If...clothing sorting doesn't drive me crazy

"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are piles of clothes, green, yellow, white and blue;
If you can calmly fit five shirts on Junior
While Brother cries because he wants one, too.
If four children with loud voices wildly shouting,
Don't find you a grumpy cackling Mother Hen,
And you answer with a meek and gentle spirit
You are a better mom than I, my Friend!"

Apologies to Kipling for the bad adaption of his poem.

It is the start of a new season, which means clothing sorting time. NOT my favorite activity.

I knew it needed done this week. On Saturday I hope to attend a big kid's stuff yard sale and I'd like to fill in the gaps of my children's wardrobes. 

If you all have any hints on how to alleviate the stress level when bringing boxes down from the attic and trying clothing on four children - I'd love to hear it! Not that the children are stressed, they have a blast! Picture crazy dances with pants on their heads, huge shoes on their feet and hands stuck in a baby sweater.

I had no intention of starting the process yesterday, but the children wanted to go outside. They were quite willing to go barefoot like the past four months. But mom declared the weather too cold and decreed shoes and coats a necessity - except that no one seemed find any that fit.

Sigh.

By the time, all the coats and shoes were sorted out for everyone, as well as snowsuits and snowboots and who knows what else, my blood pressure was through the roof. I decreed it naptime for my own sanity and we never did get outside. When your daughter asks why mom is so angry, you know you are a failure.

Today I need to tackle the boys clothing. I did the girl's earlier, so maybe then I'll be done.

Sometimes I wonder why I store all this clothing. But it sure has saved us money. We've been blessed by several people who share hand-me-downs. With the help of yard sales and generous friends, I basically buy no new clothing or shoes. I do purchase fabric for the girl's dresses since it is almost impossible to find nice modest girl's dresses. I've bought socks and unders and  maybe one pair of sandals. I've picked up a few coats during the spring sales but that is about all the new purchases I've made. And it isn't that I spend every weekend at yard sales. Usually I go to two or three a year but this year I haven't even went once.

So a miserable afternoon or two spent sorting it all out is worth it. But if any of you have some hints on the whole clothing sorting/storing problem - I'm all ears!