bits of cold

It was very cold at the bus stop this morning.  And the bus didn't come, because no one informed us of the policy, or the phone number to call, to call the bus garage early in the morning to tell them the child who was absent will be back to school that day.  The school didn't know anything about that policy when I went to drop her off.  But, now the number is pasted up on our bulletin board.  And I hope they come get her tomorrow.  It was cold enough to need a blanket just to hide under from the wind.

Esme's backpack came, she wore it today.  It didn't fit her lunchbag up front, but I let her take hot lunch today anyway because she had been sick and it was something she said she could eat.  My Oolong tea came - I'll make a cup of that later.  Mark is quite happy because we found pork roast AND orange juice on sale and made good on both offers.  He now has lots of pork and orange juice (which he eats and drinks anwyay). 

We've been using coupons and following the sales for a few months.  I think we've about broke even moneywise, because we end up buying some other things we would go without when we can save some on other things.  We'll see if that trend continues.  I also need to start carrying the coupons in my bag all of the time, because we've bought at least three things that I had good dollar off or more coupons for and we didn't have the coupon with us because I didn't think we would buy it that day.  So, there is some to be learned there.  I would really like to find more shampoo deals with how much Esme uses.  I will just have to jump on any real deal we can use to the fullest extent and stock them in the cupboard.

We're still waiting on the things I ordered for Esme's birthday.  I'm still holding off on the t-shirt I was going to buy her.  And I have no idea what we are going to do for the actual day of (Friday) or the Saturday afterwards.  Well, not NO idea.. I've got a few ideas... but I'm not sure if we'll do them.  G's birthday party and Esme being sick afterwards has just made me tired and a little drained.

It's past noon and I hope that means everything was okay for her at school today.  She was so tired and floppy for a few days there, and about half-power yesterday.  She played outside in the sawed down tree top for a while with the dogs.  They love the tree Mark cut down by the fence.  He pushed it over into their area for them to play and chew on for a while before we cut it up into smaller pieces.  When I read Esme some book last night (Still on Sword in the Grotto) she laid perfectly still in her bed, no rolling, no getting up and jumping around.  Really under normal circumstances I'd wish for that.. but it made me realize how much the sickness had taken out of her.  Hoping for better tonight and that picking her work up yesterday will lead to not a huge load of homework tonight.

tailed bits

Mark went out in the woods yesterday and found our Nova dog with eleven puppies. He put them all in a box and brought them inside, which was a harrowing feat considering where he said he found them at. He said the pile of wood she was inside was collapsing as he tried to move near and among it... He is lucky he is scrawny and muscular - as a regular person would have still been out there with a leg caught in something. So, we have a wiggly mess of tails again in this house. Esme is excited - she has counted them and described them and says 'Nova is a mother dog.' to me a lot this morning.

Esme made me laugh last night. I gave her the newspaper and it had a food ad in it with balloons. She was very excited and was trying to read bits of it. Then she says (think Homer Simpson) 'We can't afford that! What's that. We can't afford that!' about everything with a price tag on it. 'That's two thousand dollars. We can't afford that.' We have a silly child. Her favorite phrase lately has been 'I want to play lots and lots of (candy/dogs/cards/food/bathtub). Come on, let's do lots and lots.' A little while ago she is playing with her checkwriter and saying 'That is twenty cents, just twenty cents. I have seen ALL my life, Mama. I have seen ALL my life.' I think she is trying to mimic someone on tv saying 'that is the worst thing I have seen all my life' but she hasn't remembered all the words.


handmade birthday banner

I spent quite a bit of the morning stringing this together. Esme's birthday party is tomorrow, and we plan to hang this up there with some balloons as very 'simple' decorations. Simple as in not cost much, although the banner took a few hours to make while Esme bounced around saying I was busy and she wanted to be busy, too. She has grown so much this past year, and again during this last spurt as well! Mark is headed to town to get butter and a few other things. Then we will be making cupcakes.. or maybe that will be tomorrow? Probably tonight because I will need to wash her hair also tonight and that will be a tough sell/hard deed because I washed it a few days ago when it really did need it -- and she will negotiate with me claiming it doesn't need it. 'My hair has no bugs, no spiders - don't wash my hair - brush it, I'm gonna cry.' etc etc... I also need to make sure her doggie pants are clean and the blue dress. I told Esme we had to get things ready for her birthday and she said 'oh no mama.. the balloons will POP POP POP' Well, I didn't mean to blow up the balloons today!

Daddy picked me up butter, toothpicks and more cupcake papers - so we're well supplied to go make a mess tonight ;) He also picked up a few more things for me to wrap up for presents. So, now we are officially spoiling her by our standards. A party, and a few 'wow' toys she is going to fall apart over. And there were other little cheap things that just said ESME all over them... Planning to wrap those up in newspaper and curl some colored copy paper with scissors to make it pretty.

Elephant invitations

Esme's birthday is next Friday. And, we have finally decided to do something more than Grandma's house for her.. Although, I took a long time deciding on it. We will invite two coworker's children and go get ice cream :) Mama will make orange frosted cupcakes as she was VERY wild about the orange and purple cupcakes that she saw at a store a few weeks back.

Esme is kind of over-excited tonight about the whole idea...


pumpkin from Grandma!
She is also excited about this.

I told her we had to make 'come to our party' cards and she got even MORE excited. She told me she wanted to make pink invitations - but then settled on green and red and when I asked her what animal - she said elephants.


invitations


'Yea, it IS an elephant.'