Telling our tale (Part 2)

If you need a recap, check out Part 1

So Big Girl and I decide on soap!  We are concentrating our efforts on what is referred to as melt and pour soap. She loves fun colors and shapes and it seemed that melt and pour would fit the bill plus I was not too eager to work with lye around her, which is necessary for making cold process soap, like our Dad does!

We (I) have read so many blogs on soap making, have stalked numerous soap making forums and read books. Like previously mentioned, we are in testing stages.  We are trying out an assortment of bases, do we go with a goat's milk base, or a honey base? which do we prefer, a clear base or a white base? then there are molds, and colors and glitter or no glitter?  So the testing continues...but I can say at this point all my kids are pretty clean these days with all the soap floating around this house.

(Disclaimer- I would be doing myself a disservice if I did not admit that the above seems like a really boring post but as promised last week, I was going to continue telling you all about our Fubble Bath adventure so I did.) 

After writing this I am starting to really rethink my blog and where I see it heading...but again I am digressing....

Wordless Wednesday- I love you

Note found in The Boys lunch from Friday. Remember this post

A Day in the Life (or at least the first 105 minutes)

I have been reading so many blogs these past few days I have noticed that many give you a glimpse into the blogger's daily routine.  Some seem so close to mine but others so not. I thought I would share my typical Monday-Friday with you.

5:45am- Alarm goes off for Dad
6:10am- Dad gets out of bed
6:15am- The Boy gets out of his bed 
6:20am- The Big Girl gets out of her bed
6:25am: The Little Girl wakes up but is not removed from her bed yet
6:30am: Shower for Me and Dad leaves for the day
6:45am: Make lunches and dole out breakfast
6:50am: Feed the dog
6:52am: Feed the cats and the fish

6:55am: Unload dishwasher
7:00am: Check computer, clean kitchen up, pick out outfits for kids
7:10am: Kids start getting dressed after watching 1/2 hour of tv and eating breakfast
7:12am: Get Little Girl out of bed and dressed
7:15am: Tie The Boy's shoes
7:17am: Tie The Little Girl's shoes
7:19am: Make sure The Big Girl combs her hair
7:20am: Check computer some more, clean up from breakfast
7:22am: Make sure all bags and back packs are ready for school, fill with lunch boxes, clean out papers
7:25am: Make sure teeth are brushed and The Boy's hair is done
7:27am: Grab breakfast and sippy cup for The Little Girl for the drive to school
7:29am: Hand out sweat shirts/jackets for the day
7:30am: Go to van ready for school

That is the first 105 minutes of my Monday-Friday. After writing this far, I got tired thinking of it all and need a break.  Maybe I will finish the rest of the day in another post some time!

Sorry Mom

I am sitting at the computer (where else would I be?), Little Girl is within sight playing play dough in the family room.  I sneeze, Little Girl without turning from her play dough says "Sorry Mom".  Within a nanosecond thinking that she has said "Bless you" (like is commonly said) I say "Thanks" and she looks up at me and responds with "Welcome".

It's the small things that make the day enjoyable! and having your not yet 20 month old talk with you like she is 6!

Calling all blogs....

3 weeks into my blogging existence and I am thinking I need to start compiling a list of blogs that I read.   If you have a blog, I am sure you would love a new reader (and you might just get me and my Mom as new readers, so that makes 2 new readers.)  Leave a comment with a link here or drop me a DM on twitter @MommyYouSayIt. 

oh how sweet

Yesterday evening I was hearing some discussion between the big kids about a "surprise for Mom in the morning." Never got more than bits and pieces and then simply it skipped my mind. 

Fast forward to 5:35am this morning.  I hear a door open, I know the sound, it's the Big Girl.  I am lying in bed awake like I do every morning because Dad's alarm starts going off about 5:00am and after a snooze fest he will finally emerge about 6:00am from the bed.  

There is hustle and bustle going on, the fridge is opening, doors are slamming. lights are on...all before 6:00am on a Friday, a school day.  After Dad gets up and into the shower, Big Girl gets The Boy up, then they proceed to get Little Girl up. 

