This doesn't bode well......

Just picked Nina up from school. She informed me that she wants to change her name. Whatever. I'm thinking she'll pick Lily, or Lila or Lucy, as she usually does. I have to call her that for about an hour, and I do it a lot.

Like 100 times.

Just to annoy her.

Because I can.

Sadistic, I know.

Well she didn't pick any of those names. Instead she wants to be called "Jewel Castle" or "Bobcat".

She can't decide.

Have to go start dinner now because Bobcat has skating in 45 minutes.

Say it with me....HOOOO-AHHH

Can you smell it? It's in the air. It's.....it's.....it's GARAGE SALE SEASON!!!! Yippee-Skippy-Yeeee!!!! The lure of items that I really don't need (we are living with less after all), but are so stinking cheap that I REALLY do need them - right down to my very core I need them. Mainly, we are looking for a bigger bike for Nina because I refuse to give those bastards at Toys-R-Us any of my money. I'm also always on the hunt for treasures from the 40s, and 50s. Top of the list are vinyl suitcases, travel tablecloths, wood scrabble letters (don't need the board), and dotted Pyrex bowls. And I'm cheap. Really cheap. I have a cap of $5 on most items, but prefer things that can be bought with my loose change. I have started filling up my wallet with singles because the Hills town wide yard sale is this Saturday. My heart is racing already.

Asher and I just picked up this gorgeous robin-egg-blue case from Goodwill this morning. It's a repo, but I don't care. I don't think that Nina's Polly Pockets will care either. They never had it so good.

"Mommy. Make a funny face".

Nina had the camera......

Walking

Another one bites the dust.....

Second tooth came out yesterday. Kit still loves her.

Girl Scout Camp

Nina's Daisy Girl Scout Troop was invited to spring camp this year.....and we got to spend the night! Usually the "little girls" only come up for the day, but this year they could stay over....if their moms stayed with them. It was fun. No, you know what, it was really fun. We stayed in a sort of dorm, with bunk beds and bathrooms on the top floor, and a kitchen and picnic tables downstairs. Nina tried sleeping on the top bunk, but that proved to be too scary (for both of us), so her mattress got moved to the floor next to mine. I kept telling her that it was her first sleepover, and she smiled from ear to ear.
There are 15 girls in Nina's troop, but only 9 of them made it up for camp. There was a lot of giggling, hand holding, singing, and crying. It still amazes me how they can all be best friends at 6 in the morning, by 2 in the afternoon, they're bitter enemies, and by 2:15, they're holding hands again.
I also wonder when personal space becomes an issues because it's not present for 5 year olds.Nina had a hard time getting the equipment right....and she wouldn't let me help.
At the end of camp, they all "bridged" to Brownie Girl Scouts. It was cute. They actually walked over a little bridge and got their badges. We were going to stay for the scavenger hunt, but both of us were exhausted. Nina fell asleep in the car on the way home. I carried her up to her bed and she didn't wake up until after dinner....and she was still miserable.

I had such a great Girl Scouting experience growing up that I really wanted her to be a part of it. So far, she seems to enjoy it. Or maybe it's just the chance to do something alone with me. It's good all the way around.

A Year of Living with Less

Two things happened this past January that made me re-think the way we've been living.

1. Christmas presents

2. The writer's strike

I got pissed. Really pissed. Something had to be done. We've embarked on somewhat of a social experiment. Our "Year of Living with Less". Before we buy anything, we stop, look at it, think about it, and decide if we really need this. We have so much, in both clutter and unused items, that it drives me crazy. Mainly because I'm the one who has to pick up and find a home for everything. It's just not necessary. The junk mail of our lives. So from now until the end of the year, we're just doing without what we don't already need. As for gifts, we're going the handmade route. I don't care if it's a drawn picture, or a rock that was found outside, it means much more to me if it was something that was made just for me. It means that a little thought was put into it - instead of the time spent at the mall thinking, "I have to get something for Mom".

Every year, I get in a tizzy about the amount of birthday/Christmas/Hanukkah presents that the kids get. It's unreal. Santa was smart this year, and brought each of them 4 things. That's it. I could tell that Nina was a little disappointed, but I knew what was going to happen. In one word - Grandparents. Both of our parents are divorced, so there are 4 grandparents buying stuff, not just the two. And it seems like they have nothing else to spend their money on. I turn myself blue each and every year - pleading them not to buy too much. It falls on deaf ears. So, this year, I'm putting my foot down. Hard. Each child may only get 2 gifts per set of grandparents, no matter the size or cost, and anything over that amount will be donated to charity. Period. If they really have THAT much money to blow, then put some money into their college account. And yes, I know that you all read my blog, so please, please pay attention. You are not depriving your grandchildren if you don't get them every toy that's on the market.

And then there was nothing on T.V. Our cable company has a monopoly in our area. It's the only game in town, other than Direct TV. We were paying well over $100 a month - to watch nothing. So, I disconnected the cable in the basement and the playroom. Nina was shocked. Blake went on Zoloft. I didn't care. It's been 2 months without cable, and the strangest thing happened. The kids are fine watching movies from the library, or one of the dozens that we own. Nina has not asked to watch regular TV once. And, as a bonus, her behaviour has improved because she's not a TV zombie in the evening. I kept the cable in our bedroom, but as of Monday, that's gone too. We joined Netflix, and it seems to be a good match. Of course, a month could go by, and I don't turn on the TV, so it was no big loss to me. We're spending more time together. We take walks. We dance. We color, draw, paint. We build couch cushion forts. We connect with each other. It's been nice. It's also been a lot of work on my part to come up and seem excited about all these activities. If I could, I would remove the whole TV, but I don't want to make my husband cry.