Making Soap

A couple of months ago a friend introduced me to the art of making your own laundry soap. She started doing it to save money and to help her daughter's skin issues. I decided to learn for the same reasons. I have to make a batch every month and a half or so and I've seen fewer rashes. I also like the smell--none. It's hard for me to use other laundry soaps now because of the smell. Ephram helped me make some tonight.

You can find all the ingredients in any grocery store down the laundry aisle. Here's the recipe:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap (grated)
1/2 c. Arm & Hammer washing soda
1/2 c. Borax
Measure out all ingredients and water before starting. I put mine in a 5 gallon bucket that used to hold wheat. Heat/mix the grated soap and 6 c. water until melted. Remove from heat and add other soaps until dissolved. Pour 4 c. hot water into bucket. Add soap mixture and stir. Add 1 gallon + 6 c. cold water and stir. Let it sit for 24 hours. Break up clumps before using. I have a measuring cup from an old detergent that I use. It's probably 3/4 c. I just fill it and throw the whole thing in the washing machine.

King Minos and the Minotaur

Today for history we studied the Cretes. The people of Crete (the Minoans) told a story of their namesake, King Minos. I didn't teach today, so I hope I get this story right. Below the castle of King Minos was a complicated maze. In that maze was a Minotaur--a monster that was half man, half bull. King Minos didn't want to feed his people to the Minotaur so he ordered the city of Athens to send 7 boys and 7girls to sacrifice to the Minotaur every year. One year the son of the king of Athens (Theseus)learned of this and said that he would be one of the 7 boys. Upon arriving to the island of Crete, King Minos's daughter fell in love with the prince and decided to help him defeat the Minotaur. She gave him a sword and a ball of string. She told him to roll the string at the beginning of the maze and it would roll to the center of the maze where the minotaur was and then kill it and follow the string back out. Theseus was successful!
For the activity the kids built a maze and navigated through it to kill the Minotaur.

Clothes Shopping

Last week the kids and I sorted through clothes. We pulled out stuff that was too small and most of the winter clothes. Then we went through the boxes of clothes that I have stored in the garage to find spring/summer clothes. Faythe had more than enough outfits--she has 2 older sisters and a cousin who have given her clothes. Ephram just needed a couple of shorts and shirts and a pair of sandals--he had all of Corbin's old stuff. Dyllan found all the skirts and dresses in her size and has plenty to wear. Corbin tried on all the stuff that his older cousins have passed on and only found 1 or 2 shirts that were comfortable. He is super-sensitive and picky about what feels good. And Braedi could wear some of her shorts and shirts from last year, but was in need of more.

Today I took Braedi and Corbin out to buy some clothes. We went to Once Upon a Child first and Corbin tried on at least 10 pairs of shorts with only 1 maybe and the rest NOs. He did find some shirts and so did Braedi. Then we went across the street to Target and were more successful. Braedi found 2 outfits. Corbin tried on 5 more pairs of shorts and found 2 that he liked. I picked out some stuff for Ephram (he's not picky) and we headed home. I'll take a picture of the kids in their new outfits and post them tomorrow.

Here's the picture. . .You might notice that Corbin is wearing a pair of old cut-off shorts. He put on a pair of new shorts and told me that they were too tight.

Stop and Smell the Roses

A Better Sunday

Last week I complained about how hard Sundays are and asked for some ideas to make it more special. I received several ideas. (thanks!) I took them and made a list of activities for us to do on Sundays. Here are a few:

• read church magazines
• have simple music lessons
• produce a puppet show depicting a scripture story or church event
• construct and "I'm grateful for. . ." mobile
• make birthday cards for extended family members
• learn about and report on a church leader
• memorize scriptures
• build a puzzle
• discuss what was learned at church and learn more about it

Yesterday I taught the kids about leading music and rhythm. Then I pulled out a 500 piece puzzle. The table we put it on wasn't big enough and Faythe kept pulling apart the pieces. We'll have to try that one again. We had another visit from Auntie Kosette and Matt and our hometeachers came over. I made bread and delivered it to people who helped with the brunch. It was a much better afternoon.

