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Today I had to get over my fear of PENCILS!
My Insanity
Julia is almost five years old and until today I had not yet purchased a pencil for her. I hung on to the crayons and markers and put off purchasing pencils.
“Why?”, you ask. “Why would I fear buying my daughter pencils?”
Well, when Janice and I were about 8 years old, she was sitting on the couch doing her homework. I was running along the top of the couch and I fell on top of her, stabbing her leg with her pencil. The lead tip broke off in her leg, and to this day is STILL there! (You’d think Janice would have the fear of pencils, not me, but we twins are strange creatures.)
Funny thing is I don’t even remember my mother’s response. But I know that if Julia or Sophia were stabbed with a pencil and forever had a chunk of lead in them, I’d freak.
Okay, so I just did a Google search and apparently lead pencils aren’t even ‘lead’, but just graphite which isn’t harmful.
But still… those ultra sharp pencils just seem like trouble.
Julia’s First School Supplies
Anyway, my crazy fears can’t keep my daughter from learning to write, so today — this first day of spring break — we went to the store to buy Julia her first school supplies.
Pencils, erasers, a sharpener even — my, aren’t I brave, I held back my fears of her sharpening off her fingers.
We also bought a few workbooks to kick off her new ‘homework’ days.
Or course, we had to buy duplicates of each — with a little sister in tow, what else could we do?
Homework Party???
They were so excited they sang about their ‘homework party’ and kept listing out that Julia would do her homework, Sophia would do her homework, Mommy would do her homework, Daddy would do his homework (even if it was at work), and Grandma would do her homework.
I got them settled at their table and began my own work.
It started off great… but soon pencil sharpenings were all over the floor and homework lost its appeal. I wish I could say I got an hour of work done undisturbed, but here’s to dreaming we’ll have a nice long ‘homework party’ tomorrow.
Julie from Everyday Life and Happiness says
Okay…time for me to come clean. When I was in High School I sat on a pencil and broke the lead off in my …well….nether-regions 🙂 I ended up in the school nurses’ office and to make a long story short..I ended up pulling the sucker out myself.
*phew* I feel better now 🙂
Today I’m tackling making sure all the dishes are clean and put away BEFORE I go to bed. This way when I come down for my morning cup of Joe, the kitchen is clean and happy.
DogsMom says
We love pencils. Colored pencils, mechanical pencils, No. 2 and No. 5 … we even have furniture with pencil impersonated legs. To balance it out we have crayon drapes. And a big red gum eraser pillow.
jenny martin says
I too understand the fear of sharp pencils….when I was young, my brother and I were jumping on the bed (a huge no-no) and he fell on a pencil, and has a piece of pencil lead in his leg. I of course was too blame–the older sister, with sharp pencils, jumping on the bed…..so I am always hesitant to give my kids sharp sharp pencils…I usually try and keep the pretty dull.
Thanks for your tackle–a tackle of fear!
Staci A says
Looks like they were excited about the new supplies!
Stephanie says
I love the rainbow-colored hair ties that your girls are wearing! Where are they from?
Also – I can totally hear Janice’s voice, saying “So WHAT was the tackle?” You make a great team!
Adrienne says
I have a fear of pencils and little kids also. When I was younger I stepped on a pencil that was in a grabage bag on the floor. It went into my foot and I stll have the coloring from it. My other foot I stepped on a toy dinosaur that must have been hungry. I had 5 different bite marks.
Mel F says
I have a friend who tried to scratch inside a cast on her arm and thus still has a chunk of pencil lead imbedded in where it broke off. I’m more afriaid of them poking their eye with a freshly sharpened pencil. Not to add to your paranoia… 😉 Way to conquer!
Susie's Homemade says
Awesome tackle:-)
Kristi says
I’m so proud of you! A fear is a fear, no matter what’s it’s of. It’s always a great thing to overcome a fear and move on for the better! I’m sure your very precious daughter is ever so happy to have her new pencils, and other school supplies!
Jennifer, Snapshot says
Hey Janice –she “tackled” her fears, too!!
Cute post anyway.
And I have a friend who still has a spot of pencil in her leg from being stabbed by her brother, but I think it was on purpose!!
Laura says
Those pics of the girls working with their prized new pencils are so precious. And a word of encouragement…They look like they are implementing all of the pencil safety techniques you must have grilled into them before the “pencil handing over” ceremony. Love your story!
Bonnie says
NO fear, I have the same fear but of pens! I caught one at school in my hands and the tip went through my skin bad..almost passed out. I also do not like when my younger children have pencils and they must sit at a table…for fear of them running with it.
Your not alone in your fears!!
LOL
Sarah says
So finally I hear about someone else who still has pencil lead in them. I have a permanent scar on my hand from when I fell on a pencil about 34 years ago. Never come across anyone else with the same!
Thanks for letting me know there’s someone else in the world like me!!
Sarah
Susan says
When I searched on Google about the lead in pencils, I saw a ton of people saying they had pencil lead stuck in them. It’s nice to know you’re not the only one. LOL
Jerri says
I just wanted to tell you that I, like your sister, have a piece of pencil in my leg. A boy stabbed me with a pencil in 2nd grade. I didn’t tell on him because I know he didn’t mean to. In fact, he looked horrifed and immediately apologized to me. (I think, just like with you guys, he was more freaked out than me.) And I never told my parents about it because I was afraid I’d have to go to hospital or something. Thus the pencil remains.
Glad to hear you’re getting over your fear. Good luck with future homework parties!
Susan says
Wow, I can’t believe you never told on him or told your parents. I sure would not have been able to not run screaming to tell everywhere within ear shot. LOL