Saturday DECLUTTERING!

[Heather W]

This Week's Challenge: Pick a project week! Whatever you'd like to accomplish this week is on deck- could be small or large. Let us know what you are working on so we can cheer you on!

School Challenge: Choose something off of your summer list and work on it!

For me today:

• thank you cards
• algebra
• read aloud
• drink water
• walk
• pool
• work drop- R works a wedding today and she's a server
• mount wing
• get pen refills
• watercolor time
• play games
• clean the kitchen
• get boys' appt papers done and sent
• laundry
• blog work

It's a crisp Saturday morning and gorgeous! Dan is painting the bathroom today- big surprise there. But today is the actual wall color paint. Which is the final painting phase (after the primers, the trim, and the ceiling). Tomorrow he'll be replacing the caulk on the shower door. When we get back from our trip, our bathroom will be ready to go!

This day has started without me.

Have a fun Saturday!

[MichelleTN]

Heather -- YAY for painting!! Hope you can enjoy your POH today!!

Good BEAUTIFUL Saturday morning

I have been up for hours and have been enjoying my porch for last couple hours.

Dss are on their way! They are going about 2 hours from here to play paintball!

My friends church was going (think just guys) and her dh & son were going. They invited my boys & another friend (T). They are all close friends.

Boys had to be at friends house by 6:45AM Friend lives 20-30 mins from here. So we were up and going EARLY.
Friend dh was taking all the guys to meet up with church group...then they loaded on the bus with rest of group.

Got back home, brought coffee & a huge stack of pictures out on porch. Been working and enjoying.

It has been NICE this morning. Just now 75 and a light breeze. LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!

Not sure what day holds. Dh has to go to work for a little while.
I may get energetic & clean
I may keep working on pictures
I might take a nap
Who knows

Enjoy your Saturday!!!

[Paige P]

Good morning, all

Heather -- hurray for new paint and for it getting finished quickly!!!

Michelle -- hope your boys have fun today!


Here:
-- I never got back on yesterday to report updates .... Ben wound up being okay (I think it was the meds), so we went to visit Jim's sisters and have supper there. Just dh and his sisters went to visit his mom -- she's having another mrsa flare-up (the surgery site where they removed her kidney hasn't healed completely and is infected), and you have to "suit up" in gowns, caps, gloves, goggles, etc. to visit her
-- We had a good time visiting with the family
-- yesterday, I got a lot accomplished school-wise -- I spent at least 3-4 hours working on grades/attendance reports, etc. I have more to do, but the bulk is done Probably 2 more hours???

Today:
* dh and the boys are working on the pig pen -- installing t-posts and running electric fencing
* girls and I did the gardening -- picked peas and green beans and squash and then blueberries
* I've been washing lots of clothes -- folded two loads already
* the girls and I cleaned up downstairs -- swept, vacuumed, kitchen .....

I'm probably going to work on school stuff next
and then sew later
I need to talk to my Mama -- haven't talked to her in days (unusual)

Hope ya'll have a Super Saturday!

[Robin in Colorado]

Good morning!

We finally got the wire and some decent weather so we're working on finishing the coop today. That is all I want to accomplish. If I can get another layer of stain on the table top, that will be icing.

I have a plan for dinner. It's easy. Everyone is happy.

Have a great day!

[Jen in OK]

Good afternoon!

Heather, how exciting to be nearing the end!

Michelle, I hope your boys have fun!

Paige, you got a lot accomplished! Way to go!

I hope your time is productive, Robin!

Our big projects right now are fair projects and record books! Fair projects are due the 17th. Record books are due right at the beginning of August, but I've told the kids they need to be basically done by the time ds leaves for Round Up--which is in about a week and a half. That way he can enjoy camp and I can begin gathering school stuff!

So far today:
*made breakfast--still need to finish the clean up
*Hobby Lobby--got some things needed for fair projects and for dd's sewing class next week
*grocery pick up

Now the kids are working on projects and I need to tackle the rest of my list:
*dd's sheets
*record book work
*sweep/mop--finish up from yesterday
*drop ds at a party
*library
*take dd to free swim--if her friend gets back in time
*ChuckECheese--It's my dad's 71st birthday today and the kids convinced him to go there.

Ds is not happy with us because we aren't letting my 16 year old niece drive him from the party to pizza. We're already letting him go to a party with a bunch of public high school juniors he doesn't really know (two of his cousins will be there, which is how he met this girl), so I think he should be happy, but that's not how a 14 year old's mind works. But she's only had her license a month and the drive will take them through one of the busiest intersections in town and require a left turn through it. I'm just not ready for him to be riding with young drivers. How did you all handle this without prescription drugs? Only kidding...sort of. Just a new situation we haven't been in yet and I'm nervous about it!

Have a great day today, friends!

[MichelleTN]

Jen -- Chuck E Cheese -- love it!!! Don't blame you on ds & new driver. He will survive with you taking & picking him up

Robin -- YAY on work done & dinner plan everyone is happy with!!

Paige -- yall are on the ball!!!

So I have basically done nothing today. Sat on porch enjoying weather. It is AMAZING!! Real feel temp is 95 but there is a breeze & it is 15-20 degrees cooler than it had been all week. Don't think it is as humid either.
Whatever I am enjoying while I can!!!

