I paid $60 for this charity Partner's Card that gives me a 20% discount at all these stores all over…

I paid $60 for this charity Partner's Card that gives me a 20% discount at all these stores all over town, but the thing is good only Oct 30-Nov 8. Since I spent the weekend chasing Cobra Starship and recovering from that debacle and we leave for Kidd's Kids on Thursday, I basically have 3 days to spend enough money to justify buying this card. So yesterday I hit a toy store and knocked a few kids off my list. What joy Christmas brings! Just knocking people off a list.........But at least I saved enough money to break even on the card.

So Emma Kelly was down for a nap yesterday and I was just about to join her when the doorbell rang. It was my trainer. He wasn't supposed to be there...but there he was. Some confusion about how he said he'd see me Monday and I said "Okay!" and that meant we had an appointment. But that didn't count as an appointment to me. That was a passing comment and not something written down in my day planner, so there was no training appointment for me on Monday. And while most people would say, "Well! Since you're here..." That isn't me. I made him call his girlfriend to come back and get him because I hadn't mentally prepared myself for that beating. And since the doorbell rang, the dogs went nuts, EK was up from her nap, so no nap for me. And the really great part is that when EK is startled awake, she's SUCH a joy to be around. She was throwing things and kicking and making these animal-like noises. Yeah...she gets it from me. Me and my kid need our sleep! So after about 30 minutes of torture, she calmed down enough for us to go outside and play with sidewalk chalk. But she got mad at me -- "You hurt my feelings!" -- and stomped off when I showed her how to draw a flower instead of just letting her do it herself. Fun. Then suddenly I remembered I'd been promising to sign her up for dance classes for about a month, so I said, "Let's go!"

We got there and the only classes for her age group are when I'm at work, so great....I get to let Nanny Laura be the mommy again. But EK wanted to start classes right then and there. Couldn't comprehend how she had to wait until Wednesday morning. And then came the crocodile tears. Instantly. How can I learn to do that??? So I appeased her by taking her to Target to buy her leotard and tights and little ballet shoes, but she wanted pink shoes and they only had black in her size. Tears. So we pay for the stuff and she immediately wants to go back to dance class. Tears. But then she sees McDonald's and the promise of chicken nuggets and chocolate milk solved that problem.

Doesn't help that she has a cold. Cool thing about time change, though, is that I'm fooling her into getting to bed a little earlier. That means Mommy gets to go to bed earlier!! Makes up for missing that stinking nap.......

XO
Kellie