Complaint: Numerically Fixated

Did you ever think you’d be spending your late nights trolling the Internet for number beads?

Yes, this is how I spent my evening. In the next six weeks, my family is planning a cross-country move, which involves a brand new job, natch, a brand new climate, and an entire revamping of the family infrastructure. I have shitloads to do.

And yet, tonight, I spent my evening looking for freaking number beads.

They’re not so easy to find. See, I caught the illness that’s been going around. You know the one, where you get a little too emotionally involved in how your well the craft you plan at your child’s school is going to be received? I think it's called Overfunctionitis Craftacular.

In the school my daughter goes to, the parents get to plan a lesson for the day, and this of course involves planning a craft. Well, I got it stuck in my stubborn head that on our “Numbers Day” we were going to make necklaces with number beads on them. Do you think it was easy to find number beads?

It wasn’t hard to find alphabet beads, oh no! They’re everywhere. They're the Britney of beads. You can't walk a step without falling all over alphabet beads. Lakeshore, Michael’s, I mean, they’re a dime a dozen. But for some reason, there is a dearth of number bead suppliers. I did, eventually, find some that weren’t out of stock. But it wasn’t easy.

And I thought it would be easy.

It did get me to thinking, though, how big, really is the market for number beads? I mean, alphabet ones spell your name, fruit beads are quirky, glass and metal beads are swanky, but number beads? It appears that very few people are interested in them. Does anyone make any money on these?

But I’m a determined person (some would say stubborn, but they can bite me) so I did eventually find some, pay way too much money for them, and now I’m wondering if in fact said beads will be enjoyed or even used by the preschoolers. They don’t CARE if they make a number necklace. They’d probably be just as happy coloring in cut-out numbers. But I don't have time to cut out 240 numbers (for the 24 kids, 1-10 each). I'm supposed to be getting ready for a MOVE. But nobody's putting a gun to my head, saying, "Get number beads or I'll break your knee caps." I mean, it was my stupid idea in the first place.

So I confess it. The number beads are my issue, dammit.

Clearly I need to get out more.

If you have a use for number beads, other than for a craft project for children, I sure as hell would like to hear it. I may very well have a lot left over after next week.