parental right to be toppled by countless carts at Wal-Mart, if I end up taking an extra four boxes of anti-bacterial Kleenex's just so the flu doesn't go around quite so quickly.

The good news is that Piper will start Kindergarten the next year. She'll go to a private school for kindergarten, so I doubt that they will sell kits. Maybe I can buy all the foo-foo stuff for her.

I wonder how many Hello Kitty and Disney Princess pencils can fit in one of those plastic pencil boxes? ... I'll let you know.