The Holy Grail of School Supplies
On Friday, I dragged my son out to Wal-Mart on our tax-free weekend to get school supplies. This was my first time ever buying supplies for my own child. I’ve always bought miscellaneous school supplies for my classroom. Long ago, I got frustrated at the number of students who didn’t come prepared to class with scissors or colored pencils, so I used some of my classroom funds to just buy a class set. I haven’t regretted that for a moment–it’s much easier!
Armed with my list at 7:00 in the morning, I hoped to avoid the crowds. There were actually more people there than I expected at that hour. I wandered through the aisles, happily buying the SIX boxes of crayons 
, and searching for primary composition notebooks. I learned a few things on that trip. One, primary composition notebooks were nowhere to be found. For those of you who don’t have small kids, these are the composition notebooks where the top half of the page is empty for pictures, and the bottom half has the extra large handwriting spaces, for students who are just learning to form letters. Regular composition notebooks don’t work since kindergarteners don’t have the fine motor skills to write that small. Believe it or not, Wal-Mart hadn’t ordered any. 
So, I tried OfficeMax. You’d think that an office supply store would have them. Like before, the clerk knew what I meant, but they didn’t have them either. At this point, my son was starting to self-destruct. “Why is this taking so long? Why can’t we go home?” After casting him a look of death, I took him out for a breakfast snack. Nothing like a little fast food to make a boy happy. At this point, I was beginning to feel like a knight in search of the Holy Grail. 
Ordering online was beginning to look better and better.
Finally, it hit me. The teacher store! Of course. They would have them. So, I dragged him across the county…only to find that they weren’t open until 11:00 a.m. You can imagine the litany of words going through my mind at this point. K-Mart was next door, so I decided to give it a shot. I spoke with one of the ladies stocking supplies, and both of us struck out. At that point, I decided I needed to console myself by buying a book. Whom should I find at the book aisle? The goddess of all books…the Levy’s distributor! She was busy putting out all of the new Harlequin titles. We had the nicest chat about books, and she promised to call me when my book is out in the stores next month so I can sign them.
Eventually, I came home, looked them up online and found that Office Depot carried them. I bribed my son with the promise of pizza for lunch, and I bought what we needed. It took almost the entire day. 
I think back to when my own school days and I remember having a plastic Garfield lunch box with a thermos (mine was yellow). Do you know that almost no one sells Thermoses (sp.?) anymore? They seem to be extinct.
What kind of lunch box did you have growing up? Were you the coolest person in school or what?
Michelle posted in Writing @ 3:59 pm | Viewed 2079 times
Jean Says:
No lunch boxes for me. I went to elementary school back in the dark ages when most Moms didn’t work outside the house and city kids walked to school and went home for lunch. Also, I’ve never heard of primary composition notebooks. I wouldn’t have even know what to look for.
jeanne s. Says:
Same here - we walked back home which at least was good exercise but a bummer in the winter. Then once you hit junior high only paper sacks would do. I rarely got to buy - my parents thought it cost too much and by the time I could get in line all the boys had run everyone over to get there first so there was no time to eat it anyway lol.
MaryF Says:
When you mentioned those books earlier, I couldn’t remember ever seeing such a thing. So glad you found them - I bet you’re the only one who did.
I had a Dukes of Hazzard lunchbox. For awhile, Cafe Press had aluminum lunchboxes and I have one with my writing chapter’s logo!
Michelle Willingham Says:
Mary, this is what they look like. Very hard to find!
I used to watch the Dukes of Hazard. Daisy Duke was my favorite.
Holly Says:
I’ve never heard of the primary composition books, only the regular composition ones which my stepson has to use for school.
When I was in school I do remember having a metal Pac-Man lunch box one year and I do think it had the thermos. I also later had a plain lavender plastic one that you put in the freezer and it would keep your food cold all day.
Oh I loved Dukes of Hazzard too. I so wanted to be Daisy and even at 5 or 6 years old I had the biggest crush on Bo! LOL I had dreams about him…usually they were playing in band and burst up through the floor in my bedroom. Quite the active dreams at such a young age!
Glad you found everything you needed for your son’s first day. My stepson starts 3rd grade tomorrow.
heidi dahlquist Says:
I had a Dukes of Hazzard lunch box too….I was so in love with Bo Duke!
beth Says:
I had a new metal lunch box every year, I think. I remember Holly Hobby and Star Wars in particular - and maybe Knight Rider…seems to me there was a Kit on a thermos at some point.
I’m sure the schools today figure the little nozzles on the thermos could be used as a weapon, so they’re not allowed.
Sorry it took all day! If it helps (in the misery loves company way of things), my other friends with rising Kindergarteners (I have two) all had miserable times this weekend trying to find stuff as well.
Leanne Says:
Sorry you had a rough day in search for the school supplies.
At least it’s over with. I don’t remember the composition books like you needed when I was little but I do remember having to write on large spaced greyish brown looking paper with big spaces with red and blue lines going across to teach you how to stay in the lines and how high to put you capital letters and lower case letters. It came in a little long binded tablet I think. I loved lunch boxes, I remember having a She-Ra one(does anyone even remember that cartoon anymore?) 
and a Dukes of Hazzards one. Hope everyone has a great day.
Leanne
Tori Lennox Says:
I had a huge crush on Bo Duke, too!
As for my lunch box, the only ones I can remember are the Monkees (does this date me?) and Bedknobs & Broomsticks (anyone remember that Disney movie?).
Michelle Willingham Says:
LeAnne–I used to watch She-Ra.
And He-Man, Master of the Universe.
And I had a metal lunchbox, too, but I don’t remember what was on it. I’m pretty sure those things rusted.
I also remember how bad school lunches were. Even when they started adding pizza, it was so greasy, it was inedible. The hamburgers were rubbery, and the sandwiches soggy. Ugh. Nowadays, kids are spoiled. They have slushie machines at our school!
Heidi Dahlquist Says:
Tori- I loved Bedknobs & Broomsticks!
Michelle- I also watched She-Ra and He-Man. I always tuned into Buck Rogers too. What happened to all the good shows. Are you ready for classes to start Michelle? I go back to class Monday.
Courtney Hunt Says:
I saw those composition notebooks at AC Moore yesterday. I think they were on sale for 3 for $1. You might try there if you have one in your neck of the woods.
I didn’t have a lunch box but I remember that my parents used to sneak notes into my brown lunch bag every so often. Though I feigned embarrassment at the time, I always was secretly pleased. I still have a stack of them–they are some of my most treasured possessions.
Holly Says:
Oh yeah, I watched He-Man and She-Ra too. We just got my stepson a DVD a few weeks back of the fans choice of the 10 best episodes of He-Man. He thought it was cool. I looked She-Ra up on YouTube and found a few videos where you can watch the intro to the show and let my daughter see it. She’s 4 and got really excited about that. I checked prices for DVDs of it on amazon and they are outrageous. Anywhere from $15 to $30+ for one DVD!
We got the He-Man one from a $5 bin at Wal-Mart! May have to think about She-Ra, come my daughter’s birthday or Christmas.
MaryF Says:
I LOVED Bedknobs and Broomsticks!!
Bo Duke has aged well, if you ever see Smallville…..
Dana P. Says:
I had a BeGees Lunch Box. I have seen primary Compsition Notebooks at the local Walmart before they became a Super Walmart. Now the only place I have found them is online. You would think a Super walmart would carry just about everything under the sun. NOT!!!