Yellow for Schoolbus

To date, I have received the supply lists (insert rage here) for two of my children. It kills me to read the amount of items my kindergartner will need, since he will only be there for 2 1/2 hours. Such as:

2 "Expo" dry erase markers - to which I'm just wondering why he would need them!?,
6 - yeah 6 "Elmers" glue sticks, 2 "elmers" glue bottles. (like, what on earth is he going to be gluing?? that would require such an amount?)
1 Box zip lock baggies (sandwich size), and 1 Box in storage size. (hmmm)
2 Crayola crayons - 12 or 24 pack. (So if I buy him the 24, does that count as 2 -12 packs??)
1 Box colored pencils
1 Box sharpened pencils (thankfully, he's been saving a bunch of them)
1 pink eraser (he's not going to agree on that one!)
1 two pocket folder
1 container of Clorox wipes - (seems the boy will be busy keeping things in his area clean and fresh)
1 box of tissues.

then there is the "Optional School Supplies"
liquid pump soap
paper towels
brown lunch bags
paper plates

Call me crazy, (crazy bi#$*!), and I don't mean to sound cheap, but WTF?!!! I get the whole, someteachershavetospendtheirsalariesonschoolsuppliesbecauseparentsaretoocheaptobuytheir ownkidsthethingstheyNEED!!!!! Some of these supplies, and "Brand names" seemed a bit far out for me to fathom. This for a 2 1/2 hour kindergarten class. Oh, and he "will need a healthy snack and drink everyday. Please send this in on a daily basis!" OK, got that! However, he will just be finishing lunch before he goes off on the big yellow school bus; so he's already being robbed of precious time he could actually be spending , say , learning, that we must toss in snack time to the daily activity as well? Of course, I'm sure that is where the "Clorox wipes" come in to play as he'll need to clean and sanitize his area. I'm thinking this is going to take about 30 minutes of his already too short day! But that's just me thinking too far into the whole thing.

I'm very excited for him, the whole new experience of kindergarten thing. He's very nervous about it right now. "I don't want to go to kindergarten." He wants to go back to his preschool class. (Hey, he actually had 3 1/2 hours there!) I'm sure it will be so wonderful for him. He's a little bummed that his buddy, AJ will not be in his class; but on a good note, we found lastnight that Alyssa will be in his school. Whether she is AM or PM has yet to be found out, but I'm hoping it's PM, and they get to be in together. That would just be so awesome for the 2 of them. Both transition-wise, and well, because!!

Here's the list for sixth grade: (just can't wait to get Cinderisa's)

4 different colored 1 in. 3-ring binders

2-3 packs wide-rule loose-leaf paper

7 pocket folders

red, blue, and black pens. ( no gels or green )

2 packs of 10!!!! #2 pencils

colored pencils

calculator

highlighters,

3 boxs of tissues - pop-up type preferred. (that makes me want to get something altogether different -just because)

1 pack magic markers

2glue sticks (sounds reasonable)

scissors

1 blank floppy computer disk. (I thought I'd send our finacial records instead!)

1 ruler, with customary and metric units. (because we use the metric system here in the US!!)

Oh, and all textbooks must be covered thru the year.

Not too bad! I can handle that. It's the Jr High that's gonna hit the account right off! With the graphing calculator I understand. She's having it permanently attatched next Tuesday at 3; a friend of ours does exotic piercing and........ Oh I'm kidding, but if she loses the damn thing - she's dead! that's it, dead! Like the skunk outside my window, D E A D!!!! We haven't gotten that list yet, I think they wait until the day before school starts and say something like this:

Welcome parents and students of said Jr High. We hope this will be a pleasant learning experience for all of you; We also hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable summer vacation - BECAUSE WE'RE HERE TO BUST YOUR BUBBLE WITH THE SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST. AAAHHAAAAA HAA HAAA HAAA!!!!!!! oK, maybe a bit overboard in the dramatics. I'm sure they will expect everything on the first day, as well as the added lists they send home with them on FRIDAY! Oh, with the extra $$$$$$$$$$$$$ they'll want for expenditures like, party money, and workbooks, and locker fees, and union fees, and fire hose rental, and garbage disposal, and the rent-a-cop and..............yeah, I'm stressing a little.

It's back-to-school time, and I'm a Mom that actually sends my kids into the wilds of the public school system. Morals they learn at home. (Scary isn't it!) I tried the home-schooling thing with Cinderisa, and I did do some pre-school stuff that was wonderful. She learned her shapes and colors, I even taught her sign language; and she grasped it, well! But, keeping her home with me all day, NOPE! Wasn't for me. Not that full-time-home-school-sort-of-Mommy! Just not me. I commend anyone who can. And I know a lot of Moms that do; but it just wasn't for me. I could see myself in a padded cell - that was my future. I had no patience for it. My heart goes out to the teachers that have classrooms full of children. I enjoy being in the classroom with my kids for parties and such; but not in my home. And that's ok for me.

Whoa! I just realized something scary! Cinderisa is a freshman this year! I was just a freshman not that long ago!!! Yikes. Scarier yet, when I was a freshman, it was the 80's, and now - it looks like they're trying to come back! The 80's fashions, hair, all of it. Ugly. I've always had my own t-shirt and jeans kind of fashion thing going on. I like to dress up on occassion, look a little more snazzy on other days. But please don't allow the hidious looks of the 80's come back!

Something different; the girls decided to give Miss Nala a bath today! I tried to insert her pic but didn't work. Anyway, they thought she smelled bad, and thought she needed a bath. Yeah, 'cause cats like that sort of thing! Well, I'm here to say, she didn't like it. But boy did she look funny when they were done with her. And we found the reason for her smelling bad; a boo-boo on her neck. Probably from something she killed. So a little Bag Balm and she's starting to fluff up nicely. Poor Naly! Now she has to be irritated by me putting gunk on her boo-boo. At least she had a bath, a "berryliscious" one at that.

Well, I do hope everyone out there in Migraineland is feeling well today. I'm off to do some dreaded school supply shopping. What fun. I'll be singing as I go; to the tune of, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and the kids will, likely, be glaring at me. To which I say, "WHATEVER!"

ciao

deborah