The model of restraint

Well, I MUST be feeling the economic pinch because I bought just one measley dress during Gymboree's Circle of Friends sale (you get 30% off everything.) Here is my sassy little girl modeling her new outfit...


AARGH! Could she not look so grown-up please?!

I'm serious about the economy, though. I really sat down the other night and figured out that I'm spending about $15 more a week on groceries than a year ago and $10 more a week on gas. That's more than $100 a month in additional food and fuel expenses...yikes!

Although I'm pretty good about clipping coupons and buying groceries on sale, it hasn't exactly been a religion with me. But it is now. I spent an hour yesterday on the computer searching for and printing coupons for my trip to the grocery store this weekend. And I poured through the grocery circular and wrote down all the sale things and am planning our week's menu accordingly. I should save more than $10 if my calculations are correct.

We've also been eating out too much, which has to stop. Well, not stop entirely, but we have to be smarter about it. For example...we have a sub place (a local joint, not Subway or Quiznos) that we both love. But we would easily drop $10+ eating there. But this week, we went on Tuesday, when kids eat free. And a bonus...because our city's MLB team won the night before, turkey subs were $2. So we ate there for less than $4.

Anyway, not to bore you anymore about this...I just think the economy is not going to rebound for awhile and my 2% annual raise this year is not going to come close to making up for inflation.

Plus, I've been trying to save up money (slowly) so Emma and I can go back to China in a couple years. That's going to be a super-expensive trip.

I'm sure many of you are in the same boat, so any tips you have for saving $$$ are appreciated!

Three Word Sunday...

One crazy day

Today I had one rollercoaster of a day. The fun started at around noon when I discovered my wallet was missing from my purse. There's nothing like that wave of panic that rolls through you when you realized your wallet is gone. I pretty much think that when you lose your wallet, you might as well pack up and start a new life elsewhere...it's that traumatic.

There have been several purses and wallets stolen in our building of late. My office complex is on a busy public street and people can just walk in without attracting much attention. I keep my purse in the bottom drawer of my file cabinet and although I don't lock it during the day, there are a lot of people in my particular office space and I have my own office with a door, so I didn't think I was a prime candidate for a purse thief.

Anyway, when I discovered my wallet was gone, I asked around the office if anyone had seen anything. We had several people out today and while I was at a meeting, the office was unoccupied for a short time. So there was certainly an opportunity for a fast robbery. Before calling the cops, I ran out to my car to make sure the wallet hadn't fallen out of my purse in the car, and even dashed home to see if I left it on the counter or something when I got Emma's lunch money out. But it was nowhere to be found.

So I went back to office pretty much in tears over the awful mess waiting for me. I called the campus police and they came over and I filed a report (like that would help in a case like this.) Then I called the bank and credit card companies to cancel my cards. I asked my boss if I could have tomorrow morning off to go to the DMV to get a new driver's license. Then you start to make a list of all the things that were in the wallet to be replaced...insurance cards, AAA membership card, etc. Then you wail over the little stuff like photos you'll never see again. Not to mention the $50 bill I've had tucked away in my wallet for the past five years, just in case of an emergency. It was so demoralizing, but you just have to take a deep breath and tackle one thing at a time.

I had to leave work early because Emma had a dentist appointment. So I drove to her school (without a license, which makes me a nervous wreck) to pick her up. When I got to her classroom, Emma ran to me and threw her arms around me. Then she looked up at me with her sweet little face and said "Mommy, why did you put your wallet in my backpack this morning?"

I didn't know whether to jump for joy or burst into tears! I guess when I got her lunch money out this morning, for some unfathomable reason, I put my wallet in her backpack instead of my purse. I'm not a scatterbrained person...REALLY! It was just one of those total spaceouts - either that or I'm really getting old and my brain cells are dying off at an alarming rate.

Anyway, I was so overjoyed to be reunited with my wallet that I didn't even faint when Emma's dentist told me after her appointment that Emma would definitely need orthodontia and would probably have to be fitted with a palate expander in a couple of years.

I just hope tomorrow brings no surprises...I don't think my heart can take it!

Possibly the best photo I've ever taken...

I've had my new camera for about two months now and I probably take at least 50 pictures a week. But what I don't know about photography would fill the Library of Congress.

That said, I took a few pictures of Emma on Saturday that turned out very nicely. This is my favorite and I really think it's the best photo I've ever taken of her:


I know it's far from perfect...her face is slightly out of focus and I'm sure professional photographers would have a few things to point out. But for me, it's a pretty nice photo.

Of course, I had a great subject...that always helps! I like that I captured her dimple!

