school supplies are a freakin' rip off!!

So, when I was starting school, I used to LOVE getting school supplies.  I remember we would go to the school and look on the kindergarten windows where they had the class lists posted and find out who our teachers were (which was ALWAYS a nerve-racking experience for me!) and then go to the grocery store (Safeway or Apple Tree depending on the year) and buy our pre-packaged school supplies.  Back then, they only had two elementary schools over here.  You either went to Landolt, or Greene.  I went to Greene.  Anyways, so they had all the school supplies by grade levels, you picked up your bag and went on with your life.  It was so much fun to get home and open the bad and see all the things that you would be using that year.  I would organize, reorganize and get excited..  

Now, I'm on the other end of school supplies.  The end that has the Wallet attached.  Not near as fun.  I even venture to say that it was a terrible experience.  We went and registered Noah at Gilmore Elementary last week.  He was registered at Hall but since we moved (only a mile away) he is now going to Gilmore.  Since we couldn't register him until last week, we couldn't buy the pre-packaged ones.  I guess with around 10 elementary schools around here, the grocery stores couldn't keep up and no longer do pre-packaged school supplies.  UGH!  Here we go.  So, Chris and I got the kids together along with the list and went to Target.  I thought it would be so fun for Noah.  Maybe it was for him, but lemme tell you, it was NOT fun for me.  Green folder, blue folder, must have brads.  must have pockets.  heaven forbid its paper.  must be plastic.  but can't be bad for the environment.. so lets get a certain kind of plastic.. no wait, not that one.. the brads have to be 7.13523987 inches apart and these brads are only a freakin' 7.09823472 apart...  keep looking for the stupid plastic folders.. oh wait, there is a yellow one.. nope, must be two green and one blue.  finally find one green and one blue.  I had to buy one green one that is a paper folder, so that might be Noah's first visit to the principle office.. got the wrong folder.  (Note, I did go to 5 different stores, none of which had a green plastic folder w/ brads left... apparently that is the "hot" color this year.  I could find a plastic one w/o brads and with pockets, or a plastic one with brads and w/0 pockets...  grrr)  That was just ONE of the frustrating school supply finds we had to get.  Apparently everything had to be a certain brand name... certain colors, certain size... what happened to not being discriminatory??  ugh.  Anyways, after spending a freakin' 100.00 we were out of target.  Now granted, that was buying the backpack and lunchbox, but I still believe that it was ridiculous to have to spend that much...  

Oh well..  He is all set and has 6 more days until my baby goes to Kindergarten...  He's so excited...  and I might be excited, too.. shhhhhhhh.. don't tell!!