Marble Notebook Mystery

Between preschool, elementary school, and now middle school, suffice it to say that I have plenty of experience with the need for marble notebooks.

More specifically, I am accustomed to the annual deficit of marble notebooks–right when you need them–at the beginning of the school year.

Oh sure, I see them throughout the rest of the year; I even see them the week before school supply lists are posted. But do I buy them? Nooo. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.

Instead, I wait for the school supply lists to come out. Which always (from preschool to high school) involve marble notebooks. At which point we do the school supply shopping and get every single thing on the lists with the exception of the elusive marble notebooks, which are undoubtedly sold out at every Wal-Mart, Target, Staples, etc.

I smack myself on the forehead, thinking, “Why, oh why didn’t I just buy them when they were in stock?” (Not to mention on sale for 50 cents instead of $1.50.)

27 stores later when we finally find them, I tell my girls to each pick an extra notebook, to have just in case. I am so smart, I think to myself. I am outsmarting those rotten non-stocking marble notebook people once and for all!

Then the kids come home throughout the first week with additional supplies needed, which always exceed the one extra marble notebook we bought. Foiled!

Then there’s the further dilemma that now, marble notebooks are not even marble anymore! Not only do they come in green, blue, red, and yellow in addition to the classic black, but they also come in peace signs, rainbows, kittens, princesses, super heroes, and ten thousand other designs. And I don’t know about you, but to my girls, the picture on the outside of the notebook is more important than having the school supply itself.

School started here in NC two weeks ago and I meant to forewarn my friends who live in other states, all of whom surely forget this every year just as I do. But I was too busy running to stores looking for the notebooks.

Yesterday, I was in Staples and found “marble” notebooks on sale for $1. Not such a great price, I know. I bought six of them in various designs. They’re the emergency backup marble notebooks (which of course we will not need until next year, at which point they’ll be out of style).

Hey friends… if you get desperate, I can ship them to you! Sure, they’ll end up being $5 marble notebooks by the time we ship them, but… oh yeah, school has already started by you too. In fact, you’re probably reading this blog on your mobile device in between running to stores looking for marble notebooks.

Sorry.

Let’s vow to help one another remember to stock up on them at Easter time this year. Sure, they’ll all have bunnies, but we will have marble notebooks before school starts next year! Who’s in?