Here I sit in my pleasantly comfy home while listening to the sirens of yet another accident – I hope – related to the recent snow storm, feeling like superwoman!
For the first time that I can remember, perhaps ever, we have made a budget plan and it worked out to equal possible. There was enough money on paper for everything I could think of with ten dollars left over. Could it really be possible? Could we actually save ten dollars a month towards having a vacation or something? Perhaps when the next vehicle breaks down we will have money to cover it? The truck has been getting a bit moody lately. But my mind screams no! There must be something missing! Did we remember to feed ALL six children? We can’t possibly have a positive balance in the budget.
We decided to sleep on it and wait for the revelation to present itself. Low and behold, it did! This weekend as I was counting the pairs of pants with holes in the knees (eleven!), I looked at the bank account and decided that no, we do not have enough money to clothe all of the children. Feed them, yes. Clothe them, maybe not.
If I could find jeans for ten dollars each, I still have over a hundred dollars sitting here with holes in the knees. So, I decided to begin mending them. I unstitched the leg seams of a few pants. It took forever! I had to keep reminding myself, this will save me one hundred dollars. This will save me one hundred dollars. After the third pair, I was done for the night.
This morning Stephen was walking around in his underwear. “I have no pants that aren’t wet or have holes in them!” (Wet from playing in the snow yesterday.)
Aha! I have a pair ready for repair. I managed to complete it, with it being wearable and the kids were still on time! Apparently the most difficult part is the seam splitting and winding the bobbin. (My machine requires careful taping to wind the bobbin correctly) I even combed their hair before they left. The rest of the day can be rotten and it will still be a great day because of my great morning!
Otherwise, I wish I had the dedication and drive that my children often do. Stephen saw an ad in the paper for yarn. Last year he learned how to “knit” a hat. He completed one with my help and began another on his own. The second was still waiting for him to complete it. When he saw the sale, he asked to make a deal with me. “If I finish the one today will you take me to choose my own yarn tomorrow?”
Sure, what would it hurt for me to say okay to that? It has been incomplete for months. Well, he finished it and the first thing out of his mouth the next morning was, “Remember what we’re doing today?” followed less than an hour later with, “Remember our deal?”
When I told him he had to do a chore first, he did it! Then he wanted to leave right away. “Don’t you want lunch first? I am cooking it right now. It’s almost done.”
“No. Let’s go get the yarn!”
Needless to say he took his time trying to choose the very best yarn. (Since I limited his options to less than the 25 he wanted. I allowed him to get three since they were on a good sale and I am saving hundreds of dollars by mending our pants.) He now has about 7 inches of a scarf.
Dallas is mad that knitting gets in the way of playing. I wish it was easier to get him to eat dinner. And Marek sits patiently next to Stephen watching and “helping” him knit by slowly pulling the yarn out of the bundle as Stephen needs it. Evan and Brenden are oblivious to the knitting issue, but Lily can’t wait to try it on.
Who is it for? “Whosoever might need it.” That’s right. He is simply making the scarf and hats for the sake of making them. He tried to choose gender neutral colors so that he could give them to the homeless shelter or the Festival of Trees (the local children’s hospital charity)
I want to be like my kids when I grow up.
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