Smallsteps' best friend had a birthday party today and she even chose her own outfit with the skirt, but didn't have a suitable top to wear with it, so yesterday we went to buy the present and a top to match.
I think life is going to get very expensive in the next 10 years.
Though, for now, it was literally a couple euros for a set of three tops from H&M and the skirt to match, is actually a hand-me-down from the neighbors - so not too bad. It is useful having friends live next door with a girl a handful of years older than our own.
Smallsteps was super excited!
She needs to work on her "excited expression" however.
She is always cute though.
But, I am biased.
While she was at the party, my wife and I went and did some more renovation-related activities, like ordering the ceiling panels for the kitchen and office, which will be partially renovated at the same time. Considering we bought the same panels less than two years ago, there has been a 60% increase in the prices, and they are not even solid wood, they are MDF. Everything is up by about that much, but thankfully, our builder is charging the same as he was when he was helping finish things I couldn't do last year after the stroke.
Even now, I am more limited in what I can do and while I am going to put in the effort where I can to keep costs down, I also know that I just don't have the physical stamina to do it all, especially on a short timeframe whilst being fulltime back at work.
We also picked up some boxes to pack the kitchen before the teardown begins.
We are going to be "kitchenless" for 4-6 weeks as first there is the removal of the old, then the building of the new and only after the cupboards are in, will the benchtops be measured, with them taking two to three weeks after measure to get cut, delivered and installed.
This means that we are going to have to have a kitchen upstairs (microwave and a couple plates) as well as build our office up there too, since we have to pack it up also. It has been a year without this kind of renovation and I am not looking forward to living back in the dust, however, this should be the last major thing for a while.
More famous last words.
I was saying to my wife that after these renovations, we can "take a break" for a bit to recover, as it is bleeding us dry of our monthly resources, meaning we aren't putting anything away for anything else. And, I would really like to start building up a stronger investment portfolio while we have an opportunity, because who in such a volatile market, knows when that opportunity disappears.
Currently, we are both working and while it could be better, we are earning okay from our respective jobs, so we should be "making hay" while the sun shines (or isn't pouring down with rain) and dropping what we can into generating income in the future. In the past, working til retirement was possible, but with almost 30 years left until then, I am not confident either of us will have what it takes to make it in the "new world" of employment, as AI and automation will increasingly bite into our work areas and the "well-paid" jobs will become specialized well-outside our expertise.
Perhaps by then, Smallsteps will support us.
We should have had two children, as Smallsteps is smart and might have what it takes to do well, but then, the second might have been a shocker too! Having children is a type of investment and security approach too, but there are definite risks involved, with plenty of liabilities.
A couple hours after dropping Smallsteps off at the party, we went to pick her up and found out, that one of the children had got their head stuck in a hanging exercise ring and would have choked, but the adults were there to take the weight off her neck quickly.
Children...
No damage done though and they all had fun eating too much sugary food, which was nearly all gluten- and lactose- free, which made Smallsteps so happy. Most of her life she has eaten different foods than everyone else around her and she has been immensely patient and understanding about it, but she really does love when she gets to share the experience with others.
And in a few weeks, Smallsteps herself will be celebrating her own birthday with most of the same kids again. But unlike last year where we hosted, we have booked an indoor activity center to organize it, because our place is going to be well under construction and no place for children (or adults for that matter) at all. It feels like a bit of a copout to be honest, but then - all the kids are going to have a ball climbing and jumping around full of more sugary foods.
Once the renovations are complete - we will do a belated family birthday though, as especially the grandparents would be pretty bummed not to celebrate at all, as I think that they themselves are feeling their own mortality at the moment and don't want to miss out on anything.
We all have FOMO on something.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
She's cute like her uncle G-dog. If she had a beard she'd look exactly like me!
There are so many similarities it is uncanny!
Yep, it's the same with our nephew. Makes me laugh sometimes as it's like watching you when you were a kid.
That party skirt is so cute and what a beautiful little girl she is.
As said, her tastes are going to get costly when older :D
So true but surely everything would be worth it for her.
children always love going out with their mate especially if it's a bithday party , it's always fun to them and i must say, she's looking beautiful in that dress 🥰.
I always think that the increase in the price is things is only in my country here, I don't know that other places are also affected. Things are very expensive now, carrying out expenses can be so difficult now .
I am dreading the day she is out with her friends - and we don't know where.
The inflation is everywhere and it is affecting everything. Of course, some places are experiences worse than others, however all are impacted. It might be a tough few years.
hehehe, Of course you will be worried , and you'll feel relieved again when she came back that day.. I could understand that kind of feeling..
Hopefully , everything will soon fall into good place....
It is part of growing up - as a child and a parent :)
We also have the birthday party season ahead of us next month. It is a difficult time of year with a day of being surrounded by screaming kids and making small talk with their parents! I dred it. LOL Good luck with yours next month
The parents aren't invited thankfully! :D
But, I don't mind the screaming kids for a couple hours, if they are having fun and not breaking anything.
Enjoy the nightmare!
In past, we used to give or take clothes among neighbours, also exchange textbooks between friends feom high and lower classes.
Nowadays, I can't see this neighborhood anymore.
Yeah, so few people get to know their neighbours now - we swap tools with ours :)
Maybe, maybe not. But she is cute :)
She is!
Party fun for children is a good thing. Glad to hear that other child was not choked. BTW nice photos of smallsteps.
What a horror it would be if something happened to a kid at a birthday party...
Aaahhh look how big she's getting! Such pretty ^_^
How the actual hell is it a "copout" if your actual house is going to be an eldritch construction maw seriously some people XP Play centre was definitely the smarter option here.
Grandparents can't go to that?
She has grown again this summer and has developed more personality - not sure if it is a good thing yet :D
Normally we cook and make cakes etc - but it is also a bit of an advancement, because we can have it "catered" and she can eat it all - without us dragging everything with.
The rooms only fit so many people. They are a bit small....
Oh that's sad :< definitely need to do a family birthday then!
I was about asking when smallsteps will celebrate her own birthday till I read and got to the place you wrote about it. I believe she's the type that likes been around people which is pretty nice and I also believe her birthday will be special as well to celebrate with friends and family.
She loves her birthday - Hopefully I can get a few nice pictures before her teeth fall out! :)
She's cute (^_^)
I think so :)
@tarazakp
Hello friend Smallsteps looks very beautiful with her look to go to her best friend's birthday.
And so it is after all this renovation shake up they are due a well deserved rest.
🤗💫🌟❤️🌹🌞🤩🌞🌹💫😘👏🌻🌸😬🌻👏😊🤗💫❤️🎶🤩😬🌸🌻👏😘😊🤗🎵❤️🌞☺️😁😁😅🤪🤪😁😊🥰🤗🎵🌟🌹🌞🤩🎶🎵🤗🌟
:)
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