I’m a little late getting my post up this week.  Like millions of other mother’s I’m in “back to school” mode.   Where exactly did the summer go?

Last thing I remember it was the last day of school, now in a week it will be first day of school.   That just flew right by.

Of course, being a mother of a teenager, back to school rituals such as “back to school shopping”  has seem to become an event all to itself in this household.  The reason why everything else has taken a bit of a backseat this week.  

Back to school shopping sure has changed since I was in high school.  When I went back to school shopping I was given $50.00 (and any other money I had saved from summer jobs) to buy my clothes, new shoes, school supplies and anything else I could possibly get for the money I had.  Mind you, I could actually get most of what needed with that money.  That was a time when you could buy 5 shirts for $10.00.  (I’m not trying to date myself here at all, but I was an 80’s chick, and as long as I had money for the essential leg warmers and school supplies, then everything else was icing on the cake).

Now, to my teenager, back to school shopping has become almost like an end of summer social event. It’s an event that needs to be planned down to the tiniest of details.  It’s not just a quick trip to the mall.  No, no, not in this household.  Everything has to be decided from who is going to be “invited” (yes, back to school shopping now entails that you bring your 5 closest friends, and 1 girlfriend along with you) to what you are going to wear to when the “festivities” will begin. 

And of course, at this age, mother’s only provide the funding (which by the way has quadrupled since I was in high school) and the transportation; we don’t actually get to participate in the “back to school” festivities at all.    

So, I wait for the call letting me know that they are done and ready to be picked up.  

And then this is the part that always brings it home for me…unpacking the back to school shopping bags. 

When my son get’s home he begins showing me the back to school purchases.  He begins pulling out the 4 shirts, 3 pair of jeans, the cool looking running shoes and the back pack. And I’m waiting, and waiting…okay –so that’s it? Where’s the rest of it?  I immediately start looking around for the other bags.

Let me put some perspective into this…he left with $500.00 and came back with 4 shirts, 3 pair of jeans, one pair of running shoes and a backpack!  What are you kidding me?   So I guess things like pens, pencils, and binders aren’t really necessary for school these days.

No, because apparently, you can reuse your binders from last year, you know the ones where the rings don’t actually close anymore and the vinyl siding is falling off.    That’s fine, but wearing the same shoes that are in perfect condition from last year —HUGE no, no!

 Ah, what fun…can’t wait to do this again next year….NOT!!