A New Money Pig

Some time ago, I wrote here about Larkspur’s devastation over breaking her “money pig.” I can still remember her crying to me, “I tried to hold it carefully, but it just slipped out of my hands!” She was so incredibly heartbroken over that broken little piggy bank. Last week, Larkpur received a new money pig that was given to her to replace the one she broke.

She was very very happy about her new pig.

She was also very careful not to let it slip from her hands.

I was still pretty nervous that she might drop it right away and break it despite her carefulness.

Normally I don’t mind too much when things are broken, but this money pig is very special.

To celebrate, I got out the metal polish, a few small bowls, a few cloths, and a handful of loose change.

Polishing coins is a favorite activity for my kids.

Everyone gathered around (or in Beatrix’s case, on) the table to polish.

Larkspur was in charge of inserting the shiny coins into her new money pig.

About a month ago, I was talking with Jane (my stepmom) and she mentioned that she had gotten Larkspur a new piggy bank, to replace the broken one. I don’t think I ever mentioned that broken bank to her, she must have read about it here, and had probably been on the lookout for a new one ever since. She adored Larkspur, and did a lot of shopping for her, claiming that little girl things were always “jumping in her cart.” About four times per year, we would receive a big box (or two) in the mail from Jane full of clothes, toys, and other gifts. She always wanted to know what we needed, what sizes the kids were wearing, what Seth’s current favorite authors were, and would stock the boxes full of those things and more.

When I arrived in New Mexico, this box was sitting in the foyer right where Jane had left it, ready to be sealed up and mailed to us. I can’t tell you how hard it was for me to be the one to close it up and prepare it to be sent to our house. I found an index card in a drawer with our name and address on it written in Jane’s handwriting and wanted to use it to address the box, but ended up just writing it myself, thinking that I would rather that card be saved. My dad mailed this box the day I left New Mexico to come home and it arrived at our house last week. Rather than tear into it in our usual fashion, it sat unopened next to my desk for a day or two. There was something very painful about opening it and sharing everything inside with my kids, knowing that this was the last time. Inside the box were various things: dressy dresses for the girls, the kind I never buy, but Larkspur loves, books for Seth, various craft sets for the kids, new shoes for the girls, a pair of striped socks for me (I’ve always loved them, and Jane knew it), and most importantly, a new money pig for Larkspur. There was a lot of love in that last box.