Not really, but my heart is overflowing!

 .

“You must have a lot more patience than I do”

I doubt it.  Why sell yourself short? 

.

“Are you done?”

With what?  Oh, kids!  Maybe, maybe not.  Since we passed the obligitory 1 boy, 1 girl or 2.3 children- I guess not!

.

“They must keep you busy.”

Children are not necessary to be busy but they sure help!  LOL

.

“Don’t you know what causes that?”

Yes, we have perfected it.  That would be why we have 6!

.

“You must like kids!”

Ours and a few others.  It really depends on their manners or lack there of.

 .

A few said to my husband, Mr. Muscles:

“Are they all from one woman?”

Um, yes.

.

“Have you been married before?”

Nope, just one wife.

.

“She doesn’t look like she has had 6 kids.  Is she your second wife?”

No, she is my first and only, and I know she will gladly accept the compliment!

.

.

Shutterbug

There is something that is the bane of every potty training parents’ existance.  A store with no public restroom. 

How is that possible?

Do the owners of the store sit around musing among themselves that their customers, and the money said customers are interested in spending in their store, are not important. 

Are we not important enough to warrant a bathroom? 

Okay, I can see someone off the streets, who can easily head to a gas station or something, but what if you are big pregnant (with 20 pounds pushing down on your bladder) or have a child with you? 

What if that child is POTTY TRAINING!!??

Have they no heart?!?! 

I, personally, would drop my would-be purchases on the counter and leave to find a more accomodating store.  I know that is what Gettysburg Mom would do. 

What would you do? 

Take a peak at Gettysburg Mom’s story and let me know. 

I would be interested to hear from you!

High Ho the Derry-o, a plantin’ we will go!

I love my time out in the garden.

Tonight it was just God and me. 

So quiet.  So peaceful.  LOL 

Ok, maybe it was not too quiet.  The dogs barked at everything and I talk out loud to God but it was a great conversation!

I got a lot planted.  I planted the 2nd of 3 succession corn plantings.  In two weeks I will get the last one in. 

I also was able to plant 2 rows of okra, 3 of large yellow onions, 1 of 2 rows of spinach, 2 rows of peas, an area of carrots and radishes, 8 cucumbers, and a few marigolds and sunflowers. 

I use a wide row method that makes use of every square inch of garden space.  When I say I planted two or three rows they are not the traditional rows that are several feet apart so I am able to plant a hundred feet of corn in a wide row that is 20 foot long. 

I also use this method for planting my lettuce, carrots and radishes.  I have blocks of lettuce and blocks of radishes and carrots.  By planting the radishes and carrots together I am giving the carrots the space they will need.   The radishes will be ready at 21 days.  As I harvest them I am opening space up for the carrots to really take off and get fat.  The carrots from the store cannot compare to the sweetness of carrots from your own garden!

If you are interested in wide row gardening I highly recommend this book:

Also, I like to mix flowers in my veggie garden.  Marigolds are especially heplful in repeling many different pests.  I also put sunflowers in there.  The kids love them and they add such a bold splash of color and interest. 

I still have quite a few other things to either get planted (seeds) or transplant.  More tomatoes, peppers, squash, watermelons, pumpkins, potatoes, sweet potatoes and such.

I have my composted manure for making “tea”.   We are supposed to get rain tomorrow and I will make my first batch of “tea” this weekend for the veggies as well as the fruit trees, vines and bushes. 

What are you planting?

Do you have a favorite food to grow?  Mine are tomatoes.  I absolutely relish picking a big, juicy, ripe tomato and making a gigantic sandwich out of it.  Yum!

What’s yours?

Happy WFMW all!

My Works For Me Wednesday tip came about from my Tackle it Tuesday. 

One of our dogs is a big, fluffy, puffy, thick fur, fluffy, lots of fur kind of dog.  Did I mention he has a LOT of fur?  Well, he does. 

Both of our dogs got baths yesterday and a brushing. 

Morpheus, the overly furry and fluffy dog, gets a weekly brushing to keep up with his shedding.  It takes a long time to brush him well. 

Yesterday, after bathing him,  I decided to go ahead and brush him even though he was not dry. 

Oh my word!  It was so much easier!!  The fur was letting go so much easier, it was not flying everywhere and it took barely anytime.  What a huge difference! 

He hasn’t been shedding big puffs of fur everywhere.  That is such a blessing.

So, if you have a fluffy (or shedding) dog who is in need of a serious brushing, brush him/ her when he/she is wet.  The brushing is much quicker and much more effective!

Well, that is my WFMW tip.  Have one?  Share it over at Rocks in My Dryer.

Don’t forget to leave me a comment so I can come visit you!

Happy Tackle it Tuesday!! 

Today my tackle is a wet, dirty and scratching event but oh-so-needed. 

Here are our dogs:

Morgan

and Morpheus

My two puppies need a bath, a brushing, an ear cleaning and a nail trim.  No easy feat but our whole family will benefit from it!  LOL 

So, what are you tackling?  Pop over to 5 Min for Mom and see what others are up to.

Have a blessed day!

~Rhen

Hello and good Monday!  Did you have a great weekend?  Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!  Hope it was a blessed one.

Now onto my plans for this week.

~Yes, laundry.  I only have 2 laundry baskets.  While some might think that 2 is plenty, not for a family of 8.  One basket is the permanent sock basket and so I actually only have 1 working one.  I need a few more. 

~Gardening- We picked up the last of the fencing for the gardens and we have finished enough of the deck and retaining wall work in the lower garden to get planting there as well.  I am looking forward to getting things in the ground.  Mr. Muscles has to till in there first.

