I was thinking today how I'm spending about $60/month instead of $40-$50 on gas now that niece is taking Ale to school (sis puts in another $20/month), but that it's still positive because I'm not paying the $30 for the transport, so in reality I'm spending $60 vs $70-$80...and then I thought it's good that gas is cheaper now because it's "only" $3.14-$3.20

AND THEN I remembered that it wasn't so long ago when I felt that gas was "super-expensive" when it reached $3!!!

isn't that sad??

Yesterday, Ale was reading her National Geographic book on Earthquakes, and there was a picture of fallen buildings and cracked roads...she said: Mom, a REAL earthquake couldn't do something like that, could it? ...so I explained to her that, yes, an earthquake could do that if it were strong enough or if it lasted long enough...I told her a bit about the earthquake in Peru and how there are drop off places for aid here in ES...she immediately said: Mom, we should send them some water...and maybe we could make packages of food...vegetables maybe...I told her those would have to be canned...fruits?...no, unless they're canned, too...are canned fruits expensive?...(they are, here!)...but we agreed that we would buy some water and look through our closets for good-condition clothes and will take them to the nearest drop-off place (coincidentally, a sales point for the company I used to work with!)
For some reason (maybe because I still remember the horror of our last earthquake, or because all Peruvians I've ever met were really nice people), but, of all the catastrophes we've had in the world lately, this is the one that has affected me the most, and, seeing Ale wanting to help really makes me proud...
I had to share!

Ale was invited to a b-day party this weekend...she told me her little friend had gotten a cellphone ....I know that's her way of applying psychological pressure....so, I said: well, good for her, but you know my position regarding children and cellphones...(she may-or may not! get one once she's 12!)

The translation they sent yesterday night will bring $68! - woo-hoo!...
just a short lease contract, and it took me about 2-3 hours....I could hear their minds going ca-ching! when they asked me if I worked nights and I said "Yes"....most people will not work on a document received after 6...but then again, this is my 2nd job...and, mostly, I start working on it at 8:05pm, right after DD is put to bed (8:00pm is her bed-time!)

I printed a copy and am taking it to Ale so she can proof-read it for me!...I'm nervous!!...once that's done, I have to print out 3 copies and make a copy on a diskette, put everything in an envelope and sign it with a pseudonym. I must also include a sealed envelope with the pseudonym on the outside and all my "real" info inside it...it then has to be delivered to the Alliance Francese before Sept 30th.

knitting today....else the rainy season/cold weather will end before I finish Ale's sweater! LOL!...

Need to remember to do the sample to see if the gauge is correct....else I will knit something too small/too big (too small in this case, because the wool is not as thick as the one called for in the pattern...but it was the thickest one available!...) I'll probably need to make adjustments...or use the larger-size instructions...but that will depend on the gauge...

the good news is, I know enough to make the needed adjustments!!

I'll try to post pictures...(niece has a new digital camera, so that might make things easier...as opposed to waiting for me to develop the ones in my camera!!)

the annual book fair will take place 25-28 August...I have allotted $20 (as usual)...Ale is very excited about it...if I let her, she'll use the $20 on herself! (I want to buy 1 book for myself!)...
Sadly enough, the library is not an option for us...
1. location (it's very far away, and there's no parking!)
2. working hours (M-F, 9 to 4)
3. you cannot take the books home!

....so, it's buying or lending for us!

flour
sugar
honey
baking soda
powdered cocoa

...ah, yes, time to start baking cookies every weekend! (not that we didn't during Ale's vacation, we just didn't do it EVERY weekend!)

Knitting has become expensive!...I have been surviving on my stash of yarns, but, yesterday I went to buy some white (acrylic) wool to knit a sweater for Ale (she needs a white sweater and, given our weather, it's almost impossible to find one!...unless you're going to the some European franchises, and, last time I went into one and dared ask, they said $60!!!!...SIXTY US DOLLARS!!!! for a sweater for my 7-year old???....not in 1,000,000 years!)...so, I went to buy the materials...I had expected it to be about $15, but turned out to be $18....and I only bought yarn!!! (I have everything else!)...I even saw some yarns that were $5.99 EACH!!!...eeek!...
On the positive side, Ale liked a yarn that was about $2.90...says she wants a tank top knitted out of that...I think I can make it with 2 skeins....of course THAT will be more expensive than buying one downtown....but I bet it'll last longer...plus, it WILL be very special!

