Fa la la la la, la la la la

I know, it's too early for Christmas songs but I'm sitting here at work, 2am, reading old magazines....mostly Christmas issues. I have my shopping started thanks to Ebay and a few other online shopping venues and I actually have ideas aplenty so I can shop without stressing about what to get for everyone. I'm dying to decorate the house (thanks to the Martha Stewart mag it will look like a winter wonderland) but I think its because before decorating, comes major cleaning and I need that...badly. Everything gets done around the house before Christmas...fresh paint where needed, little projects get finished and if we're feeling ambitious, projects get started too. We're not as broke this year either which always makes the upcoming holidays something pleasant to look forward to. For the next few months I'll be in bed with visions of furniture arrangements and paint colors in my head.....hubby will be in bed cringing with $$$$$$$$ in his.
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The Quebec/Montreal school trip is a go! Emma paid her deposit on Friday along with 28 other kids....they needed 20 for the trip to go ahead. $2000 to come up with before Christmas...shouldnt be too hard...right? Em is already up $300 and its only been a week since she started saving. She's spread the word to relatives everywhere that she would like their recycling, pennies and is free to babysit and clean house....and is make a few bucks picking green beans and bagging veggies for Jerry's dad on weekends. I think she'll do it. She says that as soon as she returns from this trip, she plans to start saving for the 2009 trip to Europe. Ack!
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Update on the potty training. It's going well. Not perfect, but better than it ever has. Abby has been going around the house nekkid for the most part because she cant get the underwear off fast enough to pee so we just dont bother. She is down to 1 or 2 accidents a day but they are usally because we are outside playing or dont get to the potty in time. I'm just glad that she gets excited about going potty....I seriously thought she'd be going to school in pull ups.
Oooh, more news. We have joined playgroups! Yay! Finally. Every Tuesday morning at 10 we meet, along with 14 other 2-4 year olds, at a local community room for storytime, crafts and a snack...then the kids get to play a bit while the moms chat. On Wednesdays, we meet at the local library where the kids play downstairs (with a story and craft) and the moms relax upstairs..with no kids!! Bonus, its a literacy program so the kids get free books....bigger bonus, both playgroups are FREE! I love free.
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I was going to stop here but I cant talk about 2 of 3 kids, its just not fair. Eric spent the morning helping me clean...the kid gets excited when I buy swiffer wet cloths...seriously. He did the swiffer sweep and vac throughout upstairs and then washed the floors. If you want your kids to clean, buy the neat (more expensive but who cares when this is the result) products. He'll dust the entire house when I buy the pledge duster with spray in the handle. Next week I'm buying the coolest bathroom cleaner on the market!