I know it's early, but there was a sale!

I really love coloring with new crayons. (Yes, I know how old I am. Pipe down.) I love the smell of new paper and how neat my handwriting is on that first page of a notebook. I make the crisp e's with the point on the front, even, but that usually goes the way of the Dodo by page 4.

One of the things we're doing differently this year -- in addition to not starting school this week -- is taking the children on a special back-to-school "date." We intended to take each child separately, but it worked out that we could take both the littles tonight while Larry is on a junior high church camping trip, so off to their favorite Mexican restaurant we went.

Over cheese dip and sticky soda, I talked to them about the changes our participation in a virtual academy will make in our schedule and priorities. We encouraged them to talk about their goals (Curly Sue would like extra one-on-one help with math, Moe is interested in taking an art class and learning about cars). We made a new family rule against the words "I hate" preceding any school subject.

Then came the fun part: After assuring them we would provide basics like paper and pencils, we gave them each a $20 budget and helped them choose some things to help make Aug. 13, our first day of school, special. Both immediately went for book bags, Moe for a Transformers design and Curly Sue for one with a tiny plush frog hanging from the zipper.

Curly Sue chose pens with cool designs, some star-shaped Post-Its and a book cover with hearts. Moe chose a calculator, a small construction paper pad, a Jeff Gordon book cover and -- oh, so neat! -- a rubber band ball.

We have some other things on our fall revival list, like cowboy boots, jeans, a Mary-Kate and Ashley shirt and a Transformers comforter, but for tonight it was enough to stash away some new, crisp things.

And for your information, I totally resisted the urge to sniff and make pointy e's on the construction paper pad!