Maybe you could grow one or 2 fussy roses in pots, watering often by hand and bring them in in winter. I am doing this with some Austins that needed constant spraying and it helped. Then you could have a few that go year round while the once bloomers have the main spots in the garden. I have the best luck with a 15 gallon size or larger because more roots seems to equal more flowers. Anyway, you could then see if it is soil or watering that is causing the problems. The same rose in the ground grew slower for me and had fewer repeats than its twin in a big pot on premium planting soil with regular watering.

Many women have told me that when they were single and had a career, that they would see a friend or relative who was not working, (stay at home moms of babies or toddlers) and they thought they were lazy when their houses were so messy, and chaotic. Only when they had children of their own, and walked in the shoes of a stay at home mom, did they understand how hard it was to take care of babies and toddlers, and keep the house clean and meals prepared. While working, they could not imagine why their friends or relatives could not get things done, because they thought they were just sitting around all day long. Only when they too became mothers, were they able to grasp how exhausting it can be, with each child needing soooo much from them. Perhaps if you could imagine yourself as the spouse working, and supporting your husband who is home all day, you can imagine how you would feel if you walked into the house after working all day, to find the place a wreck, and chaos, and perhaps no dinner ready. You would be really angry and disgusted with him too. Because you would feel like you not only had to earn the income by working all day, but that you would be expected to do his job too! And so it is with perspective. That explains where he is coming from. But for all those women who have walked in your shoes, you are only one person, and a new baby and toddlers take enormous energy, and you are living the reality that almost every mom with such young children experience. A grumpy husband who has no ability to imagine or grasp what your day entails. I imagine that this senerio is played out all over the country. And yet, you and countless other women walking in your shoes "get it". Can you understand that things will get so much easier as your children get a bit older? You are in the midst of the harder times that take sooo much energy. Hang in there. It would be too hard to be a single mom having to earn a living and care for such young children on your own. Perhaps before your DH is due home, you and your older children can put some music on, and play the clean up game, where you make it a fun game to get everything back in its place, as best you can. Crock pots are a great way to have dinner ready when you have the energy in the morning, instead of when you are so tired at night. Pull up 5 star crock pot recipes on line. Find a counselor that will help your DH understand how hard this time is for new moms. And help him to understand the importance of supporting you during this time. But I want to encourage you that it does get easier as the kids get a bit older. Have a heart to heart with him when he is in a good mood. Tell him that you understand from where he is standing what it looks like. But that he needs to understand that at one time you may have thought the same thing about someone else. But that the day to day reality of a stay at home moms role with such little ones, is so much harder than you ever imagined it would be. And that you both will get through this, and life will get so much easier as your little ones grow up. And that you need his support, and you will do what you can to try and do this for your family. Tell him that yelling at you only makes you want to give up on your marriage. And that these children deserve a family that is working together to make it. Remember, you are in good company and are not alone. When you are struggling, remember the young moms all over the globe that are walking in your shoes, and struggling right along with you in the same senerio. Hang it there and take it just one day at a time!

A cool front has passed through southern WI and is headed to the east coast. Relief is on the way. Behind the front, day temps are 70s to low 80 with drier air: Dew point 60 F. No wind to speak of so can not tarry outside because of misquitos - have to keep moving or get eaten. We've had our share of rain the past 3 days. The problem was the rain clouds were strung over 200 miles and were aligned with the direction of travel. The rain front was not exceptionaly wide. The result was 200 miles of rain clouds passed over the same spot. Menomonee Falls and Milwaukee, WI got flooded. Nicolet High School in Glendale, WI got flooded: 6 to 8 ft or water in the basement and 1.5 ft of water running down the halls on hte first floor. The gym floor went under. They had just gotten in new sports gear for the fall term and it was stored in the basement. Official's preliminary estimate is $1 million to clean and repair. They think that if crews start now and work 7 days a week, the school may be in shape in time to open for the fall term. And of course by now, you have heard about the Cadillac Escalade swallowed by a sink hole. The vehicle pulled up to a stop light, the street caved in dropping the vehicle into a 15 ft deep hole and to add insult, the stop light also fell and leaned on the car. Its going ot be interesting to see how the insurance companies react to this one. I can hear it now: This was flood damage and your policy does not cover flood. The real sob story goes to a the owners of 5 to 7 homes on the north side of Milwaukee. Their basements caved in; the city condemed the properties as uninhabitible and has ordered immediate demolition. One woman lamented: "I bought this house not long ago for $120,000 and have 20 more years of mortage left. I'm loosing my house this week, but the mortage lives on." She'll get nothing from her home owner's insurance because it is flood damage, and most homes in that area do not carry flood damage because they were not in a flood plain and up to now, it was not needed. A number of cars parked in underground garages were flooded. If the water level got up to the relay box under the hood or the fuse panel under the dash, these will be totaled by the insurance firms. Yes sireee, the is the second time in 15 years that we got a 100 years rain.

Obviously, you're looking at your shortterm problems. As you should. However, for the long term? if your husband is a school teacher, there's absolutely NO reason why you couldn't get a parttime job in the evening. Work a couple of nights a week at a store, or in a restaurant, WHILE your husband is a father to his children. Being a teacher, he has regular hours. You wouldn't be the first couple to work opposite shifts so that the family can be taken care of. My sister worked days, my brother worked the overnight shift for YEARS when my niece was little so that they DIDN'T have to use daycare. There's a huge added benefit, too--your children should have the enormous opportunity to spend time alone with their dad. It's a good thing for you to be out of the house several hours a week, so they can have that. Actually, whether or not you have a job, you SHOULD be making sure there are several opportunities a week for them to spend time alone with their dad--it's vital to them both. And what about working from home? I know many, many women who have found ways to make money from home, so they can raise their children AND help with the family finances. I used to smock children's dresses that sold in upscale boutiques, some women I know make between $50,000-100,000 a year recipe contesting. Another woman was doing work at home on her computer for a local mortgage company. Others have done done things like: call the subs for the local school district or hospital; made crafts throughout the year and had a home sale before the holidays, in home childcare, yes--can collecting or picking up stuff from the trash on trash night to resell at flea markets or on E-bay. Assess your skills, and then put your thinking cap on and figure out a way to make them pay. You have to be a little creative to make it work, but it's definitely possible, and if being home with the kids is important, you have a lot of incentive to make something like that work. Also, have you spoken to someone who can help you with your budgeting? I don't know what kind of expenses you have, but it does seem a little unreasonable that a teacher's family is in this desparate a financial situation. Teachers generally start at $50,000/year (around here, it's more like $60,000) and their salaries just go up and up---especially if they take on extras like clubs, independent studies, coaching and other activities. But in any case, teachers make good money--and many have other good paying jobs in summer. So it may be that having someone who can help you organize what you've got coming in would be a very important step for you to take at this point, so that you can get back on track. Look, I totoally 'get' that you want to be there to raise your children yourself--that's admirable, and I think--very important. IF (and only if) it is doable. From what you're describing, right now, it's not for your family. You DO need more money coming in. You do need to sit down with your husband and brainstorm what solutions you can come up with that will let you make a little extra money, that will have minimal impact on the kids. They are out there. And once you get through the next 2 weeks, it is time to really figure out what you're going to do to prevent being in this same situation over and over and over. Good luck to you