As this is all transpiring I am still lying in bed awake.  And for me this is torture, I have a schedule to stick to, its a school day, I must get up first, I must take a shower at precisely the same time every time, I must make sandwiches, I need to feed the dog when the kids are brushing their teeth at exactly 7:21am.  This has thrown me all off and I might not function at all today.

It was so nice of them to do this but it is amazing to me how caught up in my little routines I must be.

To be honest I let them do it all, never even looked in their lunches to see what they packed, I let them dress Little Girl and even put a diaper on her, which I did not inspect.  BUT,  I did send them back to the bathrooms to brush their teeth, which they conveniently left out of their morning!  

Telling our tale...

You see it all started several years back, I started a business, Whiffy Bean Bags. My big kids were just 3 and 1 at the time and probably at first had little knowledge of what I did with my time.  For the rest of the world, I spent a lot of time online researching and investigating, I spent countless hours sewing, Dad spent many hours cutting fabric for me as I totally suck at cutting and measuring and not to mention all the time I spent packaging items and going to the Post Office!

As we continued along, the big kids got older and it was clear they enjoyed their parts of the business.  The Boy loved and still loves going to a fabric store, he is a softie for all fabrics and one of his favorite past times is picking out fabrics and having me make him new blankets. (don't tell his guy friends) Big Girl became super interested in sewing but I never did make the jump into getting her a machine.  She also seemed and still seems to enjoy the business part of running a business.  She is about costs and picture taking and sales.

As this business was flourishing and the kids were getting even older and even more aware of what was going on, Dad decided to take a stab at soap making.  He spent his hours of researching  and concocting and testing all the while the big kids watched.  Not long after he started, both kids started getting hyped up about making soap..they wanted to buy their own ingredients and pick the scents.  They enjoyed making soap for their teachers and friends and the idea hit us! 

Due to may outside influences not under our control, we made the tearful decision to close Whiffy Bean Bags. (maybe there will be another post some time about it but basically you can blame on the lead laws) but we had a new plan.  Big Girl and I would start a soap business!  (yes there are rules and regulation and laws we will follow but we won't have to pay $1,500 to test each and every item we make like we would with Whiffy Bean Bags, but again that is another topic.) We currently are still in our testing stages and do not anticipate opening until Spring 2011.


We will post more next Thursday about our humble beginnings and will plan to make Thursdays our Fubble Bath Post Day!  If you are not already a fan, please come by Fubble Bath on FB.  You may find our link on the right hand side of the blog!

Wordless Wednesday- Good Morning Moon

Sure, where is it?

The Boy yells into the house from the front yard, "hey Mom, can I take Little Girl over to my secret hiding place?".  I yell back "sure, where is it?" I hear Dad giggling from the kitchen..I'm thinking what's so funny?

Probably does not surprise anyone that The Boy yells back "in the bushes."

Bikinis anyone?

Started this morning off with big girl's softball practice.  It was a beautiful day here on the Central Coast of California...a sunny 72 degrees on the field.  After wrapping up the morning, the family headed over to the local grocery store for what has become our staple weekend lunch, spicy tuna bowls, corn dogs and chicken legs.  The boy went in with Dad while the girls stayed in the car and discussed practice.  Boys arrive back and we take off for home.  The boy turns to little girl and asks her if she likes bikini sticks.  I am thinking bikini sticks, what is that? and what a funny site they might be!  He repeats himself just as Dad interrupts and says you mean zucchini sticks .not bikini sticks! Oh it was a good one! Can you imagine a bikini stick??

Starting to get the hang of the blog thing, I think!

Been faithfully posting to my blog here for the month of January and really taking a liking to it!  I would love to hear from other bloggers or anyone on what you find important about a blog or what compels you to read. 

As for this blog in particular, I am close to relaunching a new look and some new clear cut topics!  Looks for some changes coming soon!!!!  yay!

Ice Cubes, the new candy?

