Chaos Among Order: Back to School Time

It may look like everything is neat and orderly as you look at the kids’ backpacks after the first day of school. It is now, but you should have seen the kitchen table an hour ago.

Day one. Let the chaos begin.

Now, I don’t know about you, but this whole “back to school” thing is getting a little out of hand. First, we have to spend–wait a minute. I’ll get right back to you.

(Writer pauses to call to husband.)

“Honey, how much was that bill from Staples?”

“One hundred eighty-four dollars,” he shouts back. (That was 184 in case you’re in disbelief. Nooooooooo—kids aren’t expensive.)

(Writer continues blog post…)

First, we have to spend $184.00 on school supplies. (Notice I wrote it numerically again for maximum impact, and that doesn’t include the other five things I had to buy ($50), which included one additional backpack from UnderArmour ($75), no less, and several new pieces of clothing ($$$$$$$.) Then, we have to spend hours reading and dissecting the the vast amount of paperwork, and fill out forms to send back. I’m signing my life away here, one John Hancock after another. That’s number two.

Third, it’s just started. The deluge of information that will hit us about upcoming events, wrapping paper sales, parent-teacher nights, school dances…oh my. I wished for this moment. I really did. I was done with summer. The kids were done with summer. We were bored and ready to get back to “thinking.” Sponge Bob had to be put to rest.

(Writer pauses to collect her thoughts and asks herself, “Where the hell is this blog post going?” She continues…struggling to find her way…)

We are back at it, this “back to school” thing.

When I told my mother about (yes, I’m going to say it again) the $184.00 school supply bill, she said, and I quote her verbatim: “When you guys went to school, we bought you a notebook, some paper, maybe a spiral or two, and some pencils and said, ‘See ya.'”

How times have changed.

But, bring it on. I love school. I love that my kids love school. I love that they woke up this morning and were excited. They never complain about it. They enjoy learning.

So I guess in the end, all the chaos, paperwork, and oodles and oodles of information I half pay attention to is worth every penny of that $184.00.