Spending and saving

As 'payment' for the family photos the other day, Anne sent me home with a Little Tykes basketball net to go in our driveway. Her family had just upsized to a regulation-sized set and the Little Tykes hoop had a home no more. It fits into a corner of our yard perfectly. Not only does Liam somehow know what it's for - he says ball every time he looks at it - but it has already seen some use. Today is the Annual Nicholls Golf Challenge and Killer Pool Basketball Playoffs. Up until now the guys have had to make do with the single Little Tykes hoop and net at the MacBarrs to play KPB - now with our assistance, they have a regulation pool (court?) going, with a hoop at either end. I just hope it comes home in one piece so Liam can get some use out of it, too. Besides, isn't it way too cold to be in the pool today?

Getting freebies like this is a total blessing - it totally helps defray the cost and guilt of life's other expenses. Chad took Liam out yesterday to buy some new fall shoes. It was cold enough that I wondered whether his feet would freeze if I put him in his sandals (and then, having no plan B, did it anyway) - so it was high time to broaden his footwear horizons. Chad picked him up a super cool little pair of retro leather running shoes that satisfy his (Chad's) need for fashion and my need for something to appropriately support the little dude's arches. Would you believe this was accomplished at Payless? I had no idea Payless carried name brand, reputable shoes - I thought they were merely the home of the $10 pleather special. I stand corrected. In the past week I have also picked up several fleecy new pairs of footed pajamas. It has been ages since Liam wore anything other than a onesie to bed, but I am pretty sure those days are over, at least for this year, and if there's one place where you can't cheat and squeeze your kid into something that's a little too small for him - it's the footed pajama.

The shoes and pajamas were necessary expenses - but there have also been some recent ones of the more frivolous variety. Such as the Fisher Price Little People Airplane that recently followed me home. There's also a super cute little Halloween costume shipping out to our house for Liam in the next couple of weeks. It was more than I think is necessary to spend on Halloween, but he does have a full dress-up day of daycare to attend this year to make it worthwhile, in addition to trick-or-treating, and I figure after we've gotten our use out of it we can eBay it - the same costume in sold-out sizes is currently listed at three times what I paid for it retail. Let's just hope it fits when it gets here.

(Photos are down again - good grief - is there no end to this??)