Tulsa Moms Of Multiples Swap Clothes, Furniture

Carrie Netherton, 918moms.com

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The government says it costs nearly $200,000 dollars to raise a child to the age of 17. So imagine what you'd spend raising several kids at the same time.

Wesley is a very active 22-month-old boy.

"Ball of fire. He's already had stitches, he's all boy; into everything," Natalie Woody, his mother, said.

He's also growing so fast, his mother Natalie Woody constantly has to buy clothes to fit him. On average, parents spend more than $1,000 a year on clothes.

"He's almost as big as my 3-year-old so we can already wear a lot of my 3-year-old's clothes already and he's not even two yet," she said.

Natalie is faced with a tougher situation because Wesley has a twin sister.

"It's constant, just like all kids they grow fast, just times two," she said.

That's why she comes to a sale which helps parents just like her. The Tulsa Mothers of Multiples, also known as T-Moms, puts on a sale twice a year. Proceeds from the sale benefit the group.

"We have some Moms that have twins or triplets, or if there's someone who lost a job, there's a lot of mouths to feed and so the money goes to that," Andrea Sagely said.

Besides clothes, the sale includes other things such as furniture, baby gear and toys. Any parent can come here, not just those with twins. Items cost as low as $1, shoppers can save 70-95 percent off retail prices.

Natalie buys all of her kids' birthday presents here.

"It allows them to have a lot more than they may not have bought because we may not have been able to afford two brand new Hot Wheels from the store, but I can afford to buy two here at the sale," Natalie said.

The parents also share stories and advice about raising multiples. Everyone leaves with a smile.

Anything left over from the sale goes to the non-profit agency Harvest House.

The Tulsa Mothers of Multiples Sale is Saturday, March 26, 2011, from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Open Bible Fellowship Church at 1439 East 71st Street in Tulsa.

Admission is free and keep in mind, you have to pay cash for the items you buy.

For more information on this event, go to 918moms.com.