My kids suck on ice cubes like they are lollipops.  Their friends come over and head straight to the freezer for cubes, not otter pops, or ice cream or something else remotely resembling food.  Even little girl at 19 months has taken a liking to it.  Really, isn't it just cold and messy?

Wordless Wednesday- The Sky is the Limit!

Red plate!

There are many things that my children do that I wonder about.  One of these many wonders can be depicted in the following:

I am making dinner, rushing around the kitchen, stirring, cutting, spilling....I run over to the kids' drawer of plates, bowls, cutlery, grab 3 plates (remember I have 3 kids) and set them out.  Without fail, one of my children (yes at this point any 1 of the 3) screams "I want the red plate."

WHY? does it make the food taste better if its on a red plate as opposed to the blue plate? 

If I am lucky it will just end there.  If I am unlucky, it will escalate into a full on drag down sibling fight and no one will end up eating because they are sent to their rooms for the rest of the night without dinner. (ok, maybe not really, but the part about the fight is true.)

Can I have a fox?

Here at our house we have added a couple new pets to the lineup, well sort of!  First, my husband found a frog in the garage.  He put the guy in a little tank we had, added water and a rock and we called it a home.  I even bought some crickets for the silly thing and learned that there is nothing called "frog food."  His tank made its way on the window sill in the kitchen right next to the fish tank, which houses 3 fish and 2 snails.

Also this past week, my husband has taken to feeding the most likely feral cat who lives in the shelter like thing next to our house.  (we live in a middle of a vineyard and technically it is some sort of shed that houses netting but that is off topic)  He makes sure it has clean water and appears to give it 3 bowls of cat food a day. 

So this all has been going on a few days and the kids have gotten wind of the new pets and are all excited and giddy and think its all cool.  So fast forward several days to yesterday, we taken them to the zoo.  As we are checking out all the animals, big girl (who is 7 1/2 mind you) starts squealing, "I want an otter, oh now I want a gorilla, oh maybe a fox, isn't he cute?  I want a fox, can we have a fox as a pet?".

At this point, we are losing our patience with this and my husband even tells her this is all nonsense.  Unfortunately, it does not take us long to realize, what's the difference between keeping a frog and a gorilla? (when you are 7 1/2).

For anyone wondering or who might feel the need to report us, I have since let the frog go and we did not take any animals from the zoo. 

A Start....

As I typed a comment on my last entry, it made me think. (Yes, I do think and often at that.)

Everything must have a start. You can't do something if you haven't started it, you can't continue something if you haven't started it and you can't end something if you haven't started it.

With that being said, I have officially started this blog. I look forward to doing it, continuing it and honestly maybe some day I will look forward to ending it. 

That's it, profound thought of the day now back to laundry and sweeping.

Check anything off your list yet for 2011?

So how was the week? Anything exciting happen, something dramatic, upsetting?  For me, it was a productive week and I checked off a couple big things on the To Do list for 2011 already!

I officially made the announcement to close Whiffy Bean Bags, a business which we ran for over 4 years from our home. That was a big one. 

I also stuck to a blog a day for the week!  Not a monumental feat but I am pleased nonetheless! 

Got a little organization done on the computer, again not huge but helpful!

So how about you all?  anything happen this week that can now be checked off the list? 

Here I go again...

The title is probably steering your brain in one direction and I can almost guarantee what I write next will not be that direction. (and if it is, its worth leaving a comment about!)

7:42am driving in the minivan, 3 kids in tow, XM radio set to Channel 8 (80's on 8). Here I Go Again by Whitesnake comes on the radio, I loved that song back in 1987 (yes I did say 1987).  I was 14 and in 8th grade.  Loved the song back then, still love it...I start singing along...and it happens...

Big Girl pipes up "uh is this our regular station?".  I quickly tell her "No, it is not. It is not the Top 20 on channel 20. It is a song from when I was in junior high and I love it and I am not turning it."

Then it hit me is this song considered an oldie?  I mean it came out over 23 years ago????!!!!  When I was little in the 80's and a song from the 60's came on that was an oldie...so what about now?