~Projects-  I have one more stretch of pasture that needs t-posts.  Yah!  Mr. Muscles is really feeling a wild hair to get the fencing done.  I am going to take advantage of that giddyup.  LOL 

~We have to get the yard cleaned up.  All of the projects and such makes for such a mess of the yard, driveway and parking area.  The kids and I are hoping to get out there Tues. and get everything put away, thrown away and cleaned up.  The yard is in need of mowing but that will have to wait.  I have too much to do this week.

~The competitive gymnasts booster club is having a fundraiser yard sale this weekend.  I am heading that up and I have tons of stuff for it.   We were already planning on having a yard sale but this will provide us with a much better location and then we can use the money for gymnastics competions for Ms. Firecracker.  We have a couple of other kids who may go competitive and I want to be ready just in case. 

~Homeschooling- the kids are really feeling the push to finish more books.  I am not pushing them but they see just how close they are to being done with certain books and subjects and they are pushing themselves.  Every once in a while I have to slow them down a bit.  LOL 

~Spiritually I am looking to finish up my Elizabeth George book (A Woman After God’s Own Heart).  This has been an excellent book!!

~~My cleaning zone this week will be the kids’ rooms.  Our May assignment for Organizing Junkie’s Monthly Round Up is kid’s rooms.  I am very excited about getting their rooms done!  I have already been at work in them and taking pictures. 

On our yummy menu this week is:

   *Chicken Fajitas with refried beans.

   *Meatloaf with mashed potatoes, peas and fresh veggies.

   *Breakfast including cheesy eggs, turkey sausage, toast and gravy.

   *Pasta Bake with garlic bread.

   *Chicken and Macaroni cheesy casserole.

   *Beef tips with rice, onions, bell peppers, and beans with sliced veggies.

   *Saturday night is our night out.  This is my favorite night.  No cooking and no cleaning!

All meals are homemade and if you are interested in a recipe just let me know.  I will post it with next week’s menu. 

For more Meandering Mondays visit Tiany and for more Menu Monday visit Organizing Junkie.

Ya’ll have a very blessed week and don’t forget to leave me a comment.  I love them and then I get to come visit you!

~Rhen

The recipes requested last week:

BBQ Chicken Stew:

Cooked chicken diced up and put into a stew pot (I use 6 chicken breasts).   Add 2 diced tomatoes, 2 cups of green beans, 2 cups of corn, 5-6 medium sized potatoes diced and 1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce.  Allow all of it to boil together.  If you use canned veggies the juice you will only need about 2 cups of water but if you use fresh veggies you will need 4.  You can use chicken broth instead of water as well.  Allow it to come to a boil and then simmer until the potatoes are soft. 

Breaded herb chicken.  I use a mixture of my favorite herbs (you can buy mixtures such as Italian, Lemon and Pepper) and toast that has been crumbled up.  Break 4-6 eggs into a dish and whisk them.  I use chicken breast or tenders.  Dip the chicken in the eggs and then roll in the herb and bread crumbs.  Put them in an oiled pan on the stove, cover and cook on a medium heat until they are done.  The chicken can be covered with mozarella cheese and a light dusting of herbs when they are done. 

IT’S RAINING!!!

You cannot see it, but I am doing my happy dance. 

North Georgia is still in a drought but it is getting better and every drop that falls is a great thing.

Not to mention my gardens will just be popping tomorrow! 

I cannot wait until I can (hopefully) sneak outside before the kids get up and check out what is going on. 

The only way this rain could be better would be if there was a little lightening. 

Today, my walk through the veggie garden revealed new lettuce, radishes and beans growing. 

I wonder what the morning will bring. 

~Rhen

My Thursday Thirteen for today is 13 things our family is planning to do and hopes to do over the summer and into fall.

1.  Camping (several times, I hope)

2.  A field trip to a gold mine.

3.  Visit Sea World.

4.  Visit Busch Gardens (Both of these will happen when we take Ms. Firecracker down to Orlando to compete in Nationals.)

5.  A trip to the zoo.

6.  A trip to visit grandparents.

7.  Fishing.

8.  A hike and a picnic in a state park.

9.  A field trip to DeSoto Caverns.

10.  A couple of afternoons at the lake.

11.  A field trip to a local museum.

12.  Visit a local wildlife sanctuary.

13.  Spend as much time with the kids and having fun as possible!

So, what is your 13 for this week?  Pop over to Thursday Thirteen to visit more TT’ers.

*This is the last week for the current poll.  If ya wanna vote just click the polls page at the top of my blog.*

Have a blessed day,

~Rhen

Oh man, do we all have lessons we have learned the hard way. 

You get a tip on how fantastically it worked for someone else, you try it, and then disaster! 

Things should not be allowed to work that way.

What has not worked for me?

Getting up really early suggestions.  I know moms who have half of their daily to-do’s accomplished by 6:30 am.  I am not one of those moms.  Don’t get me wrong.  I do not sleep my day away or anything but I am by no means a get-up-before-the-sun-and-conquer-the-world kind of girl.  I conquer the world after 7 am. 

Swiffer wet jet.  I do realize how sanitary it is to be able to throw away the pad but it just cannot clean the edges of the floor, the cracks (or grout) in tile and baseboards.  It just doesn’t seem to work as well as an old fashioned scrubbing.  I use an industrial string mop and wash the head.  It is a washcloth to clean the baseboards and edges.

So, what doesn’t work for you? 

Pop over to Rocks in My Dryer to read more “didn’t work” and leave a few of your own!

Have a blessed day,

~Rhen