I’m back and definitely dying of something deadly.
Well – I am WORN THE HELL OUT. I spent the morning digging through LilZ’s Nana’s storage for some of his old things. Unfortunately – no one has touched that garage in years and there was quite a bit of mouse poop layering everything. And dust. And spider nests/eggs. IT WAS FUN. I kept trying to remember what the episode of “Little House On The Prairie” was that everyone (or was it just one person?) died (or did they just get sick?) from some sort of disease (botulism? plague? Ebola?) because there was rat poop in the flour they were using to make bread. Was I going to get that same illness and die? Probably. By the time I left I was certain I was already dead.
I might have been over-reacting a little bit.
Going through all of those things made me a bit sad. It put me face-to-face with exactly how little we had when LilZ was a small child. The clothes I saved were so raggedy because they were mostly hand-me-downs anyway. It was just a little pitiful seeing it all and comparing it to the nicer clothes we have for NikkiZ. I don’t even buy her really nice stuff, but it’s at least new. He wasn’t even that lucky.
But – that didn’t stop me from bringing it all home for AndyZ! There were a few just-for-LilZ items in there. Mostly Tie-Dyed shirts with dancing bear patches that I bought him because I thought he should be just as much of a Deadhead as his mother. Poor kid. He never had a chance with a Mom like me.
Hi, I’ve been commenting more – I almost feel like I should introduce myself…that’s probably nuts…but here’s what I wanted to say. My parents didn’t have a lot when I was born. I was a “surprise” and about 99% of my clothing as a kid was either hand me down or made by my grandma. I just wanted to say that as “that kid” I felt very loved, I never knew that my clothes weren’t brand spanking new and in every picture of me in a little dress my gram made for me I still smile and think how loved I was that they tried so very hard for me. I think about this little bun we have cooking in the oven now and about all of the clothing she’ll probably have from Baby Gap and I just really want my grandma to make her some dresses so she gets to feel as special as I always did. I’m crying. I’m a pregnant crying mess….but I’m writing this like you’re my mom (well minus 20+ years) because I know she felt the same way about the feeling funny/weird/bad about how little they had when I was a baby. I just felt really loved and I’m sure LilZ felt the same way – because that’s what mom’s do…they just give out the good stuff.
we are definitely going to need to see pictures of at least a few of your finds…
The episode you are referring to is called “Plague” it is from the first season of LHotP. The rats had infested cornmeal with Typhus..of course “Pa” figures it all out when Mr. Edwards falls ill and saves the day by burning down the rat infested shed where the cornmeal is stored.
(Loser much?)
From the time I had my first until now it is like day and night as far as what I had.
When we were younger my parents were POOOOOR, but I don’t remember that stuff. Kids care more about the kind of parents we are than what you can buy….at least until they are teenagers.
The tie-dye stuff rules! Those are keepers. I think this was so sweet, I am sure that LilZ will always have awesome memories of his childhood, how could he not, you are a great mom.
The older I get the more I appreciate hand me downs. And the older your kids will get the more they will appreciate the photos of them in hand me downs. lol
sounds like some of that stuff should be made into a quilt..do you know anyone who quilts? Maybe you have a really nice friend who owns you karmatically for all the work you do on her blog? No? No one? Too bad.
What? Every baby doesn’t have tie dyed t-shirts? Bird does.
He also has onesies with Ben Folds Five, AC/DC, Crowded House, and other bands.
Because he’s little and has no say right now. Ha.
Oh I love the quilt idea! That’s so clever.
And with LilZ – no matter what he was wearing, he was always covered in love. (Oh gag.) But seriously, that’s what really matters!
LilZ is the luckiest kid in the world.
my niece is being dressed in goth clothes. I don’t know if she has tye-dye yet. I may have to look into that. But she really works the leg warmers.
I think the quilt would be an awesome keepsake!
It’s hard to see just how far you’ve come with a child who came a bit earlier than expected (my Ben was the same way. I had nothing for him of my own when I had him).
I can’t wait to see what you’ve found.