Am I so old now, that I am listening to oldies and thoroughly enjoying them?  Tell me I am not alone?

Welcome to my front door view for Wordless Wednesday!

Decision made on yesterday's parenting dilemma

You may want to refer to yesterday's blog post to see exactly what the dilemma was that I am referring to.

After some discussion with my Husband, we decided to NOT send little girl to day care!  The answer was simple really, if I had to think so much about it the answer is NO.

She is now on a waiting list for the Fall which is far more in line with what we were hoping for.  She is only 18 months old, plenty of time to still stay at home and play with Mom!

I am glad that decision was made. Now on to more dilemmas that I am sure will present themselves, like the electrical problem at the rental home we own.......

Parenting dilemma for today

So my Husband and I are sitting at the coffee house enjoying coffee, he has the day off today for New Years.  We had just dropped the big kids off at school and we took the little girl with us. He asks me if I ever called the local day care center to check it out for little girl, I say no, he says let's go look at it and there we end up!  Now we do not NEED child care at all but figure the other kids went at 2 for socialization, so should little girl.  We look at it, looks great, number 1 child care facility in our town for 10 years straight, highly recommended...so a great spot.  We are notified that a spot is available for 2 days a week, just what I would want....but it is available NOW, not like a month from now or 6 months but NOW.  When I wanted to look at the place I was thinking September 2011 would be her start, 1 year there then 2 years at the wonderful preschool up the street.  I never thought about sending her now....but now I must decide?  Should she go or should she not...the decision must be made soon so stay tuned for the decision....

11 things you don't know about me and you might not want to!

11. I  was born in Nebraska.
10. I moved to California when I was 5.
  9. I have owned 6 different cars in my driving lifetime.
  8. I am an only child.
  7. I do not like to fly at all and try not to do it often. (I have not taken a plane in over 5 years)
  6. I drink Coke like it is going out of style.
  5. I really am not a fan of the smell of lavender.
  4. I have 2 piercings in each ear but usually only wear earrings in the first set.
  3. I was a candy striper during high school. (a hospital volunteer for those who don't know)
  2. I have never smoked a cigarette in my life and have never wanted to.
  1. I could eat sushi for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Come on in 2011 and stay a while!

What 2011 is going to mean to me!  by Leah Warson

A little more organization when it comes to the computer.  Clean out the bookmarks, lose some programs on the desktop, create easier ways to find my most valuable websites, you know the thing!

Maybe, obtain wireless here in the house?  I came from a home where everything was wireless, I sat at the dining room table, laptop unattached to anything; my documents printed in the basement...now I barely have what is called satellite internet and am stationary at the desk cubbie in the kitchen (printer right next to my right elbow!).

Next, I am not complaining about the above AT ALL.  I live in a wonderful home on a wonderful piece of property in a cute town with friendly people, close to family and the beach. I am truly appreciative but would still love to be able to move the laptop around!

I need to officially cut ties with Whiffy Bean Bags, my labor of love since 2006.  This one is hard for me but I have made many steps to the ultimate closure, just a few more and I am there.  The fact that the 100% closure is so hard is what makes me not do it, so I am pondering all those thoughts.

 My most important adventure of 2011 and really what this blog is going to ultimately be about is  Fubble Bath!  This would be the name of the soap business that my 7 year old daughter and I are starting!  Like me, she is an entrepreneur at heart, is a fantastic sales person and frankly a perfect marketing campaign in herself! She is enthusiastic, loves to talk with people, friendly....and I make the soap!  Well, she does help, picks scents, chooses molds, maybe stirs a little but her her main focus is the sales and marketing and quality control. So this is our focus this year, getting it up and running after of course making and trying out many more soaps!

My last real goal for the year is to make this blog look good, sound good, and be something people might like to follow!  Again, baby steps here....

I have my work cut out for me this year, as this is all on top of being  a great Mommy to 3 little kiddos and a fun wife to my awesome husband!  I better get started on some of this stuff...