I love paper, I always have.
It’s a weird obsession that I think started when I was in grammar school. I always loved to pick out my notebooks and folders and pencils! Even in college I always went overboard on supplies. In fact, I still have notebooks, journals, folders and such that I bought while in college sitting in a box under the stairs.
I’ve never been good at keeping a daily journal but I have notebooks full of schoolwork, poems, random thoughts, scribbles… whatever was in my head at the time all over the place (and of course I have a several blog pages). Then there was a lull… no one was in school and I didn’t have the extra cash or a good reason to buy any wonderful notebooks or crayons or anything.
But then… I had kids!!! What a bonus! It wasn’t long before I could again buy coloring books and crayons and then markers and poster board, doodle-pads, construction paper, origami paper, journals, diaries with little locks and all number of wonderful paper products. As my kids got older the school supply lists got longer and I always complained about why they needed so much stuff and why do they need a separate color for each class and whatever. But secretly I love it! I love finding matching notebooks, folders and binders. I love picking out pencils and pencil cases! I love the little pocket dictionaries! I love making cool little name labels for all their stuff and sticking them all over everything (though they are getting too old for that now — but soon the twins will need Mommy to label all their stuff!)
We just went school supply shopping tonight and even though I am tired out from running all day with the twins I am still in a good mood. This year I even found little tiny composition notebooks! I found Austin a matching DC Comics notebook and folder and I found a cool graphic artstattoo set for Katey (even though she insisted she didn’t need any notebooks). My kids don’t seem to like it as much as I remember enjoying it… more importantly they don’t seem to notice (or care) that at the end of school shopping each year there’s always a few extra notebooks, folders, pencils, pens, etc. that get ‘put up’ in case they are needed later or well…. maybe Mom can use that extra stuff for work. I know it’s a bizarre compulsion but it’s one I’m not yet inclined to curb! Besides, it fits in nicely with my magazine addiction and my bibliophilia!
P.S. If you were wondering… I ended up with some wonderful colored paper, a green notebook, a couple folders, some extra pens, pencils and a highlighter and a cute little composition notebook!