Corona Virus Quarantine Day #148: Back to School Shopping: August 15, 2020:

Today, we did a thing…we actually went and bought school supplies.  I’m not going to lie to you…I loved it.  I am usually the mom that buys the pre-packaged school supplies because they are so convenient and I’m buying for 5 kids so it’s a huge time saver.  I think I learned today it is also a money saver…but that’s beside the point.

The kids were so excited about this adventure, so with the school supply list in hand and a sharpie to mark off the treasures we found, off to Walmart we went.  Fletcher even warned Walmart he was coming. “I’m coming for you school supplies.”  He was also certain that because we got our supplies that school started tomorrow.  Silly boy!

The masks hide their faces.  But I love that I know they are smiling and that they are so happy!

I can remember the phenomenon of back to school shopping like it was yesterday.  Gaga always took us to Venture or Kmart and we’d pick out the coolest supplies.  It wasn’t back to school shopping with out a Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper and some of her designer folders with pictures of colorful puppies on it!  Those of you that are my age know what I’m talking about.  I’m happy to report Lisa Frank still produces those same colorful folders…and they are just as awesome as I remember them.  Our daughters may have even picked one out!  So I’m happy to report that my good taste was clearly passed on to my children.

After school supplies we’d go get new shoes.  I can’t remember the name of the store but I can remember every thing about the way it looked and smelled.  I loved the way that place smelled.  My mom always made us get the same style of shoes, saddle shoes.  They were pretty fantastic.  I loved them.  We’d get a sticker and a sucker at the shoe place too.  Oh man, the memories were flooding back to me today!

Then we’d go to St. Michael’s and get our class lists.  As a small kid is there anything more exciting than seeing what teacher you got and who was in your class?  Our kids got their class lists Friday, so the order was reversed but the fun is the same.

This was our kids first real experience with back to school shopping and they were a huge fan.  They all kept saying separately “this is so much fun”.  On the way there we debated shopping strategy but they all agreed they wanted to do one list at at time rather than divide and conquer.  They thought it would be fun to help each other make decisions…and it turns out, they were right.

I loved watching them find stuff for each other that they thought the other would like.  They were genuinely excited for each other when they found something they really loved.  It was a total blast.  Who knew?  I guess I’m on the hook from here on out for back to school shopping in the store.  So I guess this means no more easy order form all in one box school supplies anymore.  But, if it is that fun every year, I’m totally game!

When we got home we sorted all our goodies into some Jen Gile Mortgage Partner for Life bags and we are ready for school!

School supplies all packed up and ready to go…if I could only find those 5 bottles of Clorox Wipes!  Did I mention we needed 120 glue sticks.  Yep…120 of those suckers!

Organizing school supplies and smelling the merchandise.  Gross smelling markers for the win!

I think the kids must have thanked us 20 times each for taking them to back to school shopping.  It was pretty special!  Now, let’s hope we get to go to school!

If you are bored and want some goodness, please enjoy Mommy, Fiona and Fletcher reading Danny’s good choices.  A book Fletcher needs to read every single day! 

#celebr8awesome

#dorseyshenanigans