Getting back...

...on track...

The year 2013 has started which means new goals and ambitions. Kids getting another year older and another year wiser. Speaking of years and kids, I have thought a lot this past weekend about the fact that the girls will be turning 4 and H will be turning 9. WOW! The other thing that hit me, when J and I were talking finances, is that the girls only have a year and a half till they start K5~! That means I will only have after school fees for the school year! No "daycare". (except for summertime) Amazing that I thought this day would never come and now it really is so close.

The girls are doing great in K3 - They have learned to write/recognize letters/numbers and have even started writing their names. Not perfect of course but it is a good start. Coloring has drastically improved. L is so very neat and colors in the lines. A is not quite as careful but she doesn't get outside too far. Vocabulary is amazing and some days I hear new words and cant believe that such a word has come out of their mouth, not a dirty word but just a more complex one.

Christmas was so fun this year with the kids. The girls really did well, sitting and opening their presents. Only occasionally when one sister would get a present did the other ask where hers was. But their was not any arguing or pouting from any of them. H still believes in Santa, not sure how much longer this will last but...it was a lot of fun this year to see him watch his Santa video. The girls got one too, L watched her closely but A was just carefree with the whole thing. Hearing all three of them singing Christmas songs in the backseat is so wonderful. I think that Frosty, Rudolph, and Santa Clause is coming to town, were the absolute favorites this year. Video games were the thing again this year for H and also Angry Brds. The girls were all about dress up and princesses.

H is still doing well in 2nd grade. Report cards come out on the 10th, but all the progress reports and graded papers indicate that he will have straight As this time again. I have to make sure that we do something to celebrate. I have to find out what eateries that give rewards for those things.

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The other thing we are getting back on track this year, FOR SURE, is money!!!

In December, I purchased the Dave R Book and got his CD with worksheets and print outs on it. I read the book within a week and a half and then requested that J read it also. I really thought that he would put it to the side and that would be that. BUT, he read it in two days. His new word is GAZELLE. If you know anything about DR then you know that he says you have to do it like a gazelle. Fast and swift to attack debt. We truly know that this will be a total change in thinking for us and we are truly determined to get our lives back and not be a slave to the world.  DR motto: "If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else". I love it and want that to be us!
We have created a spreadsheet from the CD that shows us all the debt and when we pay one off then we mark it off...gives us hope for sure! We have it posted up in our room so we see it daily and remember the big goal. The thing we are working on now is the budget. We kinda know what our limits are but it will take a couple months to adjust our thinking and adjust accordingly. We are keeping ALL receipts too so we can truly see where our money is going and be held accountable by each other. I have also opened a 'household' account to separate 'bills' from 'other'. There are no credit cards in my wallet or J's. Therefore the temptation will not be there. I really like his plan about using cash, because I do believe he is correct that there is no feeling associated with credit/debit cards but when it is cash it hurts more and makes you think a lot more. I hope all these steps will lead us to a debt free future in a few years.

Well, I am going to try and keep up with this blog again this year. I really want to keep a log of how we are doing each month.

Love to all...