Moon sand recipe

moon sand recipe
gotta stop paying for this and just make it!
"4 cups sand + 2 cups cornflour + 1 cup of water = moon sand! Who knew?" found here

Bubble Station

After filling the bubbles so many times it was time for a self serve bubble station like the ones I have seen many places on-line.

For the bubbles Solution
What you’ll need:
(makes about 12 Cups)
10 Cups water
1 Cup dish soap
4 Tablespoons light corn syrup
Directions:
Stir well and let set over night.
Refill old bubble containers from the sun tea plastic bottle.

recipe #2 found it here
The World’s Best Bubbles 1 1/2 quarts of water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup liquid dish soap
Mix water and corn syrup until completely blended. Slowly stir in soap. Will last several weeks in an airtight container.

Homemade dishwasher soap

I found this recipe from rockin granola
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
1 Cup of Borax
1 Cup Baking Soda (I used Washing Soda)
1/2 Cup Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Citric Acid (You can purchase "Fresh Fruit" in the canning isle. It is a produce protector or you can puchase 15 packets of lemon Kool-aid, the unsweetened kind, and that works as well.)
Mix all ingredients in a container and voila! dshwasher detergent! Use 1 Tbsp per load PLUS add some vinegar to the rinse aid portion of your dishwasher (this keeps the plastic from getting a cloudy look) and wash away!
I may have to try this!

We're home!

We just got back early this morning from our Wisconsin Vacation.

The kids got to go over the mighty Mackinaw Bridge.

Manistique Michigan Lighthouse

Escanaba, Michigan Lighthouse

 All the way across the southern coast of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and into Wisconsin. We stopped to visit two lighthouses along the way. Aaron's little sister graduated from high school so we got to see the ceremony and attend her open house. We learned a lot on our trip. The kids were so good! I was so amazed at how well they behaved. Considering all the behavior problems they had even just two years ago I was nervous about a long road trip. They were angels. I can't wait to plan another trip.

Wisconsin

As we traveled we studied about Wisconsin. Here are a few of the facts we learned.

Wisconsin
Capital: Madison
Largest City: Milwaukee
Total Population: over 5 million
Major crops:Corn, Hay, Potatoes
Nickname: The Badger State
Motto: Forward
State Bird: Robin
State Flower: Wood Violet


Wisconsin leads the nation in cheese production. Almost half of Wisconsin's residents are of German ancestry.

I hope to study more of the states as we travel more this summer.

Copper Culture County Park

Ocanto takes it's name from an early Indian settlement bearing the name "Oak-a-toe".  The first inhabitants are called the copper culture people. The  oldest metal smelting site in North America is in Ocanto, WI. It dates to somewhere around 5600 to 5500 BC. The French claimed the region in 1671, the English in 1760 and the United States after the Revolutionary War in 1783. The Territory of Wisconsin was established in 1836 and it became a state in 1848. We also saw a bee tree like pa found in our Little House in the Big Woods book Pitty-pat has been trying to read. The book is also set in Wisconsin. So we tied that in to our trip as well. Not a bad field trip but because we were there on Saturday of  Memorial Weekend the Museum wasn't open. It didn't open until Monday despite being advertised as being open in the flier. There really wasn't anything to see other than what we took pictures of above but it was free and it did have a nice walk down to the river.

Vacation

Sorry on vacation this week!

Coupon deals and steals

I had four coupons for huggies diapers and wipes that were going to expire TODAY along with three Pullups coupons and one Goodnightes coupon. We were out of Goodnights so off to Walmart I went. I gave away the diaper and wipes coupons to the first person I saw with a baby and those items in their cart. I saved $3.00 on the pullups and $2.00 on the Goodnights. I also saved $0.50 on two peanut buttercups making one free. But the real steal was the clearance tennis shoes in Tippy-toes size for $5.00! Savings $5.50 plus $5.50on the shoes equals $11.00 saved!

Quote for the day

"If there is a chance you could get lost in the woods you should carry a deck of cards, because someone will always show up to tell you to put the red queen on the black king"

There is always someone who wants to tell you how to live no matter how simple to task like playing cards.I laughed so hard when I heard this quote. Thanks M.F. for the quote.

