Ok, I think this system is going to work

And by system, I think I mean a combo of no list, and having the girl next door come to watch the kids.

First, I have to say, I always want to live next door to two teenage girls. Or at least, I want to as long as I have young kids. The eldest girl next door, who came last time, wasn't available today. So their mother suggested that if it's ok with us, we just give her (the mother) the sched of when we would like someone, and she can send one or the other of her daughters over (they are 12 and 17, so both clearly able to watch the kids while we're home) depending on who's available and who, in her mind, deserves the extra cash. It's a system that works well for both houses.

Another bonus of having someone come over is that the house gets a little clean BEFORE they get here, then gets cleaned for the hours they'll be here, to boot! The house is still a horrific mess, but this morning, while the kids were at the grocery store with hubby, I got rid of a bunch of dirt and grime from the kitchen, including the oven hood, the ceiling fan and the top of my kitchen cabinets. I won't tell you how long it's been since it was done - but it was pretty gross! I am actually excited about this idea of my house being cleaned every couple of weeks. Not that I think I'll wash up there every two weeks - but it does mean I can get to it more often than I have!

Oh, and yesterday was a disaster! Honestly, my three year old is a nightmare while shopping. We went out to get my mom a b-day gift, and the kids some alarm clocks (more on that below). After 30 minutes at the mall, we had to leave, with my three year old kicking and screaming and tantruming like I was trying to kill her or something. I had a few teens snicker my way, and had lots and lots of sympathetic looks from moms. But in the end, we dropped her at my parents while we went back out to the store. I threatened her she would never, ever go shopping again. And she answered, "Oh, thank you mommy." Sigh.

The alarm clock thing: my kids have been waking up insanely early, so they now each have an alarm in their rooms. For now, it will be set for 5:30, since it's not like they sleep in past then. And whatever time they wake up, they're not allowed out of their rooms before the alarm starts. It was mostly a success this morning. My two year old totally got it, and was so excited when the music started. My three year old couldn't wait for the alarm, and announced she'd pee her pants if she had to. It's one of those things you don't want to take a chance on. And the alarm went off while she was on the toilet, so she was close. All in all, a huge improvement over recent mornings - plus, they slept through the night for the first time in weeks. I feel so good today!

Ok, back to cleaning I go!