Just a little picture...

...of Emma playing in the back yard (okay, so we have a few dandelions this year!)

My other sweet girl

It was raining really hard early last evening and Emma and I sat out on the screened-in porch watching it pour. Out cat Sami wandered out too and I snapped a picture of her...


Sami is a very sweet cat, but like many felines, she has what might charitably be called a few eccentricities.

For one thing, she has meowed like three times in the year we've had her. It's nice that she's so quiet, but it's a little strange that she never meows. I've often wondered if I "accidentally" stepped on her tail, if she'd meow then. But I'd (probably) never do that.

I've also only seen her cleaning herself like two times. She's very clean, but she apparently thinks it is none of our business when she's giving herself a bath. If you walk in and she's cleaning her face or something, she'll immediately stop and stare at you until you leave the room.

She is also obsessed with licking plastic bags. I mean OBSESSED! I think she's getting a chemical high from them or something. Her favorite is Target plastic bags, which you can imagine, we have in abundance. But lately, she has switched her allegiance to these cheapo Tuffie bathroom garbage bags I bought in a pinch. She loves those and will sit next to the trash can and lick them for hours. I think she likes them because they're blue too (yeah, I know cats are colorblind, but I still think that's a factor.)

She's also a cricket killer. We get crickets in our basement in the spring and summer and she goes down there, captures them and brings them upstairs to the kitchen so we can see what a great hunter she is. There are usually at least two or three dead crickets in the kitchen every morning.

Anyway, I could go on, but hearing people prattle on about their pets is a little boring. Despite all of her weirdness, we love our Sami and wouldn't trade her for any other (normal) cat!

Equestrian update

I haven't written much lately on how Emma's equestrian lessons are going. She's been taking lessons every Sunday since January and is progressing nicely. She's really good at trotting her horse around the arena and is finally getting the hang of posting, which is a challenge for her because she's so small.

Yesterday, the place was pretty busy for a Sunday and there were quite a few people standing around watching Emma's lesson. I don't think most of them knew I was her mom and it was weird overhearing folks say things like "Look at that little girl!" and "That's amazing." One woman who is a trainer there did come over and ask if I was her mom and said "You must be so proud...she could be a champion some day!" I mumbled something about how I was just glad she was having fun, but inside I was bursting with pride, of course.

Because it was so nice yesterday, Emma did get to have part of her lesson outside, which was fun for her. And it was fun for me because I finally got a decent picture of her on her horse Abra...


So she just keeps getting better every week and still loves it, which really is the critical thing, in my book. It's a big sacrifice for us financially, but when you find something your child loves, you want them to have the opportunity to participate.

Besides, who needs to save up for retirement? I'm sure Social Security will still be going strong by the time I retire (yeah, right!)

The cutest dang swimsuit ever

How many swimsuits does one child really need? I'm sure that's a question many moms ask as summer approaches. Little kid swimsuits are so adorable that it's real easy to end up with like 10 if you're not careful.

Emma has grown just an inch-and-a-half over the past year and put on exactly two pounds, so two of her suits from last summer still fit her and I had bought another one this spring, so I told myself that was it. But I was at Gap this week with a 15% off coupon burning a hole in my pocket and I saw this swimsuit I fell in love with. So I bought it, even though it wasn't marked down yet (a rarity for me.)

Well, I am so glad I did...this swimsuit looks so cute on my little girl. Here she is, modeling it earlier today...


The print is a giraffe, but I think it kind of looks like the swimsuit Pebbles Flintstone would have worn! Emma was invited to a swim party this afternoon and wore her new suit. Here she is with her friend Amy shortly before they hit the pool...


I'm not exaggerating...at least 10 of the moms at this party asked me where I got Emma's new swimsuit. I felt pretty guilty about buying it, but now I feel a bit better about it. I don't know why I'm so excited about a swimsuit...I guess this is what thrills me these days.

BTW, Emma had a blast at the party!

What a difference...

...a couple days can make!

Sunday it was snowing and sleeting here. Today there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it hit 70. Emma and I went for a long walk after I picked her up from school. She wore a flimsy little summer dress that I figured she wouldn't be wearing for a couple of months.


On our walks, Emma has become a little obsessed with picking up flyers from all the houses that are for sale in our neighborhood (depressingly few, unfortunately, given the awful housing market these days). But she manages to find all the ones with "for sale" signs in their yards. She pours over the flyers, wanting to know how many bathrooms they have and how much they cost. Maybe a future real estate agent? Let us hope not!


