Well life has been crazy with spring in full spring the kids have a case of the I don't want toos. Anyone else have that problem. It seems like school and chores are out and tv, games, and outside play are in. I am ok with some of that but not all day plus with all the rain it seems more like tv and computer than outside play. I am ok with learning games and video's that help you learn like those the Leap Frog makes we love those. Anyway, I just want them to get excited. Today we went to the library to get a fresh batch of books to see if we could find something more pruductive to do. We got lots of great books and I read to them during lunch it was such a nice lunch. Now we are doing chores and hopefully we will get to go to the park after dinner. I am hoping the rain holds out. I am trying to find something that will help my kids stay focused for the next few weeks until summer is here although we plan to still have some school work going on and chores for sure but hopefully still have a great time.

about me and my family

Life seemed to have gotten crazier when we started homeschooling in Jan. I feel like I can't keep up sometimes but we keep going. So a little about me. I am a wife, a mom, now a teacher to my homeschoolers and sometimes even the one that goes to school since he ask more questions and anyone else, childcare provider, maid (in my own home or at least my family thinks I am), and so much more but so is just about anyone with the title mom. I think it just comes with the title. I also am involved with church. My family and I are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We love church and are great for our church. To learn more about our church you can go to http://www.mormon.org . Rosebud (not real name of course just a name I like to call her) is my almost third grader. She loves art and anything where is can create. She loves to help with the younger kids. She has also been getting very involved in cooking. She is even starting a few small sewing projects. PorkChop (a name my niece gave him) is enjoying kindergarten but is looking forward to being home with everyone else he thinks he is missing all the fun being at school. But he is my social butterfly. He loves computers, games, and anything electronic. Bumblebee (another name my niece gave out) loves to play all day but as long as she is the boss. She loves having it go her way. Her spot on the couch, her spot at the table, and her toys. But now she is getting into drawing and even writing letters. She loves to color. We love her even when her arms are to tired to make her chocolate milk dark by stirring. Mr. Man is just that. He is tiny as can be but talks as clear as a bell. He loves everyone and loves to talk to everyone. He would play outside all the time if we would let him because it is his favorite place (however in Texas that doesn't always make it possible). He loves to express himself in so many ways. As soon as you meet him you just can't help but love him. Porkchop, Bumblebee, and Mr. Man are my food allergy and eczema kids but I will post about that later. My husband is great. He is such an important part of our family even though he is working night and sleeps during the day he still has the afternoons and evening with us. Plus the middle of the week. He is great with the kids and story time at night just isn't the same without him. He is such a great help with kids and chores and even schooling when I have to go to the store or anyother kind of meeting. He loves to look up different animals on the web with the kids so the can find out what different animals look like. Anyway that is my family. Hope you enjoyed hearing about us.

Halloween

My Kids on Halloween Night

So we had an awesome Halloween night this year. We had a witch, GI Joe, a princess and a skeleton. What a combo right. anyway, we had dinner in a pumpkin from make a mix 2 cook book. It turned out really good and everyone ate it. My sister in law and her 5 kids came over to go trick or treating with us and that was totally fun because safety in numbers plus older kids to help the little ones but what atually really helped was my husband came with us this year. It was great having an adult male with us. The kids had a blast and we ended up with a lot of peanut free candy the kids could eat so it was great.

Making Laundry Soap

So I decided to try something new. I know wow look at me I am branching out. But this was fun and it is saving me a ton of money and anyone can do it even kids with the help of the adults around. Because my kids have sensitive skin I wasn't sure I could use this soap but my sister has been making it for a long time now so she gave me some to try. It works just like the all free and clear I was already using so no problem for my kids with eczema. Anyway this is what you need:

1 cup Borax Laundry Booster

1 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (make sure it is washing soda and not baking soda because baking soda will not work)

1 bar Fels-Naptha it is a bar soap found on the laundry secton of some grocery stores.

1 gallon water

12 more gallons it making it all at once

Grate the Fels-Naptha bar using a hand held grater until it becomes powder. In a big pot over medium heat combine the grated fels-naptha, borax, and washing soda and gallon of water. Mix until completely dissolved and it becomes like a yellow gel, DO NOT BOIL!!! Ok at this point you can do two things, if you want 12 gallons of laundry soap at once to keep stored all mixed together find a large bucket (like a large paint bucket you can get them unused at home depot or lowels or other hardware stores) then add soap mixture and 12 gallons of water and mix all the way though. The put in containers you wish to store it in (could be gallon jugs like old clean milk or water jugs, or old laundry soap containers you used before making laundry soap. Or if you want to make a gallon at a time you can devide you soap mixer into plastic ziplock bags you want to put 12 oz in each bag. When it is cooled down it will be a hard gel. When you want more laundry soap just remelt one of the 12 oz concentrate you had stored in ziplock bags and mix it with a gallon of water. That is all there is to it. It cost like $2 a batch but the first time I bought everything it was like $6 but I have a lot of borax and washing soda left. If you still like a sent to you soap you can add it or just use a fabric softern. You add one cup of soap to your washer I think it is half a cup for front loading washers. My youngest had a little allergy problem when he was around the making of soap but no problems with it in the wash it was just the concentrated form so I just don't make it around him. Anyway have fun making your own laundry soap instead of spending a ton of money at the store.