The Ministry of Education of ES conducted a school census to verify the quality of private schools...there are ~1400 private schools.... ~400 are going to be closed down...students can finish the current school year and that's it....
The remaining schools have been divided into categories: A, B, C and D...
A's get 10 year permits with yearly follow-up visits
B's get 5 year permits with yearly follow-up visits
C's get 28 months to improve or else they will be closed down
D's get 16 months to improve or else they will be closed down

the criteria included such things as infrastructure, teacher certification, student-teacher ratios, full-time vs part-time teacher ratio, among others...the list was released yesterday...

Ale's school has been classified as a C school, which wouldn't be too surprising, given that their facilities are two converted houses...but, other schools with similar infrastructure made the B list (some of the other schools I visited but couldn't afford).

Now, I like the school and, I'm hoping that the deficiencies found can be easy to address and that the school will do something about it (I also hope this doesn't include charging more or asking for additional $$, because I REALLY cannot afford that)....Today is the first day and, I expect to have a memo from the school before the end of the week (customary). I hope that the principal will include this important issue in the memo, but, if she doesn't, I think I'll write to her next week to try to find out: 1. what were the areas that received the lowest ranking, 2. what is their action plan and 3. as a parent, what can I do to help?...depending on her answers, I'll have to devise my own action plan (but, just in case, I need to start putting money aside for those pesky one-time enrollemnt fees at other schools, which can be anywhere from $1,500- $10,000 depending on the school!)

Today is Ale's first day....she's a first-grader now...she keeps reminding me she's one of the big kids now...she had to go to school wearing jeans today (not that she had anything against it!)...they are allowed jeans the first week if they don't have a full uniform yet...and this year they didn't have any skorts in her size....so I had to have them custom made...still waiting for them...although I did tell the seamstress I needed them for Tuesday (in case she gets delayed, I should have them before next week, when I REALLY need them!)..they were out of sweat pants, too, but should receive a new batch on Wednesday (already asked the secretary to save a size 8 for Ale!)...
we baked cookies yesterday, and today packed her two cookies and some yogurt for recess and, sausages and rice for lunch, with some strawberries as dessert...can't wait to hear how her day went!

...they had a special promotion on the oil change...it cost me $23 instead of $35 (same oil, I checked!!)....so, with those $12 I bought the fish that I couldn't get during the holidays!!!....I'm cooking it tomorrow, though, because I couldn't find oranges (or, rather, I would have had to buy a bag of 50!...) so I'm going to the corner store today, where I can either buy less oranges or, buy the same 50 for a lot less than at the supermarket!!
Funny how such a small thing can make your day!...to think that all through my childhood we had fish or shrimp EVERY Friday (except for lent, go figure!) and now it's a luxury!!

I'm stressed out and, for once, additionally to eating like crazy, I've gotten the de-cluttering bug!...

trying to look on the bright side, at least I'll have a nice orderly room (who knows, maybe even a nice orderly house!) once I find a way to cope with the current family crisis!...

said with her most impish expression...
This is what Ale asked today when I told her I wanted her to review her toys and separate them into: "to keep", "to give away", "to sell" and "to trhow away"...so I explained to her that, since her friend T. is going away, she's getting some of her toys...
"Oh, to make space!"
Smart girl!

we certainly don't use one everyday, but, there's some stuff we have been unable to do (replace 3 light-bulbs in our house...2 of which are in the staircase!) because no-one is able to reach it!...it's also a problem whenever we paint walls...
I'd say it is a need, because most of the time we stand on stools or chairs or get very creative when changing lightbulbs and, although we've been lucky so far, it IS a security issue....
what has made me put it in the want section is the price (the one we need would cost about $80...)
HEY!!! scored!!!...I called the other admin and, she has an old ladder...which she just "donated" me!...I'm supposed to go pick it up on Friday (after the painters are gone!)
woo-hoo!

