It's the last Friday afternoon before school starts for the year. I have mixed feelings. It's been a long summer, but the loosey goosey summer schedule sure is nice. I'm not an early person, and I don't look forward to sending the guys off at 7 am every day. I definitely need to start going to bed earlier.
I have almost all of the lesson plans finished, just history and science left to do. Do you save the subjects you least like for last? I'm definitely a language arts kinda teacher. Though you'd never know from my conversational writing. {w}
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We went school supply shopping today. Noah needed a binder, two five-subject notebooks, some pens and filler paper, and Faith needed a binder and a couple notebooks (the colored Paper Mate markers are for the me, the teacher). We still didn't get out of Office Max for under $90. Noah bought his own shoes with birthday money (they are not school shoes), I bought him four pairs of trousers, and Faith a pair of Twinkle Toes because she doesn't get back-to-school clothes. I know I got off easy and we still spent more than I wanted to. I don't know how families with multiple children in school do it these days. I know the "necessary school supplies" list at most schools is longer than my daughter Christmas wish list. And don't get me started on what schools deem "necessary" these days. Nobody knows how to just get by any more.
And just between you and me, Faith's shoes are the ugliest pair of tennies I have ever seen. The girl has the taste of a street walker. I just can't wait until she turns 13. {sarcasm}
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I've got two socks, one, two
I finished the second sock. It's actually identical in every way to the other, right down to the same mistake. You probably can't see what the arrows are pointing to, but there is a sideways stitch (don't know what I did wrong) on both socks in the exact same spot. I surely couldn't do it again if I tried.
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Maggie the sled dog.
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Faith came in the other day to inform me that our neighbor had a visitor and she had a baby (we don't need to watch the news in our house because Faith keeps us informed of all we need to know). She told me that the baby was so little he "didn't even have his eyes open yet."
She's the youngest child, so first I explained how babies are different from puppies and gerbils, and then I laughed at her.
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Yes, orange watermelon. It tasted the same, so I just closed my eyes to keep from ruining the experience. The kids thought it was "cool." Yes, I knew that it was orange when I bought it. The kids thought it would be "cool" so I guess it was everything they expected.
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Mexican Puppy Chow. I promise to post the recipe on my food blog when I'm done here. You need to try it.
Have a great weekend, friends. I promise to try and talk about my visit with Margaret soon. I know you are dying to know just how cute she really is.
>br>
I'm with you on those sneakers...yikes...you must need sunglasses when she walks by!
ReplyDeleteI got away just under $100 in the office-supply store, and that's only because Middle Sister is going to be using Big Brother's $100 calculator. Hope it lasts long enough (and isn't required to be upgraded) for Little Brother!
Please tell me you bought those shoes on sale or for way less than the price listed at that link!
ReplyDeleteShe is not allowed to wear them in the house, Barb, because I'm afraid they will give me a migraine.
ReplyDelete:-)
Ok Michelle, I bought those shoes on sale or for way less than the price listed at that link!
ReplyDeleteI will say Sears had a sale. I won't say if they were on sale.
She's the only girl and she didn't get any back-to-school clothes, shoes, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc. And she has to clean windows and baseboards to work them off. Even at that price, she is way cheaper than a cleaning lady.
Please don't hate me because I'm weak. ;-)
Haha! I didn't even look at the price, I was so stunned by the gaudiness of the shoes! She'll be an eye-catcher in those.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice not to have to buy a ton of school clothes. At least when I went "back to school" the weather was actually changing from summer to fall, so you might need new clothes. Not down here where school starts the first week in August.
It's OK, Barbara. I understand she's your only girl and a little spoiling is fine. The shoes were really loud, but that price tag caught my eye. Once Fritz started wearing man-sized shoes more than a year ago, I started fainting at shoe prices and was so thankful when that part of his body stopped growing. I was also thankful that the rest of the kids were happy with $15 shoes from Target!
ReplyDeleteMichelle, this may be the time to mention that my kids' high school requires $80 uniform shoes. Big Brother went through 3 pairs in 4 years, because high-school boys are still growing. He still has his senior-year pair and those are his go-to "dress shoes." He says his friends do the same.
ReplyDeleteBack to school expenditures . . . let the gouging begin! I lucked out and found that I actually had quite a few required office supplies in my stash at home, but the uniforms . . . ugh. I am a fan of uniforms, but when there is only one store that carries the required items and that store charges 45.50 for a skirt that is made out of what is essentially plastic? Well, I can't think about it too much.
ReplyDeleteOur school just consolidated and that included all new uniforms from the socks up. I am hoping that we will be able to have a used uniform sale soon because I could sure use one! I made Sally squeeze into her jumper for one more year, but Francie had to have a new skirt. Her old one was as short as a cheerleader's and that was with the hem let down!
Plus, we have a summer and winter uniform and a gym uniform . . . and that's not including any of the shoes required. I had to get one skirt, one sweater vest and four pairs of uniform shorts and it cost me over $200.00. Sheesh.
It's a good thing I only pay for up to 3 kids total at our school and that we can hand down all these uniforms because there's no other way we could afford it.
Sara, yup. That's why I caved on the shoes. Because I probably saved $250 on clothes by homeschooling. Not to mention tuition.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, I was teasing you, but seriously she would not have gotten them if there were more siblings. Noah needed new trousers and shoes but all his shirts from last year are still fine and those I get at the thrift store. I have found great men's dress shirts at the thrift store. Anyway, I got off pretty cheap -- less than $200 for all the back to school clothes including the awful shoes.
ReplyDeleteAimee, I think I hit $250.00 for 2 boys' golf shirts, 3 girls' golf shirts, 2 skirts and 1 sweater vest, 2 pairs of socks plus a belt (which I could have gotten anywhere but I actually believed was fairly-priced). We begged the administration 1 principal ago to go with Lands' End uniforms, but that uniformopoly has a firm hold in the Philly area, as you well know.
ReplyDeleteHooray on your socks! :D All of my socks have some sort of mistake. It gives them character. ;)
ReplyDeleteEven with homeschooling my kids, the cost of back to school stuff is killer. I've been prepping my husband for weeks on what we need and he is still in shock when it comes down to actually buying it. I think for homeschoolers it doesn't help that we also have the expense of the curriculum, too. We did a "soft launch" of school last week because my two oldest have started taking a few classes at the local charter school and the Earth Science class began last week. Also, my oldest daughter is playing JV volleyball this year with a large homeschooling group/association and practices began last week.
I tend to be very "old school" and I don't think school should start until after Labor Day. That's how both my husband and I were brought up. I hate the feeling of being pressured to start earlier and earlier every year. I'm even going to have a baby due in the early spring and I don't care. If we're behind a little then we're behind a little. That's part of the beauty of homeschooling isn't it? We get to set our own flexible schedules.
btw, speaking about back to school clothing…do you think it would be too much or improper to post a "bleg" for hand-me-downs for my kids? Clothing is always our biggest expense and believe me, we do not shop at the high priced stores. It's usually Walmart, Target and Payless Shoes for us. Occasionally I'll by something deeply discounted at Old Navy, Lands End, and L.L. Bean, but that happens very rarely. We love when someone gives us a big bag of clothes at church.