Bloom where you've been planted

Life has been busy recently. Lots of meetings, camps, cleaning, you know. We also had a round of sickness too. It appears everyone is healthy (fingers crossed it stays that way) and things have slowed down.
I was having problems with my pumpkins AGAIN. WTF?!? This time they had this strange white, powdery residue on the leaves. After convincing myself that they were diseased and I was going to have to rip them all up, I did a quick google search and it seems that it is just a fungus which could be remedied with spray (ew, no thanks. I like things chemical free and well, free) so I opted to take off the infected leaves and water less often. Which is hard for me, the watering part. Watering the plants is one of my favorite times of day. It is the one time in the day I can admire my plants without the kids and husband thinking I am strange and obsessed with my plants. I am also going to try a water/milk mixture (one half water and one half milk). I have read that if you spray this mixture onto the affected areas during the day it will help fight off the fungus. The kids and I did this after lunch and I'm pretty sure they thought I lost my marbles when I asked them to spray the plants with milk.Hopefully, laying off the watering and hosing my somewhat naked pumpkin plants with milk with help.
My tomatoes are starting to turn red. I love being able to pluck a tomato off the plant, warm from the sun and just popping it into my mouth. Homegrown tomatoes (really homegrown anything) tastes so much better than store bought. My goal for next year is to grow a crap ton of tomatoes so that I can can them all and not need to buy any canned tomato products. One day (oh yes, it will happen!) all my canned, frozen, dried, etc products will come from my own backyard. I really want to have a go and growing wheat. I need my farm!
I started a new crafting project (actually it is two). I am making a farm quilt for Monster for his birthday (he is having a farm themed party) and another quilt with the boy's baby clothes. My plan is to do the baby clothes quilt all by hand :0 I think I am overly ambitious...

Bleach alternative

Our family has given up bleach. At first it was just because I kept forgetting to buy it and then I realized that I don't really want that harsh chemical around me or my boys. We have been bleach free for a month or two now and my counters (white tiles...who the hell puts white tile counters in the kitchen!?) and our white comforter were looking a little....dingy.
I did a quick google search for bleach alternatives and found a recipe that I had all the ingredients for (yay!). While it is not as amazing as bleach, it works pretty damn well! My blanket is white again and my counters for about 5 seconds looked clean.

Bleach alternative
12 cups water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup hydrogen peroxide
Miix it all up. Add 2 cups per wash load (I just released I only used one. Maybe this is the reason there are still a few stains...). Pourin spray bottle and use as a household cleaner.

Take a deep breathe (and a giant chug of beer)

Today has been one of those days. You know the ones? It was the kind that had me questioning my sanity and my decision to stay at home. What the F was I thinking? The kids have been at each others necks all day, Monster is being himself, and I'm about ready to pass out from lack of sleep and being a single stay at home parent of three kids for the last 5 days. What the F was I thinking?!?
Really though, it is like that saying, " a bad day at the beach is better than a good day at work,". In reality, a bad day at home is better than a good day at work because I get to experience that bad day with my kids. And that is what is really important: family (even when they are at their worst).

Tale of the day

The sun was starting to peek out from behind the clouds so I took my heavy basket of wet clothes outside to hang. I hear Monster inside the house saying, "uh-oh, uh-oh," over and over again. It gets louder as he gets closer to me. When he reaches me, he hands me a poop filled diaper, says, "all done," and runs away. I did what any great mama would do. I chased him around the backyard with the hose.

My greatest teachers are my sufferings

I have a new motto. Well, not so much a motto, I guess. But a saying I have to help me get through the day. Ready for it? You might want to sit down. It's pretty epic.
Find Enjoyment In Every Moment
I say this in my head when all three kids are having a meltdown, when I have to do something I don't like, when yet another zucchini or pumpkin bites the dust. I might be hard but you can probably find something you enjoy in every moment. Try it next time it seems like everything is going downhill. It might help turn your sour attitude around.

It's August?!

Muffins are in the oven, bread machine is humming away and my coffee is drip, drip, dripping into the carafe as we speak. It is barely 6am. Already, I can hear the boys moving around upstairs and I know any minute they are going to come barreling downstairs wanting to watch their TV time. I'm not sure waking up at 5:30 is early enough. I haven't even watered the garden yet.
Husband leaves today for a business trip. He will be gone until Sunday. I am very tempted to go to the grocery store, buy a GIANT box of chicken nuggets and take a vacation from my baking/cooking responsibilities. I'm pretty sure I would end up guilting myself out of it though. We shall see. We have to go to the grocery store today as supplies are reaching a dangerous low.
So I have been working on letting go of the need to always have a clean and tidy house. I knew that between the garden, cooking things from scratch, taking care of the boys, etc that something was going to have to give. My house is clean but for some reason if my house looks "lived in" my anxiety level starts to rise. My kitchen right now almost gives me a panic attack every time I go into it. Which is often. My kitchen is small... Really small. Between all of my cooking projects, dishes drying on the counter, leftover kid snacks it looks like a bomb went off. And if I do take the time to do a big clean it only lasts for 20 minutes (if I am lucky). Just let it go, amelia, let it go....
I worked yesterday with the boys on their goals for the month. Each month the boys (with help) identify three thing they want to work on. Each week, depending on how well they did get a reward. If they meet one of their goals they are gold, meet two of their goals they are silver, meet all their goals they are platinum. So potentially they can get a reward every Sunday for doing a good job during the week.
Bean's goals
1. No tantrums
2. Follow directions the first time
3. Be a good friend/brother

Screech's goals
1. Take responsibility for choices
2. Focus on self (no parenting others)
3. No tantrums

Rewards
Gold: 30 minutes extra tv/game time
Silver: playtime at park with daddy
Platinum: movie at theatre OR pick out new hot wheels car at store