Sunday, April 19, 2009

On Baby Books and Birth Certificates

My oldest son got an opportunity to apply for a summer job last week. This is an exciting development on many different levels. For one, he would be making his own spending money. Since joining the youth group, there are all kinds of social events and activities happening and every one of them costs money.

Since our money trees still haven't taken root and blossomed yet, it would be very beneficial for him to have his own budget for attending events or going out to eat with his friends. (Since he is going to read this eventually, I will give him props for effectively managing the little that flows through his hands now.)

Anywho...In order to get a job, you need to prove you were born. It's not enough to stand in front of them, employers are a picky lot, they want PROOF of your birth and AGE. And in a timely fashion. They operate on deadlines. Unfortunately, they don't accept stretch marks either. It's really too bad, because I easily have that covered.

So, although I had a list miles long of all the things I needed to do on Friday, I set it all aside to search for his Birth Certificate. I had to search you see because I don't have a home for important papers. I know right where to put the mail when it comes in everyday...but those papers you might need in an emergency are downright illusive.

While I couldn't find his Birth Certificate, or the ones for his siblings, I did find newpapers from the days they were born and other notable events through their lives. I found a slew of baby pictures of him...less of the others (my poor third son asked where were the pictures of him?).

Worse than the lack of baby pictures though was the baby books. I am a visionary person. A big starter and a poor finisher. The proof is in the baby books. I expected to come across an unfinished one while I went through boxes of 'stuff' from the kids baby years. I came across four. You'd think this was a good thing since I have four kids...at least I started on for each new baby. You'd be sadly mistaken. They were all for my first born. PLUS a pregnancy journal (only a couple entries...) and a wall calendar with notable days written in. The calendar has the most consistent entries. Maybe if I had concentrated on just one...

I wonder if Michelle Duggar has this problem??

Which got me to thinking about a money maker for me. A baby book/memento moms like me would actually finish. It's probably already been done...

And even with all that, my poor boy still has no certifiable proof he was born. I guess I'll be ordering them AND establishing a proper home for those pesky important papers.