The most wonderful time of the yeeeeear

One thing to be said for back to school season: you can’t put your Thursday morning post off until Thursday morning anymore. Unless you’re able to type while slinging hash and twisting your daughter’s hair into an intricate plait. Or toasting bagels and managing to yank a brush through the tangles while she insists on keeping her head pointed at an episode of Clifford she’s seen no less than 18 times THIS WEEK.

Can you tell I’m new at this? My just-turned 4-year-old started Pre-K last week, and WOW. I’m already overwhelmed. (Also, already sick! Shocking!) They send home forms and more forms and permission slips (holy hackles, I’m OLD) and germs and a lollipop and a nervous tummy for everyone. It’s a lot already, and I know it’s only going to get more complicated next year when she’s at for-realsies-all-the-day Kindergarten.

I’m going to go ahead and out my craziness right here for you all: I LOVED back to school time when I was a kid. We didn’t really do much with our summers. Mostly my brother and I stayed home and fought like cats and dogs, played outside, and made our own magazines out of construction paper. It wasn’t exactly the kind of thing one looked forward to going on endlessly, you know?

Back to school was also pretty much the only time I ever got new clothes. This is Florida, where winter means putting a sweater on over your tank top, so there wasn’t even a changing of the wardrobe to look forward to. New clothes! In all the styles of last year! Me and my bootcut, non-skinny jeans are still playing at that little game.

And the school supplies! Oh, new binders and notebooks. Of course, this was back before the school sent out a list of specifics. We just got to pick WHATEVER WE WANTED. Such freedom we had and took for granted. I shudder to think what joys my girls will be robbed of by those lists. “No Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers for you! Looks like they want plain spiral notebooks.” Ah, can’t you already hear the chorus of “But MAAWWWM”? A balm for the soul.

One thing back to school used to mean, but doesn’t anymore, is that FANTASTIC commercial for Staples or Office Depot. “It’s the most wonderful tiiiiime of the yeeeeeear!” plays in the background as a dad coasts up and down the aisle, riding a shopping cart, happily tossing in supplies while–

You know what? Let’s just YouTube that bad boy.

Seriously. My favorite commercial ever. What did we do before we could YouTube this stuff? (Do I need to put on my disclaimer pants to say we are not affiliated with Staples, Staples does not know who I am, I don’t even know if Staples is still a store, etc.? All those things, plus I love what you’re doing with your hair these days, Staples!)

Back to school, for me, has always been about new beginnings and a fresh start. The chance to come home and do your homework every night, BEFORE dinner even, until the novelty wears off and you’re up until 2AM fighting off calculus problems with Dr. Pepper and one bloodshot eye.

So, you know. Until the second week or so. At which point it’s not Back to School anymore; it’s just School. And School isn’t nearly as awesome as Back to School.

Spill it, pretties. Back to school: mopes or yays?