{THANK HEAVEN FOR LITTLE GIRLS}

Yesterday was Birthday Number 5 for Belle. With our adoption fees adding up and coming due, I tried to celebrate her birthday as frugally as possible, while still being special...it seemed like a complete failure to me, but thankfully, and interestingly enough, I don't think Belle interpretted our afternoon like that.

My plan was to go to the first show at the dollar theatre. We could all get in for $3. All that was playing for kids was Kung Fu Panda. Then, I thought we would go to Toys R Us, where I have a $10 gift card and $3 coupon. Mr. Smarty wanted her to pick out a new board game. Then we'd go back to Tata & Giddo's for pizza & a birthday dessert. Sounds like a good plan, no?

So ten minutes into Kung Fu, I'm sitting in the dark, with Boo cuddling on my lap, thinking...this is great! Really great! Why don't we do this more often? Then I look over at my five-year-old, my dear sweet birthday girl-with her eyes closed and her fingers in her ears and little sniffles escaping her little nose. She was so scared. I hadn't even noticed a scary scene yet, but she was terrified. Awww man! "Okay, Belle, wanna go?" "uh-huh"

So we piled back in the van and drove to the toy store. No cars in the lot. Lights off. Sign missing. The store had closed. Great. Remembering the Babies R Us on the other side of town, I drove there to see if they carried board games since they would also take my gift card. Nope. Their toy section was very limited to toddler toys. Bummer.

And what a failure of a mom, I am.

But did Belle even notice nothing was going according to plan. Even though she was well aware of the plan. She would just sweetly ask, "What's next on the plan, Mom? " Like we could just check off going to the movies, going to the toy store. By then she was ready to go back to Tata's and make her own game. Which she did, out of a cereal box from the recycling bin. LOVE HER!!!





Auntie Rowaida visting from Jordan on her birthday? Priceless!