Anyway, we enjoyed our walk so much. But, of course, the forecasters are predicting snow for this Friday. Yippee!

April snow showers...

...make mommy crabby!

After temperatures in the mid-60s all week, a cold front moved in just in time for the weekend. The temps plunged overnight and it's actually snowing and sleeting here right now. We were supposed to go to the zoo this afternoon with some friends, but ended up spending an hour at this indoor nature center instead, making Earth Day necklaces. Nice, but not the same as the zoo.

Here's the one decent photo I took today...


So hopefully the weather will break soon so we can do fun stuff like go to the grocery and hardware stores. Not the weekend I had planned, but what are you going to do?

I <3 Hugh Jackman

Okay, can I just say how much I love Hugh Jackman? I mean, he's an incredibly talented actor and singer, not to mention his sensational HAWTNESS!

And to top it off, he seems to be this wonderfully devoted husband and father. Just look at these pics of him dropping his 8-year-old son Oscar off at school...



I can hardly stand the cuteness. Of course, he could have done us the favor of dropping his son off while not wearing his shirt...but that would probably be too much to hope for.

A star is born...

Emma made her long-awaited theatrical debut this evening. It was in her school production of "The Silver Streakers Save the Day!" Emma took on the challenging role of Troll #3. Here she is getting her make-up on before the curtain went up...


Here are the results...


The play was penned by the kids themselves and to say that the plot was confusing would be a vast understatement. It was something about a dispute between pirates, aliens and, of course, trolls. I wasn't close enough to get any decent photos, but here's one of Emma in action...she's in the green pants and brown shirt.


The crowd went wild when the 14-minute production came to an end...here the cast is taking a well-deserved curtain call...



It was all very cute and I was so glad Emma participated and had a good time. She isn't the most outgoing child and I never thought I'd see her on a stage performing before a big crowd. So doing something like this was a big step for her.

A big step

The reason I haven't posted anything lately is that I was in New Orleans for most of the week for a conference. Emma and I have been apart for an evening when she went to a sleep over, but never for a period of several days before. So this was a test for both of us, I think. I had to leave early Wednesday morning and didn't get back until Friday afternoon. My parents, who Emma adores, came to stay with her. Long story short, although there was a lot of missing each other, we both survived and everything went pretty smoothly. Of course, this is just a precursor to a week-long trip I have to take in May...I am NOT looking forward to that one!

Anyway, it was back to our busy weekends today...Emma's Daisy Scout troop had a field trip to a local nature conservancy, which was fun. I took a couple of pictures...



The second photo is of Emma and her best friend Emme...they have known each other since the age of one and are in the same class at school...they are just inseparable! Emme's mom and I both worry what will happen if they aren't in first grade together, which could happen, of course. Hopefully they will stay friends for a long time, because they are so cute together!

Happy Easter...

from Emma and Donna...


and from Emma's doll Julie, who has her matching Easter dress on, and from Emma's new stuffed bunny named Chocolate!



Hope your holiday was as blessed as ours was.

Princesses on Ice

Today we attended yet another "on ice" production. I think, so far, we have seen Disneyland on Ice, High School Musical on Ice and Sesame Street on Ice. However, this was the really big one...Disney Princesses on Ice! We bought the tickets a couple months ago and, at the time, Emma seemed really excited about it. But her love for all things princesses has cooled a bit of late, to be replaced by an obsession of all things horses. Which is okay by me...frankly, I've been suffering from princess overload the past couple of years (although I have to admit, princesses are much cheaper than horses!)

But despite all that, we were still looking forward to the Princess on Ice thing, even if it was sort of our princess last hurrah. We went with our friends Mary and Helen...here are Emma and Helen a few minutes before show time...


I told Emma that in addition to the trash bag-sized cotton candy that we always get at these events, she could also buy one small souvenir and she chose the Minnie Mouse ears, which I'm sure will never grace her head again after we left the arena. But they were pretty darn cute.


The show was pretty good and they managed to cram most of the princesses in (Pocahantas was missing, much to the girls' dismay.) But we had fabulous seats (third row) and really had a nice time. I tend to think this will be our last "on ice' extravaganza...unless they start up a production of Hannah Montana on Ice (which wouldn't shock me!)

The rest of the day consisted of grocery shopping and going to the park for our first bike ride of the year. Emma was a bit tentative at first, but before long, she was zipping around the park...


I really think Emma is pretty close to being able to ride her bike without the training wheels. She tends to be really timid about such things, but I have a feeling this will be the summer she finally rides a two-wheeler!

Spring has sprung...

