FINALLY!

Boy oh boy! It is very difficult locating all the necessary items to make old fashioned cold-processed soap. Geeze!!! After over a month of searching for ingredients and supplies, and finally having to order online, I was all set to go this weekend.

Yesterday, I made a batch of lightly scented rose shea soap. I used a nice wooden mold that my really wonderful husband had crafted for me a few weeks ago. Today, I made a second batch of a basic hard soap which I will use as the base to my homemade laundry detergent that I've been making for well over a year now. I did scent this soap with my favorite lavender/patchouli oil combo. I didn't have a nice wooden mold (yet!) for this one so I used a clean empty half-and-half carton.

I had been ordering my basic hard soap from a really nice small company online, however I really felt it was something I could and should be doing myself.

Hopefully they end up being safe for use! I did pH test the first (rose scented) batch today and it is still too high to be considered usable, however the pH level can lower as the soap cures. I'll re-test it again in a few days and cross my fingers that it works.

I know I was a sight to the neighbors....who already see our family as weirdos. When I mixed the sodium hydroxide into the distilled H2O, I went outside to do it due to the horrible fumes that come from mixing these two. (even with the fan going and the windows and doors open!) The neighbors were out and there I was in my slippers, baggy bottoms, long sleeve mismatched shirt, long yellow rubber gloves, big safety goggles....crouching on the driveway stirring my pot while moving around the pot in an attempt get upwind to avoid the fumes.

Our oldest daughter had helped me with much of the first batch and I think that she mostly did it out of a strange curiosity as well as hope for some more material for her "dirty mountain hippy" jokes. (guess who she is referring to?) Later in the day, both she and our Parish Priest (and I) had fun poking fun at me.

We have two science fair projects going on this week. Thankfully my husband does those. We are also going into the final week of rehearsals before the musical. (our two daughters are in it) My parents are coming to visit to see the musical. Other than the normal weekly schedule, that should be about it this week.

I'm glad to have my first batches of cold-process soap made. I dream of a day when I'll be living in my dream-home-earth-ship and won't have to work outside the home and can stay home tending animals, digging, and making many things myself...and volunteering too!

However, I know how blessed I am and am enjoying where my life currently is. I look forward to teaching second grade next year and I especially look forward to finishing up this school year!

God Bless.

Sharing some photos of my wonderful job (more family photos in several more posts below)

The middle school students love to come and hang out in my classroom. (I could sooooo teach middle school...if I was endorsed to do so beyond special education) My students earn special treats for good behavior and they usually want to have a game day with the middle school students. I'm sharing some photos from one of those game days. There is a photo of my daughter manning one of our "game day centers" as well as some other photos. I have really enjoyed teaching Kindergarten but have to admit that I am really excited to move to second grade for the 2009/2010 school year. (will be at the same school)

This is a photo from the speech meet. Some of my students are here in this picture (in my classroom) as well as our Parish Priest/Superintendent of Schools.

More photos

These photos are from January 2009. The school where I teach and also where 2 of our children attend is a private Catholic School. These photos are from "free dress" day so that is why the students don't have their uniforms on. Every year, we host a speech meet. There are 3 winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd place) from each grade level from Preschool through 5th grade and then there are 3 winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd place) from the 6th through 9th grades combined. The one photo has all the winners as well as our wonderful school principal Sister Florence. (not all Nuns wear habits as you can see) The other two photos are of two of my children with our Superintendent of Schools/Parish Priest. Our daughter took 1st place in the 6th through 9th grade group and our son took 3rd place in his grade level. It was a wonderful event and really good for the students to be proficient public speakers. That is a skill that we are failing (in large degree) as a society to teach our youth. Not at Saint Margaret Catholic School, I'm very proud to say!

Another entry with photos (there are several...see below)

These blog posts that I am doing today are not in order chronologically....I don't know enough about this to get these posts in order. (scroll down the page for the St. Patrick's Day entry and further down for the most recent group of Photos from Easter 2009) These photos are from our oldest daughters 16th birthday. (which was in February)

Another post with pictures (see below for our Easter entry/blog/photos)

These photos are from our Parish Saint Patrick's Day dinner and celebration. Our daughter was the Saint Patrick Queen and one of the duties was to cut the cake. The other photo is of her with some of her classmates playing a really cool drum piece with their teacher (and our Parish Priest) Fr. Drew leading them as well as some bagpipe playing. It was a fun event for our entire family and community.

Time to update photos from the past couple of months...This blog entry EASTER

I am sharing photos from a few events. This blog entry has photosfrom Easter. I write riddles, clues and/or maps (depending on which child/how old) and they have to solve it to find the location of their Easter Basket. I have photos from this to share. I will have to make a couple more blog posts to add the other photos since I am a bit "challenged" when it comes to adding photos to a blog. So here is one to share.

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Holy Week

Holy week has started and what a wonderful time of Lent. Today was Palm Sunday and Mass was really beautiful. We are very blessed.

I am also off from work for Easter Break. I am going to enjoy this week!

I also can share the changes in our jobs for next year. My husband is moving back into administration at the school he has been at as a teacher this year. He had decided to not seek anything but was asked twice by the Superintendent to please apply for an opening that they have and after some time contemplating it and praying about it, he decided to apply and will be changing position after the end of this school year. It will probably not be a long assignment due to the history of this district choosing to not renew administrators after about five years regardless of their abilities. However, the increase in pay will be put to good use and we will pay off most of our debt. We will not find ourselves in a position of not being free due to debt. (we do have a mortgage and car loans) If we find ourselves in a position like we did a year ago, we will have many more options and a heck of a lot less stress if we do not have debts to pay and just have basic living expenses to cover. Being in debt is being in chains.

I will be moving out of kindergarten and into second grade. Much better suited for me. I have spent the past three years teaching the younger end of early education and I look forward to moving to the oldest end of early education. Second grade will be a good place for me to be and it will show if I want to go back up to fifth grade. (many years ago I taught this for part of a year as a long-term sub)

I suspect that I will become a at-home mom again in a few years. Or maybe teach part-time. We'll see. I am not the one running the show of my life. God is and I will follow what He leads me to do...no matter where that is.

Have a blessed, reflective, and growing time this Holy Week!