Yesterday was also the day for the kids to wear their new Easter clothes. Easter Sunday is on General Conference, and the kids wouldn't be able to wear them then, so we did it yesterday. This is the first year that I've been able to find matching dresses for the girls. The boys got new pants, white shirts and ties. Corbin will want you to know that his tie is a real tie--not a clip-on or zipper tie. His dad helped him tie it.

Ward Easter Party

One of my callings in our ward is ward activities committee leader. It can be a stressful calling, but it is also rewarding. I have a good committee. They have a lot of great ideas and are very helpful.

Today we had our annual Easter breakfast. Actually, this year it was a brunch. We decided to make breakfast burritos. Yummy! Then Sister Kellis gave an Easter presentation. It was perfect--short, a good message, and involved the kids. Next was the egg hunt. I gave the direction for the kids to find only 10 eggs so that everyone would get some, but I guess some of them didn't understand the rules, because there were some kids with full baskets and some with only 2 eggs. I doesn't matter how well the egg hunt is planned, some kids just don't get enough eggs. Oh well, I hope they had fun anyway. Last, there was a craft project for the kids and a get to know you game for the adults. We had a great turnout. It was fun to see everyone visiting and the kids playing. We have a great ward!

I brought my camera, but I was too busy making sure everything was taken care of that I didn't take any pictures.

PS Even though Jonathan isn't on my committee, he was an awesome help. He's always there to help set-up and take down and he takes care of the kids so I can do my thing. There are also so many ward members who are always willing to give their time and help. Thanks!

Here's a picture a friend took. . .

It's Me Birfday!

Braedi woke up yesterday morning with the biggest smile and said "It's me birfday!" This is another one of those things that Jonathan always says and I have no idea where it comes from, but it catches on and becomes part of our dialogue.

Braedi celebrated her 8th birthday on Friday. I can't believe she is 8! She is going to get baptised in 2 weeks. Braedi picked chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and meatloaf for dinner. Because she got a party this year, she didn't get to pick a family activity. But, we decided to go to the park for a picnic lunch. We didn't stay long. The wind was crazy and it was cold. We ate our pizza in the car and went back home.

Braedi got some books, a bracelet, and some cute socks. Her birthDAY seems pretty dull after all the other activities this past week, but she had fun.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Ephram has been full of funny sayings. I've tried to write them down/remember them. Here are a few. . .
After Faythe sneezed on him; "Mom, Faythe bless you'd on me!"
"If you spank me really hard I will do what is expected."
While pushing on his jaw and grunting; "I'm trying to take my head off but it's not working."
"I just had a mouth booger and I spit it in the sink."
There will be more!

Visiting Teaching

My visiting teachers came to visit this morning. It was a quick visit, but full of good discussion. That is one thing I like about my current visiting teachers--we can have a meaningful discussion of the message. I often get a lot of good ideas that I can/need to apply to my life. They are awesome!

Today's message was Strengthening Faith in God the Father and Jesus Christ through Personal Scripture Study. I got into the habit of reading the Book of Mormon every night a long time ago, but it wasn't until recently that I started studying. I found a fabulous study guide that really helped me with my studying. It's called Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families. The margins of my Book of Mormon are now filled with notes and quotes.
The quote that I liked came from President Monson: “We want our sisters to be scholars of the scriptures. … You need an acquaintanceship with his eternal truths for your own well being, and for the purposes of teaching your own children and all others who come within your influence." It reminded me how important it is for me to be teaching my children to understand and love the scriptures. A few months ago Braedi asked for help. She wanted to learn how to study the scriptures. I remember a friend telling me about a site/program that she uses and I checked it out. It is www.discoverthescriptures.com. We decided to purchase the Book of Mormon study guide and have been using it ever since. It contains memory verses, scripture reading assignments, questions, puzzles, graphs, charts, timelines, and more. I supplement it with the study guide mentioned above and lots of discussion. Teaching the kids helps me understand the scriptures better.

I Ain't Gonna Do Your Nails

I have no idea where that came from, but it is something Jonathan used to always say right after Braedi was born. . .I thought it was appropriat for today's post.

Auntie Kosette and her boyfriend Matt are in town for a backpacking trip and they came over to take the 2 birthday girls to get their nails done. I think Matt went to a book store while the girly stuff was going on. The boys were bummed that they couldn't go somewhere with Auntie Kosette, but she promised them an outing the next time they are in town.
My mom and dad also came over today (actually tonight) to bring Braedi her birthday presents. Before they left for Hawaii Braedi asked for a grass skirt and swimsuit coverup. She got both and a cute swimsuit and a flower pin and a book mark and a bracelet.