since the other admin at the place where I used to work is going to the US (her papers came through!) with her two daughters, she's leaving all their toys for Ale...she knows we cannot possibly "digest" them all and knows some will be given away and others will be sold...still, it's very nice of her and, I know Ale will be thrilled when she finds out (I still haven't told her!), just like I know my niece is going to have a heart attack! (she thinks there's too much junk as it is...she doesn't understand that, if a toy is in perfect condition, it's generally because it hasn't been played with much, whereas the toys that look like they belong in the garbage are the ones that are truly loved! -- like that Barbi e on the final scene of Toy Story 2, which had half the hair cut off and a rainbow painted on her face!)...oh, well, I guess we'll all have to deal with it!...I'll encourage Ale to give some away to nanny's grand-daughter and, see what she can sell at the next flea market!...this might be the perfect opportunity to earn $$$$ for her account!

let's see how I'm doing, shall we?

NEEDS: ($150-$200 for ALL)
Uniforms for Ale (including shoes, socks)-taken care of! all I need are the socks!
Oil change for the car - scheduled for the 11th/aug
New windshield wipers (rainy season!!)..will see if they have them at the place where they do the oil change{/b]
New dictionary for translations….(not URGENT, but IMPORTANT!...if I’m to get serious about the translations, I need the right tools!)



WANTS: (about $100-$150 for ALL)[b]proud to report I haven't indulged in any of these!
New curtain for my bedroom (been using an old sheet and, frankly, it does nothing for the room!...and, since we have been decluttering-reorganizing, I’ve started to feel that it would look SOOOO much better with something nicer, in a different color…)

New clothes for me – just because my older clothes have started disintegrating!!...I still have enough to make do for a while, though, so not really a need!

New shoes…after all, we HAVE been going to all those shoe stores! LOL!...don’t worry, I won’t give in so easily! (although if I find a bargain like last year, Hush Puppies at $10, I will probably get them!)

1 day of relaxation at the beach during these holiday period (4 days…) not likely to happen…

our holiday started out great!...we went to the children's museum and, because of the holiday, they were open from 10am through 6pm! (they normally close for 1 hour lunch break!)...we played in all the exhibits and bought tickets to the renovated planetarium (which was great! much more children-friendly that their last arrangement!...you get to lie on your back on the floor on a really cushy carpet and look up at the "sky"...before you sat in rows of cinema-like chairs)...when we came out Ale complained about a headache, and I thought it was because we had been walking in the park next to the Museum and she might be a bit dehydrated because it was very very hot...I had planned on buying the fish on our way home, but, since Ale wasn't feeling well, I decided to do it some other time! (am I glad! the fish money ended up being used for medicine!)... she started having fever and, I started her on acetaminofen, but, when I asked she said nothing hurt (not her stomach, not her throat) and she hadn't been sneezing or coughing, either!...she was hungry but, somehow I decided to put her on a bland diet (call it mother's instinct!) and made her a vegetable soup and some toast for dinner...sis said it might be dengue, because the fevers were so high, but, Ale has had dengue before, so I know what it looks like, and I knew that wan't it! ...her fever kept increasing and I was starting to really worry, but it turned out to be a stomach flu! (high fevers are "normal" )...at one point I was just so exhausted that I failed to give her the acetaminofen on time and, her temp reached 39.5 and she started throwing up (this is "normal" in her, if her temp gets to high, she starts vomiting...our pediatrician says it's good, because some kids will seize if their temps are too high - I used to, I was admitted to the hospital twice because of that!...not that I can remember, but it made mom really paranoid about checking my temp when I was sick!)...so, to be able to actually give her the meds, I had to bring down the temp first....the old fashion way!: wrapping her in cold towels....it was so awful, because she was nearly in tears and begging me to stop!... but I didn't!...finally I dried her off, dressed her in clean pajamas and, gave her the meds...she's doing much better now (no fever, and her stomach is doing much better!...) she has asked when she will be able to have some pizza (I don't think so!)....so she must be feeling better!

well...I have discovered that, by some miracle, I still have some $$ leftover...so, rather than spend it on pizza and soda, I'm going to buy fish and cook it...we all love fish, but don't have it as often as we like, since it's so expensive (about $4.50/lb)...so it'll be a nice treat for all!..I've already chosen the recipe!!

