Back at the beginning of July, Staples Canada invited me to a Back to School event.  I scoffed, and laughed at the absurdity of a BTS event when school had just finished, but I still took in all the clean binders and knapsacks, lunch boxed unmarred by smushed fruit and dried juice box spills, and yes, I inhaled every eraser.  Deeply. And now, here we are in the 4 ^th week of August, and I’m starting to feel panicked. I don’t have any clean knapsacks –heck, I don’t have any erasers.  And now that overwhelming mommy-fail feeling starts to creep in.  Did I sign them up for the “right” autumn extra curricular classes back in June?  Whispers of who’s on what fall teams is filling me with anxiety.  Have I missed something?  Some secret mommy code?  Did I fail to get the book?  Did they forget me when it came to delivering those manuals? Have I screwed up? Because, as I sit here typing with sangria in one hand and earplugs crammed in to block out the ever-present August construction, I’m delighting in my lollygagging. But am I missing some milestone?  Will I be kicked out of the PTA because I didn’t shop before the Back to School sales? And does Shopper’s really have to have the Halloween candy out now?? How do you mums and dads do it.  Let me know and I'll give you a gold star. Or some sangria. Either way...