...at least for a few days. Temperatures have been in the 60s most of the week and the sun has shone brightly the last two days. Emma and I have gone for long walks after work/school every day this week. Here are a couple photos I took on our outing this evening...




Of course, it's not like this is going to last much longer. It's supposed to be about ten degrees cooler tomorrow and they're forecasting snow on Easter. Fantastic...perfect weather for Emma's sleeveless Easter dress!

Oh well, at least we've enjoyed this week...hopefully the nice weather will be here to stay soon.

My funny girl

There's a college basketball tournament in town this week and some of the players came to visit Emma's school yesterday. Emma told me that the players lifted up some of the kids in the gym so they could dunk the basketball. I asked her if she did it and she said "Mommy, I'm afraid of heights and I'm afraid of teenagers, so there's no way I was going to do that!"

I just thought it was so funny...but I'm her mom and I think just about everything she says is hilarious!

The great Easter egg hunt

It was a cold and dreary Saturday here (I know...what a shock!) and Emma and I had a rare day with nothing specific planned. So we headed to one of those indoor edu-tainment centers that I keep thinking Emma will outgrow, but she still loves. Plus, an added attraction today was that they were having an Easter egg hunt out in the bitter cold and wind.

We got there about 90 minutes before the big egg-stravaganza. Emma, as always, heads to the face painting area first. Here she is starting to glam herself up...


She asked me to help her look like a kitty, so I did my best...


Then Emma played in the pretend grocery store, the art room, made an Easter cookie in the kitchen, on and on. Finally the masses of kids started to line up for the mad dash outside to the Easter eggs. This is like our 4th Easter egg hunt and they're all the same. Some poor group of people spends hours and hours putting candy and miniature toys in little plastic eggs and then it's an additional hour or so to hide them all over some field or garden or some place similar. Then the kids are unleashed and the whole thing is over in like 13.4 seconds.

This one was no different. Fortunately, Emma had grabbed a spot near the front of the line and while most of the kids headed in one direction, I spotted a little circle of grass with lots of eggs sitting there and steered her in that direction. She had the patch all to herself for a good ten seconds and was able to snatch up about 15 eggs. I tell you, it's total insanity out there...she was lucky! Here's a pic of her with her booty (she had made another visit to the face-painting area before the egg hunt - with mixed results, although I told her it looked fabulous).


So another Easter egg hunt over with...can't wait until next year.

Well, I have to get my princess to bed...have a good one!

Winter blahs

So it's March 8th, it's 9 degrees outside and we got 2 more inches of snow yesterday. When will this madness end?!

To get in the mood for spring (which, at this rate, should be here in July), I've been buying spring and summer clothes for Emma. It's always so much fun to start browsing the Gymboree, Gap and Children's Place web sites and stores when you're looking forward to a change of season. I've totally fallen in love with Baby Gap's new Sunflower line and have bought Emma several things from it already (with coupons, of course!) Here's the fashion show...




I'm also crazy about the Gymboree spring line called Tennis Match...lots of bright pinks and greens with cute little turtles on it. I've bought a couple of things, but I'm waiting for markdowns before making a major investment.

Yeah, it's a bit sad that I'm blogging about children's clothes. But it's fun to look ahead to the time when Emma might actually get to wear these beautiful summery outfits. Let's hope that day is soon!

It's always when you least suspect it...

...after school/work yesterday, Emma and I did our usual Friday routine: out to dinner and a stop to get a DVD to rent. When we got home, we were getting settled, when out of the blue, Emma said "Can you tell me why you adopted me?"

We have had a number of conversations over the years on this subject, so I wasn't totally taken aback. So I told her our story - making sure to make it as much about her as about me. Usually that satisfies her, but for whatever reason, she really wanted to talk it over this time. She talked about how she would like to see her "bookmark" parents someday (her way of saying birth parents.) And she wanted to talk again about what it was like when she and I saw each other for the first time.

I just felt like this was a special time, so I ran downstairs and brought up a big bag...it had all the clothes she had on when they handed her to me (and there were a lot of them!) It also had some little gifts and tokens the orphanage had give her. And a little bag of dirt I had scooped up and put in a pouch at the spot where Emma was left.

I had never shown her any of this stuff before...it just never seemed to be the right moment. But this time, it did. She was really fascinated by it all, especially a little necklace the orphanage had given her with the Chinese symbol for "good luck."

I know some adoptive parents get really freaked out when their kids want to talk about where they came from. But this was a great experience for the two of us. Maybe the conversations will get more difficult down the line, but so far, she seems to be processing it well.

Anyway, here's a picture I took today of my girl...have a nice weekend, everyone!