Polo-shirts are $6.86 (thank God Ale’s are still in very good shape and, I bought them on the large side, so they still fit!)…but, I DO have to get:

Pants ($7.00) – I didn’t get the “official” ones last year…they let it pass because they didn’t have them when I enrolled Ale and THEY told me they wouldn’t order more…so, they couldn’t really enforce the “full uniform” rule on us!
T-shirts ($5.14) – the ones from last year look awful!!!
Skorts (??) – the ones we have are too short and, the hem is too narrow to make a difference!!...

Shoes
Tennis shoes
(my lowest quote so far is $24 for both)

Hair accessories (~$3)
Socks ($2 for a six pack)

So…depending on how many pants/t-shirts/skorts I buy, I’m looking at anywhere between $53- $65….

I guess I will go for 1 pants/1 T-shirt, 2 skorts and see if that is enough….if not, then we’ll buy an additional set of pants/T-shirt and 1 more skort… I’ll plan on $53, then….and keep quoting shoes….I still have 2 weeks!! (hey, we’re having a “Consuma” fair this week…maybe I should look there!!!....yeah, I know, the name gives ME the chills, too!)

Ok, I admit it, I'm a hopeless sentimental and good-byes are really (REALLY) hard for me...this past weekend I went to my former boss' farewell party (VP)...needless to say, my eyes started watering the moment I said Hello and, once they showed a video the guys from the office made for him, there was no stopping me from crying....it was like Niagara falls!...awful, awful...to the point where people were asking if I was ok...and this was BEFORE I had to officially say good-bye to him!...and, on top of that, my other former boss (the director)is also relocating in about a week, so I had to say good-bye to him and his wife (the ones that have helped me with Ale's school)...so, I've been in "cry mode" the whole weekend...literally, you can make me cry just by looking at me right now...
(I KNEW there was a reason I NEVER went to ANY of the other farewell parties!!)...but, after all he did for me, how could I NOT go to this one??...there I go, crying again!!!...ok, I'll log off and go home now! ugh!

WOO-HOO!...I was thinking of doing something really cheap (but really cool) and just getting a thin board and paint it pink and put some giant stickers- Disney Princesses, what else!...ok, maybe Hello Kitty!), or buy one of those plastic curtains (kind of like beaded courtains, but with platic shapes, like flowers or hearts or...what else! Hello Kitty!)....and, was going to start quoting the stuff this weekend (I know the stickers were going to be $3!)...when my niece announced that, since her dad is upgrading her little brother's room, he was getting rid of the old furniture and she asked if she could have it (smart girl!)...so, Ale gets the headboard and niece gets the dresser...she also asked for the night-table, although we are not yet sure who will keep it/where they'll put it!...Niece is a wonder with furniture arrangement (you'll shake your head and say: It won't fit, and if it does, it'll look crammed...and she'll find a way to make it fit AND look good and spacious!...I always said she should be an interior designer!)...bottom line is, we have a new headboard....and it was FREE!!!...didn't even have to pay for transportation!!

well, not counting the stuff I took from our stock of school supplies, I spent $24...and I'm still missing a couple of things which might be about $5....
and that does not include 2 dictionaries (Spanish/Spanish and English/English) and a school planner for $13 total...
so far, Ale's first grade is costing:

$200 - English books
$330 - enrollment fee
$33- Spanish books
~$30- school supplies
$9 - school bag
$13- dictionaries and planner
=====
$615

and I haven't bought shoes and uniforms (I'm waiting to see if at least SOMETHING fits by the time she has to start school!)...the good news is, so far, only $115 have come out of my pocket, since I did get those $500 from J, as help for Ale...

