The back-to-school sales are revving up in the box stores- crayons, bright folders, goldenrod lists of preferred brands, how many pencils and contraband that will be sent home immediately filling red shopping carts.
I loved shopping for school supplies. The pencils were so perfect and sharp- the notebooks smelled like new paper- the assignment grids were all empty, anticipating brilliant and exciting learning activities. It was a fresh start.
We are pretty relaxed home learners- landing somewhere in between unschooling and learner-led unit studies. As such, we don’t have a big need for a checklist and a trip around Target.
This year Carter has requested that we study King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and I’m excited about plunging in- but still, during my last trip through the grocery store I worried that Carter would be missing out on the whole school anticipation ritual.
Then this morning as we were leaving swim lessons he patted my hand.
Carter: Mom? I can’t wait for September.
Me: Why? I thought you were enjoying swim lessons.
Carter: No- I mean, September is when our school starts, right?
The unschooler in me cringed a bit at the idea that school is only in the fall- don’t we learn all the time? The mom in me got all choked up. His excitement is worth a zillion perfectly sharpened pencils.
Addendum:
Later I was driving Carter home from ceramics class and talking about Nanna’s birthday, August 31st.
Carter: Nanna’s birthday is the day before September?
Me: (waiting for a little more school sugar) Mmm Hmmm.
Carter: So two weeks after Nanna’s birthday, we’ll be PLAYING SPORE!!!
Me: (sinking feeling)
Carter: Mom? Why are you making that face?
Me: At the pool this morning, when you said you couldn’t wait for September, what did you say?
Carter: I said ‘in September we’ll be playing SPORE! I can’t wait! Why are you making a face then?
Me: I have to go edit the blog.
Mommy needs to work on her listening skills, but all the wishful thinking skills are stellar.
*author’s note: something on this blog is preventing the I’s from being capitalized at the start of quote sentences. I am not deliberately pulling an e. e. cummings on these posts. Just FYI. Also, all of the Septembers are capitalized when I type them.