a big Day, but a good one.

Today was the big day. The big shopping day before Xmas.

DS1 comes home later this week. It's time to get everything ready so I can enjoy his short visit home.

I have my Xmas money saved thanks to those planned savings goals. I also have been tucking $5 here and $10 there into a jar for the big grocery shop.

I made DH come with me. Someone to lift the heavy stuff, and since he isn't contributing, he can experience first hand how much it costs.

We headed to Walmart and got the cleaning supplies, a few last minute treats and all the food. Me and my list had a heck of a good time.

At one point DH says 'so where is all this money coming from?'  I respond and say "when you tuck $5 here and $10 there into a jar  all year long, the money is  here. Starting tomorrow I begin again for next year'. He gives me this look that is half skepticism and half processing the concept of planned savings.

We did a quick stop at Shoppers (again planned ) and got the 18 500 optimum points for the spend. Another quick stop at the LB (liquor board store) for a little wine and baileys, and then home to unpack it all.

I hadn't fully organized my cupboards before I left (I had done the fridge), so there was a lot of that while putting things away.

Sister 2 came for a visit and said that she had been over to mom and dad's and mom had started to share who gets what when she is gone. Those sorts of things are very important to her and that is one of the few things she can control, so that's the talk they had. I got a notebook out and showed Sister what it looked like and where I was going to put it at mom's so that we can start writing it down (we are their executors).

We have not told any of the kids yet. A couple still are in exam mode and there is no point disrupting that for them. Sister agreed that we would tell the kids before xmas regardless of whether we got the CT or not so they could make sure they took advantage of Christmas.

DH and I went over to their house and brought in Chinese at their request. Dad ate so much I am wondering how much he has been eating lately. I feel bad that I haven't been more on top of things.

We managed to get an HDMI cord hooked up to their TV which is bolted into their entertainment unit (it was made for a box tv and he got a flat screen but wouldn't get rid of the unit.) I managed to get the hockey feed  to load in their iffy wifi house and they got to see DS's game. It meant a lot to them.

The radio guy interviewed DS earlier in the week and played it after the first so they got to hear him being interviewed. My mom cried.  Then not long into the game DS scored (he is definitely not the highest scorer on the team).

It was a really good night.  I am going over tomorrow to take her for a bit of shopping if she is up to it and wrap up gifts for her. She only buys for the great grandkids now. There's just too many in the family otherwise.