Big Day Today!

Today Jessi my oldest of the big four Graduates from College with a bachelors in Political Science. I am so proud. She is the first woman in our line to graduate with a four year degree (despite all the classes I only have a associates degree on paper). She goes on to law school in New York this fall. Congrats Jess! By the way she was homeschooled for a year too.

Build a Play Kitchen from ready made components

 After seeing several play kitchens made from old entertainment centers I got a bug to build one myself. The kids are very hard on plastic toys and a nice wooden one should be able to withstand three active kids playing together. I found a board that looked like butcher block at Menard's  It is edge glued pine 1" x 16" x 48" for $9.00. Aaron found two closet components to use for the ends like the one shown here at Family Fun. They were $7.00 each. I bought a stainless steel bowl at Walmart for $9.00 to use for the sink. I found some sunflower material in the discount bin at walmart that is perfect for curtains for $3.00. I am looking around the house and at garage sales for the accessories but so far no luck. I need a pine shelf, towel bar, and some s-hooks. Total to date $28.00. I have seen similar ones on sale for $140.00on line during my searches. The colors are green and yellow with a knotty pine butcher block and white counters so the kitchen isn't going to be too girly-girl for the boys. After all, I hate having the kids in the kitchen when I am doing my serious cooking. Now they will have their own to play in safely.

Her are some of my favorites like this one from bug bites.  
I also like this one here too.

Barnes and noble free books summer reading program

http://img1.imagesbn.com/pImages/kids/summerreading/2011/BN-Tear-Pad.pdf
There is the link to Barnes and nobles summer reading program reading journal. got to love free books! here is the page that explains the program.

Busy Day!

I got an extra "free day" off from work today so I could really work twice as hard at home with the kids today. so far I have done dishes, 2 loads of laundry, wiped the table, fed the kids twice, cleaned under the dinning room table,and cut out a couple dozen quilt squares. The littles have done school played. Pitty-pat played with the magnetix making patterns,and paper dolls-don't tell her that was math/geometry and living skills, Tippy-toe read his new leggo magazine with help and played baby doll-don't tell him that's reading/english and life skills,little-man sat at the table with his montessori baskets. All before noon-now if only we could get some "real" school work done. The littles don't think it's school unless it is a workbook. I just have to laugh.It is bright and sunny so I think we will go for a nature walk but don't tell them it's science! They just know it's fun!

cinco de mayo

Happy 5th of May!

"Car Schooling"

Tonight we went to Camryn's first ever softball game. The weather was perfect. we parked where we could watch the game from the van. Both Pitty-pat and Tippy-toe practiced their sight words (printed out on clouds from sparkle box). Everyone was so good! Cam's team won 20-2 and tied the second game! Way to go girls!

Quote for the day

"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us" - Joseph Campbell.

 

 I found the source of one of my favorite quotes while blog hopping this morning! It's like finding out the pretty rock I picked up is a ruby. This quote has been my mantra all through my unexpected adoption. Words of comfort through the sudden  loss of a 12 year relationship with Camryn's Dad Scott. But the quote has seen me through because here I am. I let go in a leap of faith in GOD's plan--- not my plan. I am in the best relationship of my life with Aaron who loves all our kids as his own. The worlds best DADDY. The most wonderful man to me. I am Mother of  Seven plus seven step children. This life that was waiting on the other side of letting go....It is far better than any life I could have planned for my self! Amazing two years healed all the hurts. Don't be afraid to let go of your plans--leap! --life can be so much better!

Book it!

 Pizza Hut Book it! Homeschool enrollment starts May 1st, 2011--
http://www.bookitprogram.com/Enrollment/homeschool.asp

Boys should play with dolls too!

Well much to Aarons dismay I have bought both the boys baby dolls. After all they are going to learn to be good daddy's just like him. And he stays home and is a daddy who changes diapers and cares for our baby LittleMan.
I have set up a baby care station in the play room for this weeks imagination play. Tippy-toe has some gender identity issues we have been working through due to his RAD (reactive attachment disorder). Aaron was not excited about the baby doll thing so he got them some trucks at the garage sales we went to this weekend. But the kids have really been enjoying the baby care nursery.