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This is a new time in our lives, in my life in particular. I am not pregnant….sounds odd I know, but this is the first time in almost 15 years I haven’t been pregnant or nursing for more than 24 months or so. I am more aware of this today than I have been since the day we decided, we are done with baby making/nursing season. I came to this conclusion getting ready to go to skateland.I wonder how many of us in our 30 and 40 somethings grew up going to skateland on the weekend. I did and my sweet Donnie did. My kids go on Friday nights only occasionally. But Friday morning watch out here we come. You see in Memphis there is a large skating population in the Homeschool Community and twice a year whether we need to or not I dress all the kids, gather the skates (from the front porch, van, closets) and we go skating with other Homeschool Children. Don’t be mistaken, this is not the only time my children skate, in fact if you have spent 2 minutes on any day that the pool isn’t open at my house you have seen the twins twisting and turning and preparing for the late night debut of Silly Human Tricks with skates on. But for this one day not only will the children have a blast this is the day where all of us mommas (and a few daddies) watch (yes watch ) and laugh (at not with) the parents who skate with the kids (my husband is usually one of these). I love this day everyone is always happy to go to skateland and see old friends and meet new ones. It is the day where we smile when the newest kid in each of our households dons his/her skates for the first time and for me a day when my oldest has decided ‘not this year, I think I have too much going on’ translation ‘I am going to go back to bed when you leave’. So, skating today for me is sad and happy. DJ (who looks exactly like Zachary did) will put skates on his 3 year old feet (the same slip ons that Z had) and Zachary is too cool to hang out at the day skate with the fam. My only boys, the oldest and the youngest. I have these six kids, and I am done, I am happy to be in a new season….but today the season is a little bit like cool rain on a summer day. You need the rain, the rain feels good, you prayed for the rain, but it still makes you shiver just a bit, even if it is ‘play rain’.

>OH YES I CAN….that is my response. Maybe it is just me, maybe it is having six kids and saving hand me downs,or maybe my kids are messier than the average bear, but I can’t have one more Sunday morning prep session (these happen on late Saturday afternoons in our home) where I fuss, they cry, I stomp, they whine……”but I have to where that, I have nooooothinnnnng else that looks right!”. Please keep in mind the ‘that’ they want to wear is a very loved (is this how we really love something) shirt, pants, dress or what have you. My kids, blinded by their intense love can not allow themselves to see that piece of clothing is one of the following thingsA.StainedB.Too BigC.Too SmallD. Wrong SeasonorE. Any combination of 2 or more of the above
For those reasons I have decided to put our Saturday afternoons, our closets, drawers and my sanity out of their misery.I am throwing away uglies. I will not try one more time to get any stains out, I will not commit to sewing something (we all know I don’t sew), I will not ask for a dime at the next yard sale I dread, I will throw it away and I will be free, free, free at last.Before you judge (not that you would of course) my lack of gratitude for all that God has provided, or assume that I am only a picky, brand conscious clothes snob, or that I am not being a good steward, remember that my primary goal is to not be a walking billboard for a very popular show remake that should be named“What Not To Let Your Children Wear”or“How To Get Your Husband To Not Go Out With The Kids’So I am letting go of the ‘what if we need this?’ and the “I am sure someone needs this” idea and I am releasing the burden to the trash, yes the trash…..and it feels good.