My oh my--it looks like we're going to have a hodge-podge of summer activities for our daughter. And everything seems to cost $150 for a half-day one-week session.

I'm mostly sending her to half-day sessions hoping we can fill the rest of the time with swimming, the library and other things like play dates.

This is the first time she hasn't gone to the university child care, at least some days, so it'll be an adjustment.

It looks like it'll cost over over $1000, not counting the village pool membership.

I don't think, except for one summer school session, I ever went to any organized activities except camp for a week. But we lived in a neighborhood with dozens of kids and lots of impromptu fun.
I wouldn't mind reliving one or two of those days again. Mosquito repellent, bikes, tents made from blankets. I wonder if it was as idyllic as I remember it.

Our daughter is off school on spring break, so I'm not getting much done. She's come with me to the university this week, assigning coloring pages to my students.

As a Spring break treat, we went out to lunch after my classes were done at a lovely spot with free kid's meals.

I'm airfare shopping for this summer's UK trip, and prices are very uneven. United is $200 less than anyone else, American is still high for the dates we want, and NWA/Delta is very expensive now. I'd like to fly Virgin, but it would mean driving to O'Hare which always adds a bit to our totals. DH will have enough miles to fly free, so my weekend goals will be to find and book somewhere.

Unhappy news of the day: It looks as if my university teaching job will be at 3/4 time for the foreseeable future. That's 3/4 pay for probably at least the next year. The university has failed to tell anybody about this, but has just gone ahead and changed the schedule. It stinks there, but I guess I should be happy for the job. And I'm very happy I had so many years at full time, since it will eventually help what little retirement payouts I have left.

Happy news then? The most excellent church rummage sale in a long time--I bought DD a garbage bag full of clothes--including NWT Gymboree pants and shirt--all for under $20. For that she got five new dresses--three Gymboree and a Hanna Andersson--not that I'm label conscious, but they'll have good ebay resale when she's done with them, two pairs of pants, tights, tops, toys, you name it.

I'm ignoring the weather forecast and hoping like Sleeping Beauty to reawaken when spring actually arrives.

Besides the insurance payments due, and my adjunct job forgetting to pay me, all the back to school shopping has to continue. I've done really well with specials at Target, AlGreens, and Office Depot/Max, but DD needs two new pair of gym shoes and another pair of regular school shoes.

Oh yeah, and then there's the money for school lunches, and some sort of "activity" fee.

I have to say I'm sorely tempted by the cutie shoes like umi and other upscale kid's brands. We've had terrible luck with Carter's and other Kohl's brands. The velcro doesn't stay on, and despite my valiant efforts at supergluing it, we may get one pair of nicer shoes for HRH.