It's Back to School Time

I love this time of year. I am a total school supply geek which is why I am perfect for the position that I am in.

Pam's daughter is the same way. Perhaps it is an oldest child gene. They went to four stores to find the right pens. I love this kid!!

I went to two stores to find the perfect planner. I bought one in January but I have decided that it is ugly and I could find something more efficient. The only downside is transferring all of the information over but I am planning on getting that squared away soon.

When I had a classroom, everything was new and orderly at the beginning of school. My students had all of the things that they needed and were eager to get to work. Of course with middle school, this is not the same picture at the end of the year. The orderly part was alive and kicking but they always ran out of stuff that they needed. This led me to have to exchange shoes, purses, etc for supplies. If you haven't smelled an 8th grader's shoe recently, DON"T. Little kids aren't much better.

Elementary school is so much fun. I love all of the cutsie decorations and themes. I get to schedule the school, do t-shirt designs, order name tags and place kids in classrooms. It can really be a lot of fun. (Okay, sometimes it is a pain but in the end, it is fun)

I love getting my kids supply list and checking things off. Even better, we get to order supplies for the office so I get to go through the catalog and get cool pens, pencils, and other survival gear. Sometimes I feel like I am 12 and not many more years older like I really am. My all-time favorite school supply in my office is my Dymo label maker. This is not the hand held one but the one that runs through the computer. If you like labels, you need this!!!

I ran into a student from my school this weekend and she told me, "Mrs. Harley, if you told me school was starting tomorrow, I am ready and would be there. My bag is packed and my outfit is ready to go." I LOVE the enthusiasm of kids who love school. I hope that you can share the love of school with your kids, if you have them.

If you don't have kids in school, peruse down the school supply aisle. The stuff is way better than we had growing up. The choices are endless. Pick yourself up a new pack of pencils and sharpen them. You will feel like a kid again, even if you are not.

I started back to work today. I don't mind going back to work. I do miss the friends I have, just like the kids miss theirs. This first week is hard. We sit in meetings for 4 days and then have one day in the building before the teachers arrive. I have so much to do that it is distracting. But like all other years, it all falls into place and we open the school with ease.

You've gotta love teamwork. It's like a new box of sharpened pencils....go and get some!