The Big Yellow Joint

Well, since today was Take Your Daughter to Work Day, and since I mostly work at home now, I offered to let my daughter Alex stay home, but I told her she'd have to sit downstairs and watch me work. She actually thought about it and thought she might bring her Nintendo and sit downstairs and play that while I worked. She ended up going to school instead. She bought this pogo moon ball thing that she wanted to take and play on during recess. This is the first thing she's bought with money from her birthday that I think she'll actually play with. She bought herself probably three Bratz dolls, which I've seen her playing with maybe twice. I keep telling her to think about it before she spends her money. She's sort of in that in-between phase where she's kind of outgrown stuff, but hasn't realized it yet. Then she gets so moody when we go to the store and won't buy something she really wants but knows I disapprove of, until finally I end up standing there, in the Bratz aisle, saying things like, "Oh, that one's so cute. Get that one," when I'm really thinking, "I'll be tossing this out in what, six months?