My parents also brought over an icecream cake.

Only 3 more days until Braedi's actual birthday. What will do then?

How Many Stars Can You Draw in 1 Minute?

I was recently given a book to read. It's not your normal book, it's a math book.
The author, Marilyn Burns, talks about how math is typically taught and how she thinks it should be taught. Kids should learn to embrace math not fear it. They should understand how math is used in everyday situations. Marilyn Burns talks about reading, questioning and thinking. She is big on discussion and helping the kids understand the why and how of a problem. She doesn't like a lot of worksheets. I'm not finished with the book, but I want to learn more about her style. I know that it will mean a change in my teaching style, but the talking and applying is like the classical education that I'm trying to achieve.

Today for math, I decided to skip my normal routine and do an activity out of this book. I asked the kids to guess how many stars I could draw on a piece of paper in 1 minute (estimation). I set the beeper and drew. They looked and guessed again. Then we counted by 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s to get the answer (counting skills). Then I had them do it draw their own stars and count different ways and we put the results on a graph (interpreting data). Then I asked if they could draw that many stars in 1 minute how many stars could they draw in 2 minutes and had them tell me how they got the answer. I also asked how many they could draw in half a minute. We discussed and used manipulatives and they tried it to see if they were close. We tried drawing different things and compared our results. Math time flew by and there wasn't any complaining. (I can't figure out why this picture is sideways.) Now you try. . .How many stars can you draw in one minute?

Sunday, Sunday

8:00 church is a killer. I don't know what it is. . .when the kids HAVE TO get up by 7:00 they don't and when the can sleep later they are up at 6:30. Jonathan had meetings this morning, so I was on my own getting the kids up and ready for church. I try to have a simple breakfast prepared--muffins, frozen waffles, cinnamon bread, or bagels with fruit, sasauge and milk. This way they can eat it in the car if nessecary. I'm getting better becasue today we were in the car at 7:45!

After church we have lunch and quiet time. When quiet time is over the trouble begins. Early church makes for a long afternoon and I struggle with what to do. I want Sunday to be different than every other day. I don't want the kids getting out toys or playing outside or running around the house or being crazy and loud. We will sometimes play games. Sometimes we have extended family things. Sometimes we'll go for a walk. And sometimes we visit. But, I need more ideas. I know there are people reading. . .what do you do to make Sunday a special day--the Sabbath day? Please share your ideas.

Easter Family Home Evening

Every month my siblings and I and our families get together at my parent's house for Family Home Evening. Actually, I don't know why we call it Family Home Evening--we don't do a lesson--it's more like a family get together. It's usually the only time that we are all together. We have dinner and the kids play while the adults visit.

Today we decided to have an early Easter party. We gathered at 3:30 and ate an early dinner. Then, I helped the kids with a craft while the dads hid the eggs. The craft was simple. The kids tore paper and glued the pieces onto a cut-out of an egg to "decorate" eggs in a mess-free sort of way.

After the craft, the kids headed out back to find the hidden eggs.




Ephram was so excited to discover that some of the eggs held money.
And Faythe loved the chocolate inside her eggs (although the picture doesn't quite capture her emotion--maybe I'll become a better photographer the more pictures I take).
Here's the whole gang after the egg hunt. My parents recently returned home from a trip to Hawaii. So they hooked the laptop up to the TV and we saw a slide show of their vacation. They gave each of us kids a cool basket that collapses into a trivet. The girl grandkids got a bracelet and the boy grandkids got a tie clip/pin.

After the slide show we had a lesson (probably because it was a special day we were celebrating or maybe because we are going to try to do lessons now). Then there was pie (YUCK--banana cream).

Because our church starts at 8:00, the kids bathed there and we headed home. I love getting together with my family. It is fun to visit and the kids love playing with their cousins.

