They can cook. I'm thinking of menu planned cooking next. They all like to get in there and make their own for each meal.

Thank you for your huzzah's and encouragment! I'm thinking about what else I do that I can give to them.

I had a really great day. Three kids + myself all have clean clothing and the laundry room no longer required a breathing apparatus to make it in an out with out wheezing and watering eyes. :D It was really bad. Don't wait until you're standing in a stinky room full of filthy clothing realizing there's just no way one person can handle it all to quit. Do it now. :auto:

:DLOVE IT!!!!! I'm going to get this posted in multiple places around the house.

don't pick those up! Anyone important will leave a message. IF he leaves a message then you have something to give the police who can bypass the blocked information.

I am checking today to make sure they all know how to run the machines. Walking them through expectations, clean out lint trap, how much soap, what setting to put the machines on etc.. Tomorrow the big kids are on their own. They've got their assigned laundry day and they'll get to do their own linens (towels & sheets) too. :D Bing bada boom, I'm down to a manageable amount of laundry! Mine & the babies. DH "fired" me earlier last month and started doing his own. :auto: I felt bad until I realized I can quit too. Living in the country makes more dirty laundry than one person can manage for this family of 7. At least 2 outfits a day times 7! Not counting all the towels and bedding from my night time wetters.

I don't. I give myself a melatonin and deal with it all later. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Be gentle with yourself when your emotionally wiped out.

Once a week DH takes the kids to Awana (church program) Our church serves a weekly dinner before hands soooooooo I get the night off. :001_smile:

:iagree: only one teen, but this is usually when we can guarantee all kiddos are sleeping.

I've been working toward minimalism. My biggest frustration though is that my kids aren't gentle on anything. And if I only have the bare minimum of something, they break/wreck it then I'm SOL. We've taken the approach of not replacing damaged items., because cash isn't flowing regularily. It gets painful around here at times. Can't figure out how to make my kids more careful, graceful, thoughtful with their belongings except to allow them to wreck it and go without for as long as I can manage.

"Schools out at ____. So we'll be free to play at _____. I started talking like this when plans are being discussed so that folks got used to the idea that I do have other committments. My mom stops by 1 min. after schools done most days. :D Love to see her but I should have planned some extra time to allow for cleanup.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

I put my stuff on the schedule and then I add in the extra curric. stuff. I need to have time to exercise and I need a night off (no cooking, no kids, just me, myself, and I)

When my daughter 11 told me that she hated me I said, "Good, then I'm doing something right. I'm your mother, not your friend. Someday when you're grown it may be my privilege to be your friend. But right now I'm your mother first." That seemed to reset things a bit around here for a while. It bugs me that she hates me but truly that's not what's important. I hated my mother when I was that age too, for many years! It wasn't until I was out of the house for a couple years that I saw how great a friend she was to me. She still is today. She's my best friend and I treasure that friendship. Don't give up yet. He knows how to push your "buttons." Don't let him. :grouphug::grouphug:

de-bone them and add in a jar of salsa. I eat it this way, my family puts it over their current fav. carb. (potatoes, rices or in a tortilla)

1. Tell the kids that if they make this a big deal then their dad will probably figure out how to put a kybosh on the event next year. 2. Keep the costumes simple and benign. 3. Throw away xtra candy within 24 hrs for your own sanity.

I have a plastic cupboard for my linens down in the basement next to the washer. IKEA has a bunch of free-standing closets that might be nice for the upstairs.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Infertility sucks. The verses that give me comfort. Jeremiah 29:11 and Psa 113:9 Those are facts. Still the sadness overwhelms at times, but I have to remember the facts and not let my feelings get the better of me and life. :grouphug::grouphug:

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

We're doing the same! I put my wall map on the table and covered it with a see thru plastic table cloth. The map is right there for them. They can touch it without me yelling. :001_smile: Which they do when singing those songs every day. What week are you on.

So we moved the horses to the pasture that you can see from the house. This morning the kids were busy doing their math when ds looked out the window and says, "Mom, why is Ringo sitting on Destiny?" :ohmy: DD 13 giggled, "Is that what mating looks like?" :svengo: Uff Da, that's way too much before 8 a.m. for this mom. Evidently our mare (Destiny) is in heat. I didn't know that geldings would do that. Should have known because we have dogs & cats that are neutered. Recess was declared and now the horses are in separate pastures. My more artistic children are illustrating their work with "Nature drawings." How long will she stay in heat?

nm

:lurk5: I'd love a pizza sauce recipe too! I make ketchup and a blended sauce with garlic & basil for soups.

What about Facebook? I realize not everyone does FB for this reason, but many people do.

Yes, this is what I assumed. But why do you feel this way? There's a whole load of reasons I've come up with but they're mostly negative.