[Heather W]

Jen- I haven't had that experience much mainly because my kids really hate driving with other people. But, my daughter's friend, the one she had the grad party with has invited her on a day trip about an hour and a half away to our favorite place on Lake Ontario. Hopefully she is a good driver! Dan's reaction was see what you can do if you get a license! Meanwhile, I'm like well she's 18 and about to leave for college so whatever nervousness I have oh well! E's been driving with his friends a while and one always peels out of our driveway. They used to say it was because of the car he had, but I'm skeptical. The sister of the girl R babysat for last summer is a terrible driver! I'm glad she didn't drive R too often. Matter of fact, the friend that peels and the girl who is a terrible driver are siblings. haha

Dan is on it with these older teens at this point though. R had to drive out to fireworks last night and E has take Dan to Lowe's this afternoon. E doesn't often feel well enough to drive. R just hates it. Like super hates driving. I16 has had his first parking lot lesson with the parts of the car, this and that, and driving around the giant lot. Without the older two taking up his hours of driving this fall, my guess is if he actually likes it he will be the first to license up. Third kid.

Michelle- I do not blame you one bit. Enjoy the weather and your porch!

Paige- So glad you got to enjoy time with family yesterday.

Robin- good luck with the chicken coop!

So far:

• folded seven loads of laundry
• ran a load and switched it- hung some
• started another load
• washed some dishes
• had dishwasher loaded and started
• swept the POH and the front porch
• washed the siding on the POH and the door way
• washed the ceiling of the POH
• cleaned the windows on the french door of the POH
• washed the front porch rocker- maybe I'll actually sit in it this season
• washed the car
• had inside of the windshield cleaned
• took R to work
• trash was removed from the van- and the camp chairs put back after fireworks last night
• Dan painted the first coat in the bathroom- it looks so nice!
• Dan washed all the Tilley hats- and they will be sprayed with Permithrin when they dry

So, every other year or so we scrub down the siding and ceiling on the porches because the corner doesn't get the full rain and dirt builds up. It looks so much better! But, I hosed down my beloved POH on possibly the most beautiful day of the year. However, it's all but dry and soon I will take my things out there to do blog work.

We use a cleaner for plastic, wood, and metal like patio furniture. It makes a huge difference on the vinyl siding and ceiling. He used something similar on the north side of the garage when the siding was dirty.

I've spent the whole day working on housework and chores! Looking forward to the pool this evening after dinner.

[Robin in Colorado]

Jen, wow! In our state, a licensed driver has to be 18 before she can drive anyone under 18. That solves a lot of issues right there.

It's really hot now. We've been installing the wire, but the others stopped because they were hot and hungry. I was working alone and was fine with it, but I think pulling the chicken wire and holding it taut even though it hurt was not a good idea. That hand is swelling up and I lost feeling in three fingers. I can't tell if the feeling is coming back or not. :/

DH suggests we do something else until the sun moves and we can work in the shade again. I think I will have an ice cream sandwich and consider.

[Jen in OK]

Heather, that would be funny if I got his license first! When I got my license (the day I turned 16) there were no restrictions on who/when you can drive, but I know there are now. But you can have a passenger (maybe 2?) and if they are family it is different, too. I rode with my friends all the time because I was one of the last to turn 16. But now it's MY kid and I'm not sure I'm cool with that. I know we'll get used to it eventually, but....it's going to be hard!

I've been helping dd with a duct tape panda purse. It's super cute! Her friend will not be back in town in time to swim so she's bummed, but we're watching a movie and she'll survive.

Dh took ds to the party so I think I'm going to skip the library since I probably won't be ready for my book before Monday (it's a series). I think I'll do some record book typing while we watch.

[ShayChristie]

Jen, we never really encountered the driving dilemma because my kids are/were not social butterflies. Nathaniel was super excited to get his license thinking he was going to suddenly be the cool kid to drive everyone everywhere. I explained that would not be happening. One, because it's illegal. Licenses are probationary and no one in the car not related(immediate family, not even cousins) for the first 6 months or year? Second, because we went over the rule of testosterone. Not applicable to your niece of course, and totally sexist, but in my experience, the more teen boys you have in a vehicle, the higher the level of T in the air and it clouds the brain. One boy will think of a stupid idea, but realize it's stupid. Two boys may have an idea, but one will usually remind the other that it's stupid or they will get caught. Three of more teen boys and all rational thought leaves. One has an idea, another seconds it and the third swears nothing will go wrong and no one will ever be the wiser. Just no!

Heather, yay for the bathroom nearing completion!

Michelle, hope the boys have a great day and return safely!

Paige, I worked in the garden too. I weeded. But I have tomatoes the size of peas and pea pods that are just forming. I won't get to your point for another month or so. Rats!

Robin, I hope the fingers are okay and you get your coop finished! : D

We headed out this morning to catch up on all the outside chores. We didn't We weeded in the garden. I got the corn done, Julie did the beans and the boys worked on asparagus. Sigh. Still more to do. Not sure why, but the grass weeds are incredible this year.

Then my project of this summer is the pines next to our driveway. There are small stumps and baby trees, grass, pine cones, needles, etc, etc, etc. We have raked it all and have started destumping it. Nick and I did some Mother's Day weekend and Ben has been working on the raking. Today, we destumped quite a bit more. Hoping I can finish it Monday or Tuesday. Once it's all done, I'll sow new grass seed and wild flower seeds.

Oh, and we found a small den of snakes! Just garter. One was sunning on a rock and it was quite long for what we normally see. It slither underneath. Ben lifted the rock because he hadn't seen it and there were four all curled up underneath. That rock needs to be moved, so we stood it up to give them time to find a new hiding place. The large one took off right away, but the three smaller ones just lay there in the sun. I checked awhile later and they had finally moved off.

Dh had to run into town for a car part. He spent the day working on his brakes. I asked him to pick up pizza to bring home.