Back-to-School Supplies Shopping

I think I'm done.

Nope, I still have to get three more backpacks!

I guess I like the challenge of having to buy all that stuff. The cost, though! If I buy $400 worth of school supplies, what's left for school clothes?

It's a good thing I sew!

It's a good thing we get like-new clothes from family friends for a few of them.

When I get the three more backpacks, I'll line them all up to show to you the mass of shopping I had to do. The cashier asked me if I was a teacher. "Nope, this is for my eleven kids at home." When I get the shocked look, I mention that I have a total of sixteen of them, but only eleven live at home. "I have three in college and two married as well." They don't usually believe me, so I pull out the family photo (the one at the top right column of this blog).

The family behind me was curious too, so I told them a few tidbits to strike up a conversation while they waited for me to get rung up. The guy thought I had three kids because I was buying three backpacks. I told him that I already have five more backpacks at home and still needed three more. He didn't believe me, either.

Someday, I should take all the kids with me, give them their own carts and tell them to find everything they need. I'd line them all up to check out, one by one. Then, maybe, people would believe me! (But the kids might take advantage of the situation and put way too much stuff in their carts... better scratch that idea!)

It took me an entire day to log what had already been acquired, go to the store to purchase the rest of the nine lists of supplies, bring them all home, sort them into kid piles, then total the cost of each child's supplies. The range is very extensive. Some cost less than $20, some cost more than $50!

Oh yeah, we still need t-shirts for school uniforms, too. It never ends!! Hubby thinks all I do is spend money. I wonder why...?

This week I sew. You can follow the progress of that goal by reading my new sewing blog at DCDesigns. I also have some gowns listed on my new etsy store at etsy.com.

If you want to keep up with our pet stories, check out Paige's Pet Page to see how the peers pets are doing. We have pics of each pet on the right margin. Those pics will get an update, soon.