Look what I bought!

I'm seriously upset over the change to instant hot chocolate pouches. Really. It now requires scissors to open them. How on Earth am I supposed to find scissors when I'm in the throes of a chocolate craving?! I can understand making the Neo Citran pouches child-resistant, but hot chocolate! C'mon. Did someone sue Carnation because tearing open all the little packets made it too easy to gorge on that sinful powder and it made them fat?

Yesterday's shopping expedition was a success.

I found a not-too-ugly shower curtain at the dollar store, for which I paid a whole dollar (plus tax). It's almost too short, but it should keep us in business till I can get myself over to the shower curtain district.

I decided I really wasn't up to shopping for picture-perfect toddler clothes; I searched Helena's closet instead and found the perfect dress (which you can glimpse below), too big when last we had appropriately cool weather. It has "jaff, anid jaff, flaouw!" (that's "giraffe, another giraffe, and a flower!" for those of you who don't speak Helena's language). I crossed my fingers that it would fit just right (and it does), but this left the matter of shoes...

I found a lovely pair at a local shop. I'm convinced this was a smart purchase, even though it's not the patent leather J-F had in mind and my mother insists they are dangerous (contrary to the marketing claims of "skid-resistant"). There will be occasion enough to wear these around other people's houses at dinners and for picture-taking events over the coming year. Besides, Helena's thrilled with them.

To cap off the shopping experience, I stumbled across the perfect presents for Helena's birthday this weekend:

Another doll — Helena loves all her dolls so much, but I think she has enough love for one more. Something about this doll (the eyes? the colour combination?) makes me feel very much at peace. Weird, really, to respond to a doll that way — I shouldn't think about that too much. I'll bet you didn't know: "the length of the doll's body (neck to toes) should be no longer than the child's arm from elbow to finger tips."

And to inspire her musical genius: the Saxoflute! Made in Italy. I was greatly relieved to note that "Child labour has not been employed to manufacture this toy."

Ooh! I'm so excited!

I should get ready to go retrieve the little one from daycare. Wednesday's my day cuz J-F's on course. At least this time he remembered to leave the stroller there. There's something really uncomfortable about pushing an empty stroller around town and on public transit, even if collapsed. I remember regularly seeing a woman push her empty stroller through the park in the summer, and I thought for sure she must be crazy. I just can't help giving empty-stroller pushers funny looks. Where is your baby?