Backpack, Backpack

Getting ready for school is a big deal.  Ryenn has been driving me a little batty with her need to get school supplies.  We start on the 7th this year, and it is coming up soon.  We don't know who her teacher will be yet, and most teachers have a supply list that they require for their class.  I keep trying to tell Ryenn that we don't have this information, and for some reason I still find myself shocked when she is immune to my logic.  I know how John must feel when he talks to me!


I finally break down and take her to Wal-Mart, THE hub for shopping and all things in our booming town. We are going to get the basics, notebooks, folders, pencils, erasers, crayons, scissors, glue sticks, pencil case, hand sanitizer, and tissue.  She is bounding down the aisles grabbing items, chucking them into the cart willy-nilly.  I discretely put things back, like any good, responsible mother would do.  When it comes time to pick out notebooks she chooses two, a Hello Kitty and a Unicorn (reminiscent of the old LisaFrank pieces).  A few notebooks later we spy a TMNT notebook.  Obviously targeting boys, but Leah liked it.  Ryenn decides to steal her thunder, and puts the Hello Kitty notebook back for her love of Michelangelo.  Who can blame her, really, he is a fun, joke-cracking, pizza eating, ninja turtle.  Just to make things more difficult, however, she later decides that other girls will make fun of her for having a "boy" notebook, and she will just use it at home.  This is after purchasing it. Sigh.

She then wants to buy her backpack.  After our experiences with Wal-Mart brand backpacks last year, I was hesitant to buy another.  I mean honestly, we went through a few because straps broke, seams busted, mysterious holes appeared.  So, this year I opted for searching elsewhere.  You know, that magical place that eventually ends up being Amazon. Upon checking the mail that day, I found we received a Landsend magazine.  It featured back to school items, as well as a section on how to choose the perfect backpack for your small child.  I was so excited!  We spent a few hours pouring over the magazine, and we thought we had made our decision.  I check my email, and I have one from Pottery Barn Kids.  Of course I open it, and lo and behold, a back to school section with special emphasis on backpacks.  After much debate over coloring, Ryenn chose her backpack.  Leah did too, but we decided she didn't actually need one.

So, we place the order and wait about three days before receiving shipping confirmation. I thought, "Wow! That was incredibly fast, especially with personalization!"  Four days after that we get a shiny package at our door.  John whips out his Utility Knife (whatever you do, don't call it a box cutter or he gets offended) and we bask in the presence of a superb backpack!  Ryenn is excited, Leah is angry, because we decided against ordering her one, and I am just glad that it is all over!  Until the first day of school when the teacher sends home a list of necessary supplies, and I unsurprisingly missed one!