...I took Fiona for her annual vaccines/deworming and a nail clipping (I don't have the stomach to do this myself, I'm always afraid of hurting her!)...$40...eye doctor appointment for myself (my eye had a red spot!!) and Ale (annual exam!)... $35 ($16 for Dr and $19 for eye drops!)...now, besides the appointment for myself, which was due to "illness", everything else should have been programmed, preferably before May or after August, so it didn't coincide with school expenses!!!! ((kicking myself over this!))
oh, and the Dr said there's nothing wrong with my eye, that I've probably just been too stressed and the blood pressure broke some veins in my eyes...said I should be back to normal in 15 days...and I can wear my contacts once the discomfort passes!...Ale's sight is perfect, but she DOES have a slight allergie (either from the pool or from kitty!)....

I have the day off today!...I´m taking advantage of it NOT being a holiday in ES to do a lot of stuff I normally don´t have the time to (go to Ale´s school and pay for her Spanish books...school is open from 7:30-4:00pm), go to the eye doctor (I thought I could do it this morning, but he only comes in the afternoon on Wednesdays!)...take my niece job hunting!...make cc and other payments...oh, Joy of Joys!!..lol!
wish us luck!

a friend of our family gave her $25...she decided she did NOT want to save any of it!!!...she spent $4.50 at the little store at the country club...then he bought 2 pairs of shoes (she asked me to take her to a store where she had seen a 2X1 special) for $10...then she said she wanted toys, and asked me to take her somplace where she could buy them...I took her to the toy section of the dept store, as they were having "an additional 35% off sale prices" if purchase was made with store card...she wandered the aisles looking at what she could buy for $10....she then found the "additional 35%" aisle and asked the saleslady to check on final prices for several things...she finally decided on a "potty training Kelly" for $9.49....
I charged it on my card and she gave me $9.49 to pay it off right then and there!...she then spent $0.25 on gum from a gum ball machine...so she still has $0.80 left...perhaps I could persuade her to save THAT???
All in all, she didn't do too bad for a 7-year old...at least she looked for bargains!

LOL!...well, no, not really, but, at least now the places in the cementery and the funerals are all paid off! Yay!...officially, July would have been the last payment, but, I called the company and the lady that handles billings told me I had 2 options:
1. Make only the June payment ($35.33) and then finish paying in July (another $35.33), or
2. pay $42.18 and finish paying NOW!...

guess what I did?? (the difference is for debt insurance, taxes, interest and fees!- OUCH!)...
....now, the cementery lot is ok (fits 5, and only mom and dad are there at the moment), but the funeral services were 3, so that leaves only 1 paid for/available....and there's still 4 of us! (sis, Ale, niece, nephew and myself!)...and while some would rather shut their eyes to the possibilities, we all WILL die someday!...

you've read my rants about my cousin and the $1,ooo in phone calls her son made on my line...this is VERY old news (this was in January of 2006!)....and how she had only repaid $300....well, she gave me $100 towards this debt yesterday!!...
I am truly amazed!... I honestly thought this was going to be one of those times when she promised and "something came up" at the last minute!!...
I just HAD to tell you all!

sis took Kitty to the vet for her first check-up and deworming...turns out, Kitty is a MALE kitten....so, we have officially changed the name to Shreck...although, we all keep calling him Kitty out of habit!! LOL!...

Ale is forever asking me to make up stories for her at bedtime....a few months ago I saw an ad for a children's stories writing contest (Charles Perrault children's literature contest), and I thought: I should write a story...then, just 2 days ago, I finally tried to put one of my stories in writing...it's basically the story of Kitty coming home...just using some of our "home names" for the characters...Ale is my Princea Pelipreciosa (a non-existent compound word that means she has beautiful hair!), and my niece is the Pink Princess...I'm still working on proper Queen names for sis and myself...although really, the story is mostly about Kitty and our Fiona (also called Fi, Fiffi, Firi and Fifirififi!)...so...now I'm letting it "sit" for a few days so I can look at it objectively and make changes...the deadline for submitting an entry to the contest is Sept 30, so I have time...the question is: will I dare enter the contest??