On Monday I wrote out a list of everything I needed to accomplish before school starts next week. It basically looked like this:
1. Buy Caroline new tennis shoes
2. Buy Caroline a new backpack
3. Buy Caroline a new lunchbox
4. Try to get Caroline in bed before 9:00 p.m.
Today is Wednesday and none of these things have actually happened, which kind of stresses me out because it all has to be done by Thursday. This weekend is tax-free weekend in the state of Texas and there isn’t enough anti-anxiety medication available on the free market to make me venture into any type of store during that seventy-two hour time period. I’ll pay the 8.25% sales tax and keep my sanity for $100, Alex.
I’m not sure the sales tax is actually 8.25% but it looks right so I’m sticking with it. I could google it but, frankly, I’ve used up all my energy worried about our lack of a backpack.
We shopped for backpacks yesterday but couldn’t find one that she loved and I feel it’s important for a girl to feel good about her school accessories. Of course it would be helpful if someone would state from the beginning that they would like a Barbie backpack instead of saying that they want a Disney Princess backpack which causes you to take someone to the Disney Store where they do not, in fact, sell Barbie backpacks or any other Barbie merchandise because they do not want Barbie stealing any trampy thunder from the new vamped up version of Tinkerbell.
Also, Pottery Barn Kids, who do you think you’re fooling with your $50.00 backpack? I hope it comes complete with a tutor.
So today we will set out at dawn or 10:30 a.m. in a renewed quest for the perfect backpack and will go where we should have gone from the beginning, the place where all the magic really happens, Target.
And, fortunately, Target also has a Starbucks because I am going to need a large dose of caffeine to get through the day because I went out with some girlfriends last night and, when I got home, P hogged the computer for the next two hours because he was watching old episodes of SWAT on Hulu and I couldn’t use it to write this lame post that kind of makes me want to apologize to all of you for the three minutes of your life you’ll never get back.
I guess, technically, I could have used my iPhone to write a post but I’m still getting used to the keyboard and, while I’ve never thought much about the size of my thumbs, they now feel impossibly large and cumbersome. The keyboard makes me feel like I want to purchase a stylus for texting purposes, but I think Steve Jobs might show up in person to take my phone away from me and put it in the hands of someone a lot more cool and edgy, like maybe the woman who hosts “Sit and Be Fit” on PBS.
Anyway, the point is that I’m going to need caffeine. And a Barbie backpack.
And probably some Advil before it’s all said and done.