Soap Making Fun

I tried soap making yesterday. Below is the large chunk before I cut it up into the bars above. I really had fun doing this. I got the idea and thought I'd give it a try. Actually a little nervous about doing it right...but it turned out great in the end. This batch is made with organic coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, vegetable oil, (of course, lye and water) and peppermint extract. It smells minty and fresh. Unfortunately I have to wait 4 weeks for it to cure before using it. I'm trying now to find some creative ways to package it for storage after curing. There are tons of blogs about soap making and I'm looking forward to trying something more creative (with different additives) to see how it goes...

Celebrity...I hope it doesn't go to his head...

You'd think from looking at him that he must be a celebrity...a serious rocker...you're thinking..."I've seen him somewhere before"..."what was his name again?"...yeah, he's rockin' out the new electric guitar...every night after his "day job."

6th Grade Musical

The sixth graders put on a musical with their music teacher and it was really fabulous! August was a "friar" and really enjoyed participating. The moral of the story was "swords into plowshares" which really thrilled mom and dad. ;-)

Science Fair Pictures

Here are the Science fair pics I promised. Above, Katie proudly poses with her sugar crystals, alum crystal, and borax crystals. She was proud to be the only third grader who participated in Science fair this year! August made an oral presentation about his guinea pig maze experiment and won a first place prize!

It's only Friday...

It's actually Tuesday, but I was thinking of a video we saw in church when I looked at the week ahead and realized I needed divine intervention to make it through. For some reason the school thought it would be a great idea to make science fair coincide with the 6th grade musical "Joust" and that these events should be sandwiched into an already busy week with orthodontic appointments, farewell parties, piano lessons, and--of course the regular stuff like mowing the lawn (yes the lawn needs to be mowed) and getting the plants in the garden and keeping the house from falling into disrepair immediately after the remodel... But Easter is on the horizon. And, as my son often reminds me..."it's Friday now, but Sunday's a-comin'..."

Final Kitchen Post

These two pics (above and below) are the after pics of the cabinets and the new kitchen space. We are still tweaking some things and new stainless stove and fridge and counter height table and chairs are still on the horizon, but we are done with our remodel!!!

Here's what it looked like when we were ripping out the walls and ceiling...

Here's the before...

Above is the before picture, below is the after. It's been five months. We've had lots of sore muscles, headaches, worries and challenges...and now the kitchen is done!!! We are very happy with the result and have enjoyed eating and cooking in the spacious and efficient new kitchen. I have spent the last few days moving all our dishes, pots and pans, and assorted cooking implements into the cupboards and organizing the space. We have sticky notes on each door so we can easily see what goes where.

9 year olds...

My daughter turned 9 last week and so, of course, we had to have a party! This year, since the kitchen isn't quite done (and the laundry also doubles as storage and kitchen) we decided NOT to have it at the house. An early spring pool party seemed like just the thing!

For those of you who haven't yet experienced the joy of 9 year olds, I will share this:

They have finally come to the realization that mom and dad really don't know what they're talking about and can't possibly understand the life and experience of a 9 year old girl (who is no longer a little girl!). (A truly dizzying and complex reality.) We no longer understand what is stylish, or have good dance moves (this didn't really surprise us). But, although we are old and don't get it...we are still loved and tolerated--if only for the weekly allowance we offer, purchasing power we have, and for tucking her in at night (with hugs and kisses)!