Saturday, August 2, 2014

Happy Heritage: Finally Not Pregnant

Baby 2013 exploring the basic features of Baby 2014
These past two years must have been as long for my daughters as they were from me. I had this conversation with my 5 year old yesterday:
"Mom?"
"Yes, Reese?"
"You're Finally not pregnant."
"Yes, Reese."
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Our daughters would like to be wealthy. Wealthy enough to hire servants to do the housekeeping and cooking and maybe even the gardening for us. When I ask what I would do then, they respond "Whatever you want, Mom!" I think they envision me reading stories to them all day--when I'm not trucking them around to kids museums and zoos and pools, and they also envision a family cook obligated to cater to their menu desires of pancakes, cookies, and other treats whenever they request them.
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To achieve that wealth they create bead projects and devise plans to sell them for outrageous sums on the street corner. I admitted to my oldest that I doubt she will ever become wealthy because she will be too busy giving away all her money. She has a gift of generosity, encouraged no doubt by the witness of my mother-in-law, who regularly gives away a portion of whatever baked good she produces in her kitchen to one of the bachelors or widows in her circle of friends. Maria recently happened to bake cookies while a mechanic replaced the brake pads on our van in our driveway and wanted to save just enough for our family to get 2 apiece and give the mechanic the remainder. I admit to being more selfish, which is (partly) why I made her give the mechanic only 2 and save the rest for our family.
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We've outgrown our house and begun considering seriously buying a larger home. Maria and Reese are fully on-board, except for the part of leaving our current neighbors behind. They (and we, for that matter: we have FABULOUS neighbors) would like to take them all with us. But in the interest of buying the larger home, Maria has offered her life savings, Reese offered the allowance she has accumulated (although not the money in her savings account) and both have offered to hold a fundraiser or man a lemonade stand. I suspect their continuing interest in money-making schemes comes in part because their dad is a salesman.
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My kids drive me crazy every day but they do
make up for it by the funny things they say and by their desire to give to others.

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