Braedi's Birthday Party

It's a week before her birthday, but tonight was Braedi's party. Braedi invited 5 friends--1 didn't come, but another brought her sister so there were still 5 girls. They made mini-pizzas (english muffins with toppings), tied material on flip-flops,ate dinner (pizza, cheetos, veggies, and juice), played a couple of games,

pin the bug on the flower

toss the bug into the flowerpot

decorated cupcakes (cupcakes in an ice-cream cone topped with whipped cream and sprinkles--don't you remember doing those when you were a kid?),


and opened presents. Braedi got some Barbie stuff, Littlest Pet Shop animals and money.

Braedi said she had a fun time and I enjoyed watching her and her friends. We'll celebrate as a family next week.

Sewing Friday

Corbin and Braedi have decided that they want to learn to sew and since I don't have much knowledge in that area Grandma Mecham is teaching them. 2 years ago Braedi sewed and tied a small quilt and is now working on another one. This is Corbin's first project.

One Friday a month we spend the day at Grandma's. She works with Braedi and Corbin in the morning and we hang out in the afternoon. Today was a little different, though. We wanted to kill two birds with one stone. Braedi's birthday is next week, but Lola (grandma) works that day. So she decided to take Braedi out for her birthday lunch and book shopping trip today. They went to Chuy's (because Braedi likes Mexican food) and she got an American girl book and paperdoll kit. Braedi was too excited to sew. And Corbin only sewed one strip. I spent the morning making cupcakes for Braedi's birthday party and soothing crying kids--Ephram and Faythe both bonked their heads. Faythe did a somersault off of the table and Ephram slipped on the rug and slammed into the cabinet.

Here's a picture of Braedi's first quilt.

Date Night (by myself)

Jonathan and I do a babysitting swap with another family. We take turns watching each other's kids while the other couple gets to go out. We can't do it consistently (our schedules are crazy), but we will usually get one date a month. Tonight was our turn for a date and the kids got to have a "pajama party" at the Schloss's. But, because of the rescheduling that we've had to do, Jonathan worked tonight, so I got a date night by myself. I used it to run some kid-free errands. I thought about calling some friends and having a girls night out, but these errands needed to be done and sometimes it's OK to do things by yourself. I dropped off dry cleaning, picked-up books at the library, went to Office Max for sheet protectors and copies, and to Michaels for Easter crafts. Next I went to Kohl's to exchange a swimsuit. Then I did some unsuccessful bra shopping at Target. I was hoping to be in the mood to do some clothes shopping, but nothing jumped out at me and I didn't feel like trying stuff on. I even walked over to Ross, but the change of scenery didn't help. Hopefully another time. . .
I have a friend who says that blogs are boring without pictures, so here's a cheesy picture of some of the things I picked up tonight.

Waterfall Hike

My sister (Jennie) called Monday night and said that they would be over on this side of town on Tuesday and wondered if we wanted to join them for a hike. Of course I said yes. Ever since the rain the kids and I have wanted to go to the White Tanks and see the waterfall. I was hoping for a peaceful hike and chat with my sister, but I forgot that it was spring break for Dysart School District. We had to walk single file most of the way.

At the top the kids took off their shoes and waded into the water and over rocks to get to the waterfall. I stopped where the water started and just watched, wishing that I'd remembered my camera (sorry, no pictures).

We had a picnic at the park afterward and then came home. I love this weather. . .it's perfect for hiking!

Grandparent's Night

Grandma and Grandpa Mecham invited all the grandkids (there are 9) over to their house for a sleepover last weekend. Woo-hoo! Date night for Jonathan and I! Jonathan had class so I dropped the kids off and waited for his class to be over. We went to dinner at Red Robin and then to a movie. We saw Avatar. I enjoyed it, but wished that they would have told me more about how they found the planet and why the rock was so important. I like the idea that everything is connected and didn't even get that the military was being put in a bad light.

Saturday morning the grandparents took the grandkids hiking and invited the parents to join. I'm always up for a good hike, so I joined the group. We went to Shaw Butte off of 7th Street and Thunderbird. Corbin, Matthew, Spencer, Jack and I hiked to the top of one trail while the others went back down. We met them for lunch after our short extension.


After lunch I took the kids home and they crashed until it was time to get ready for Jonathan's Elder's Quorum party. We had a BBQ at the park and played games and visited with people from the ward. It was a fun-filled weekend.

I Love Library Day

As soon as we get home from the library, the kids dump out their book bags and read quietly for a half hour or so. Notice that Faythe is nowhere near her book.