As I walk through Target, I find myself drawn to the corner of the store. I wheel up to the big bins of Elmer’s Glue, number two pencils and fat, pink erasers.

With more than a decade under my belt of participating in the ritual most moms know as school supply shopping day—the one where kids beg for Trapper Keepers and notebooks with cute puppies on them—my instincts immediately tell me to stock up on folders. But I don’t. I just stand there, feeling a lump begin to form in my throat. I swallow and take a deep breath as my eyes tear up ever so slightly.

This year, I’m not armed with a two page checklist from the school. I don’t need to buy blunt-edged scissors. This year, nobody’s begging for a sparkly pink pencil case or the Ultimate Crayola 152 crayon collection. In fact, this year, they went to the mall with friends and picked up the few things they needed, a pair of jeans and a new water bottle. Oh, and a cute notebook with a puppy on it.

Am I the only one who misses buying crayons?