fun. crazy. life.

So Colin has started projectile vomiting all over the place several times a day. I’m a little concerned. Not for his health - Grace did this too when she was a baby. It was just reflex, no big deal. He’ll be fine. Especially since he is HUGE and is CLEARLY not in danger of losing too much weight.
I’m concerned for our wardrobes. Last night he got me straight on. I had to change my sweatshirt, my t-shirt, my pants, my bra AND my underwear. That is how soaked I was. (Say it with me… EWWWWWWW!!)  What am I going to do when he does this in public? I’m going to have to start carrying a duffel bag with complete changes of clothes for the whole family. And clothes for any unfortunate bystanders. Can you imagine? What if he gets a total stranger in the grocery store? I. Would. DIE.
Maybe we’ll just stay home until he outgrows this.
Don’t YOU want to sit next to us in church this Sunday?

Yesterday, while cleaning out my closet, I made an interesting discovery.
Look at this:

Not a great picture, but let me tell you what this is.
11 black sweaters
3 short sleeved black t-shirts
6 long sleeved black t-shirts
3 black dresses
I didn’t include the pants, skirts or maternity clothes in this picture. Since CLEARLY you can get the idea, since you can no longer see my couch under all the black tops.

This tells me two things:
1. I really need to wear OTHER colors. Not branching out into charcoal grey, but some actual colors. Like pink. Or blue. Or ANYTHING that is not black, white or grey, which is really just both.
2. I am a perfect example of American excess.

I have been justifying this discovery to myself. Saying things like “Some of these shirts and sweaters I have had since college!” and “But all of the sweaters are different! There’s the long-sleeved crewneck, and the long-sleeved v-neck, and the cable knit one and the turtleneck and the turtleneck with short-sleeves…” Because I obviously NEED all ELEVEN black sweaters. Besides what if there was some sort of emergency crisis and I could not do laundry for 20 days and we HAD to wear ONLY black tops??  WHAT on EARTH would I do THEN??? Huh??

And I admit - I love clothes. I love shopping for clothes, trying on clothes, reading up on the latest trends, watching tv shows about fashion, picking out what I’m going to wear (although not lately with the whole 6-weeks-post-baby-body). Except ironing clothes. I hate that.

But, as I’m trying to justify it to myself… I’m realizing I’m ashamed. It is completely ridiculous that I own as many clothes as I do period. Nevermind this many of the same thing in exactly the same color. Is this really the best investment of my resources?  Just yesterday - while cleaning my excessively full closet - I was talking to a woman in my Bible Study who told me she was saving up to pay the registration fee. Of $25. (Can you imagine not being able to scrape together $25 to join a Bible Study? I am so paying for her to go in scholarship.)  I’m remembering the people I saw in India, who owned one or two changes of clothing.  I came home determined to live more simply and to cut down on excess in our lives. And, less than 6 months later, I’ve lost it.

I know I didn’t go buy all these shirts in the last month. (That is years of hard work on that couch!)  But it serves as a symbol to me about my ‘wants’ and ‘needs.’ About how I’m spending money. About perspective. About what is important. And about what isn’t.