Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Pattern Weights from Ben

What do you say when someone asks you what you want as a gift?  I'm old-fashioned and don't like wish lists and telling people, although I'm modern enough to appreciate clear, direct communication of wants and needs.  So I usually come up with a few gift ideas and add clear permission to the giver to go off-list.  And I harangue my children about gifts being just that: gifts, not obligations, and to give and receive out of love.


I think Ben was listening.

He asked for tempera paint in December and set about painting rocks, leading me to fume about where these things would end up catching dust or require someone (me) to pick them up.  Thank goodness I kept my fuming inside, because this dear boy was making the rocks for me, for an eminently practical use.

"dear mom
You are always using Phoebe's toys to weight down your sewing patterns. So here are some rocks to help you with that
love, Ben"



I was so touched at his thoughtful observance of my machinations and his excellent, homemade gift that does, indeed, help me out.

It pinches my heart a little bit to think that I will be using these pattern weights long after there are no toys laying around in the dining room


16 comments:

Jennifer Jo said...

Oh wow. How terribly sweet and touching and lovely. I teared up.

Juliana said...

That's amazing and so so sweet! My kids have just started making me little gifts out of paper and string, and I treasure them so.

Alica said...

Ben is apparently a very good observer! What a thoughtful gift!! You can tell him we're all impressed with his thoughtfulness! :)

Lisa said...

Lovely!

Nancy In Boise said...

how great!!!!

Melanie said...

Melt my heart! What a dear gift and a dear boy <3

Lana said...

Oh Ben, you are a sweetie!

One day when he is grown they will make you smile! (maybe not at first)

Laura said...

That is so sweet! I love it! I am the same way with gifts. When people give me a suggestion or wish list without a caveat I feel obligated to just buy what they told me to. Doesn’t seem too much like a gift, but it is nice to receive what you want. Too many complicated layers.

Also, I think I might have yardage of that same vintage plaid. :)

e said...

What a sweet and thoughtful boy! That's a perfect gift.

Zoë said...

Oh this is perfect. Such a sweetheart he is! I have some kid-painted rocks from a great-aunt Christmas craft laying around and now I know what to do with them!

Becky said...

How sweet! and so very thoughtful. He's a keeper for sure.

LauraBara said...

What a kind and thoughtful gesture. There is a movement going around that he might be interested in called "[your city name] rocks" (e.g. search "Seattle rocks"). People paint stones and leave/hide/place them around the city on walking/running paths and other places where they might be found for someone else to come across and find. It's a nice way to brighten someone's day.

Margo said...

LauraBaura, yes! We have those in our city, and I think that's where Ben got the idea. In fact, he found the 2000th rock recently which is something special according to the group's facebook page.

jenny_o said...

Now that is a truly thoughtful and precious gift, and yes, your heart must be feeling squoze :)

Polly said...

That is so very sweet!!! I love everything about this--his observance of your needs, his ingenuity in creating weights himself, his creativity factoring into it. Now that's a keepsake gift for sure.

BLD in MT said...

How infinitely thoughtful! Such an observant young man!

Also, he just blew me out of the water. I've been thinking about making some sewing weights (as I use a random assortment of mason jars, railroad spike, knickknacks, candles, etc) for some time now. I've clearly been overthinking it. I think Ben hit the nail on the head. I've got rocks. I've got paint. Perhaps next time my niece visits I shall see if she'll help me. She loves doing creative things with me and it would certainly appeal to my sentimental heart. Brilliant idea, Ben!