Sep. 3: Back to school

Welcome to Day #3 of our September Blog Challenge! In trying to blog every day this month, it’s taken a very short time for me to feel like all I’ve done for three days is blog, blog, blog! That feeling will eventually wear off, if I remember correctly. Today’s topic:

Back to school: What did you love about back to school and how do you translate that to your adult life?

As a kid, my favorite part of going back to school was definitely the clothes shopping in August. Once I stopped growing so much and didn’t need an entirely new wardrobe each year, that shopping excitement diminished. I was always eager to plan my outfit for the first day of school, though. Second in importance to clothes were school supplies—because OMG, have you SMELLED freshly sharpened pencils? Brand new binders, heavy stock ruled paper, fine tip ballpoint pens, and a full pencil box could (and still can) make me swoon.

My back to school planning of long ago has impacted my adult life in that I feel the need to go all Boy Scout when I start new adventures.

I am the Queen of Being Prepared.

Um, I take that back.

More accurately, I am the Queen of Thinking I’m Totally Prepared But Actually I’ve Forgotten Really Important Stuff But I Did Pack Gum To Share So Don’t Worry Because If You Lose A Limb At Least Your Breath Will Be Fresh And You Can Flirt With The Paramedics Yaaaaaay.

These days I still enjoy going through the planning stages before I tackle new projects; I try to anticipate the things I’ll need and have them ready. My painting projects are much more efficient when I don’t have to stop in the middle for a run to Home Depot to buy spackle or tray liners. If I have to go to a meeting, I gather paper and pens for note-taking, print any documents I may need, and make sure I’ve reviewed info ahead of time. Before I have to dress up for an event, I decide what I’ll be wearing and whether it needs to be cleaned/pressed, if I have the right shoes, what purse I’ll carry, and if I have to buy horrid pantyhose. Some preparations require very little planning, and some call for much, much more. Don’t get me started on how I plan vacations.

Suffice it to say, I’ve been known to over-prepare.

I’ve always liked organizing and being ready for anything, so I don’t know if I can credit my years of back-to-school planning with those traits or not. I kinda think I’d probably enjoy those things either way.

Today is Jack’s first day of middle school. What did he do to get ready? Last night he made sure his socks matched. He didn’t make sure his socks matched his clothes, just that his socks matched each other. I had to remind him to brush his teeth and comb his hair. Katie’s first day is Wednesday, but she’s had her backpack prepped and outfit planned head-to-toe for weeks—she is my girl.

If you’re a blogger and want to do our blog challenge with us, let me know and I’ll send you our list! Otherwise, tune in here (and on Sherilee’s happy little blog) every day in September!