I have three little sweethearts that have just started back to school.  For the past few weeks, I’ve been  preparing them for that big event.

I wore holes in my tires from repeated trips to Target, Walmart, and KMart.  I scoured the racks at umpteen different department stores looking for clothes, shoes, and accessories.  I made my kids try on 12 different sizes of uniforms for school.  And I even spent countless hours online searching for cute nap mats, sippy cups, tote bags and lunch boxes.

And don’t even get me started on the supply lists for these kids.  I trudged through rows and rows of school paraphernalia searching for exactly what was on each list.  Where were the large white glue sticks?  Every store had regular and jumbo and purple.  Nobody stocked large white ones.  When I finally found them, they were $2 a piece and I needed 12.  Twenty-four dollars for glue?  That’s just wrong!

Searching for notebooks was frustrating, too.  I hunted for pocket folders with brads, pocket folders without brads, and composition notebooks with wide-rule paper.  And on top of that, my kids wanted them to be Hannah Montana or Pokemon or Hello Kitty or pink or something other than what was available where we were.

Oh, and there are NO blue 10 gallon Sterilite tubs in the entire city, in case you wanted to know.  It was really special to find out at my son’s orientation that the tub color didn’t matter.  What?  Why, for the love of all that is good, did someone not fix that on the supply list?  People don’t realize the trouble they cause us slightly deranged, OCD moms.

Seriously, does anyone else do this?  Why do I obsess over getting exactly what’s written on the supply list?  I mean, I’m not a first time mom.  I should know better.  I should just throw some crayons and paper in a Walmart sack and send them on their way.  But there’s just something about the start of the school year that turns me into this fretful little woman who must do everything by the book.

Needless to say, my babies got to school with all their stuff.  We did miss my 8 year old’s orientation because I read the paper wrong.  I thought it was on the same night as my son’s.  That doesn’t bode well for my scheduling abilities this year, but I’m going to get them through this year with awesome grades if it kills me.

Did I mention that I’m home alone?  My youngest baby, who is about to turn 4 in a few weeks, started preschool.  I’m sad for myself, but excited for her.  It’s great that she’s so independent, but I sure miss her.  Her school is awesome and her teacher, Mrs. Ruthie, is the sweetest lady ever.

I’m planning on relaxing at home for a few days and then getting started on some projects around the house.  I’ve got pictures that need hanging, closets that need cleaning and I may even slap a photo or two in somebody’s scrapbook.  I’m also plannin’ to get my blog on.  I’m looking forward to more free time for writing and catching up on all the blogs I love to read.  Hooray freedom!

Look at me!  I’m focusing on the positve side of this rather than the fact that my baby has started school and they’re all getting old and about to move out and leaving me here all alone forever and ever.  See, I’m doing great!