Twelve Knots

It was getting time to get the children some fall/winter clothes.   I typically put this off until I see them dressing either too warmly or cooly for the day and realize they don't have any other choice because they're drawers only have season-specific clothes in them.

They're not at the age yet where I can have both hot and cool weather clothes in their dressers.   They like to wear clothing items they prefer, even if they are woefully inadequate for then temperature.  My son has been telling me with increasing force over the past two weeks that he doesn't have any pants. He did have pants, but not enough.  His sister was coming downstairs in legging pants that were by now, as she's grown since we got them, more like capris.  

So yesterday I texted Margaret and asked her if she wanted to go children's clothes shopping with me when she arrived at our house from her run?   She was running from her house to ours and upon arrival, I was going to take her to get my son and then drop her off at her house two doors down.   She said she'd be along shortly and yes, children's clothes shopping sounded good to her.

She arrived and I looked at the time, realizing we were going to be cutting it tight.   We got in the car and I told her we were going to have to power shop.  She hadn't been to a used children's clothing store before but she picked the process up quickly.   I said to check for length on the pants and do a quick check on the price.  Most things were very reasonable but some items were designer brands and could be ten dollars.   We didn't need designer, move on to another option.

She and I piled pants, shirts and skirts into the quickly filling cart.   When it was overflowing fifteen minutes later we headed to checkout.   Margaret said to me, "$400?"   I tols her way too high, lower.   She knew we were using a 20% perks coupon, but she still guessed $00-$350?  I shook my head and said, "I might be way off on this, but I'm guessing $150."

When the total bill was $146, Margaret practically gaped at me.  It was a good gaping too.   I got in the car and said, you and I just got an entire fall and winter wardrobe for my children in twenty minutes total for under $150.   I love the used children's clothing store.

My children liked all the options with the exception of one sweater my son said, "looks like Slytherin."  Today my daughter picked out her favorite two items from the new batch of fall clothes.   Her pants wouldn't stay up but had a drawstring we could tie.   When she came over for me to help I could see why: the prior owner had tied the string ends into a mess.   twelve knots undone later and I could  tighten the pants so they wouldn't fall down

The Big Boy Update:  my son didn't so much get in trouble as he didn't try to do work at school,  he was taking for granted that he was getting lots of work done and wasn't trying.  This week he's going to think about how he can focus better understand it.   For now, he's lost the privaledgdhd

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  While switching my daughter's wardrobe over I found the "Jingle Jangle skirt.  It's a jeans skirt that my daughter has had for several years.   she can still wear it today sbe;s grown so much.