Simple Science: Laundry Detergent!

This year, we're trying lots of hands-on things.  Since making my own laundry detergent is something I routinely do, I decided to get the kids involved for some simple science.  We had lots of fun with this practical and frugal experiment. 

First, we pulled out our detergent-making supplies:  our 5-gallon bucket (which is actually a kitty litter container that we got from Freecycle); Borax; Super Washing Soda (not to be confused with baking soda); and the hard-to-find Fels-Naptha (ironically, when I went to make this last week, the Fels-Naptha was the only ingredient I had on hand).

The spark plugs each took a turn trying to grate the soap.  It's hard work!

In fact, it was so hard to grate that I ended up shaving and crumbling it with a knife.  Now, why hadn't I ever thought to do this before?  I also think it would have worked to whir it through my mini-prep Cuisinart blender, but I cracked the top to it and it no longer works. 

Next, we melted the Fels-Naptha in boiling water and then added the Borax and Washing Soda.  This might not look appetizing, but it smells like sweet soap, and I really like the scent.

After thinning and cooling the boiling mixture with water, we poured the contents into our 5-gallon tub and filled the rest of it with more water.  The spark plugs loved this part!

Last of all, they each tried stirring the liquid, which gels in about 24 hours.  Mama has fresh detergent, the house smells good, and the spark plugs had fun, all for little cost out of pocket.  That's my kind of learning!

Special Post: Rules for Maintaining Sanity

As much as I enjoy writing, I find reading - especially other blogs - to be equally as wonderful.  When my friend Danielle posted her "Rules for Maintaining Sanity" on her blog, I was so encouraged that she gave me permission to repost it.  You can find more of her posts about her "great big family of little peoples" at The Joyful Noise Schoolhouse.  I hope you all will be as blessed as I was!

From Danielle:

Really, this list would be for anyone with kids, no matter what their ages, or where they accomplish their schoolwork. 

Laugh

A lot. 

Especially when you'd rather cry.  When both schoolaged kids need the very same red crayon (no, I cannot use the other identicle red crayon, I need that one!), the preschooler yanks the box away from everyone and in the process dumps it on the floor, and the baby starts screaming "Yaaayyy!!!" simply to add to the mayhem--laugh!  "You guys are so goofy!!  You were trying so hard to get your way that you all made a huge mess!  Go pick it up."

Not that anything like that has ever happened here!

Be Thankful.

Always. 

It's tough, sometimes.  Especially on the days where nothing seems to be going right.  Some days there's just too much noise to handle.  The thought of how nice and quiet it will be someday, when all these joyful noisemakers are on their own can seem rather dreamy.  Until I think of the ones who never lived long enough to make noise.  I'm thankful the noise!

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Really.  Don't.  It isn't worth it! 

I'm a school nerd.  I love looking at all the new curricula on the market.  I love talking about school with other moms (especially the ones who've been at this for a hundred years and know everything there is to know...You know--the "perfect" moms!).  It took me a few years to find the combination of schooling sources that works for our family.  But we have it, now.  Looking at glossy magazines and switching textbooks every semester isn't going to do anyone any favors.  Every curriculum has its strenghts and weaknesses.  The grass isn't necessarily more nutritious from that pasture over there, simply because it looks a little darker or a little taller, or...

But if it is broken...

Fix it.

Sometimes a great idea just doesn't pan out.  This happened to us last year.  I was looking for the perfect science course.  You know--the one that has all pros and no cons.  Right.  Well, I found it. Except it didn't quite work.  I love Answers in Genesis' God's Design. It is my dream to use this.  Someday.  But with two non-schooling kids running around, and only one proficient reader, I needed a much simpler approach.  (We ended up with Christian Light's God's Light in Science, by the way.)

Pray.

Without ceasing. 

Spend time on your face before the Lord, begging for the souls of your children.  And their hearts.  In fact, you may not get their souls, if you don't first have their hearts.  Be sensative to their state. 

Spend time pouring your heart out to the Lord for your husband.  Nothing else will strenthen that relationship as much.  Your relationship to him is of utmost importance to the stability of your children--they're watching.

And, of course, as the day unfolds, be in a constant state of prayer for sanity!  When the kids make you angry (not they ever would, of course, but should such a situation ever arise...) breath a prayer for the right reaction and words.  Two seconds could make the difference between harsh words and tears or a gentle reprimand in love.

Stay in the Word of God.

Every day.  Somehow, somewhere, make time to meditate on the Word of God.  Let its pure waters cleanse your mind and heart.  Those precepts will come out in your parenting, and they will see His reflection in you.

Yeah.  That's my desire.  I've got a loooong way to go.  Just ask my kids.  And my husband. 

Look back.

Every now and then.  Don't dwell there.  But let the Lord show you how far He's brought you.  It's good to  know He doesn't give up on us!

Love.

As He loves.

Everyone from strangers to those in your own home.  It'll change the way you think.

It's a good life, really.  After all, it's the one we were given by the Lord.

So smile and rejoice!

Monterey Bay Aquarium Field Trip

We've long loved visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium and are very privileged to live so close to it.  When a friend notified me that the aquarium was offering free admission for home schoolers, we eagerly signed up!  We carpooled with two other families.  The kids did great on the drive, entertaining themselves with creative stories and silly songs.

Years ago, the aquarium had been a huge cannery, so our first stop once inside was to see how the canning operations worked.  My boys, of course, were all about touching the fake sardines.

Next, we watched a video on creatures of the deep, which the kids had never seen.  It's funny, but as many times as we've been to the aquarium, we usually look at the tanks and skip the touch pools, movies, and hands-on activities.  The video was very informative, though, and the docent did an excellent job of showing some very amazing clips of a vampire squid, an underwater worm, a Dumbo octopus (pictured above), and several other amazing creatures.  (Photo Credit)

 

After the video, we went to the kids' discovery area, something else new for us.  This room is often closed when we're there, but today the staff had set it up to specifically accommodate home schoolers by adding extra exhibits for us to see.  T's favorite, of course, were the shark jaws.  He's definitely inherited his daddy's love of fierce fish!

Our next exhibit was the long-awaited 1.2 million-gallon Outer Bay tank.  This is by far my favorite display, and on our past two visits, it was closed for maintenance.  This was also K's favorite tank, mostly because there were two hammerhead sharks swimming around.  He finds their flat profiles hilarious and easy to recognize.  My friend A caught this photo of L watching the mackerel schooling.

And here is my favorite fish:  the sun fish!  This slow, ugly giant can grow to 10 feet or more, although the particular specimen shown is probably 4-5 feet in length.  Again, photo credit goes to A.  I think she took this one just for me! 

We then walked over to the kelp beds where several of the kids posed for a photo.  This 3-story-tall tank has a mechanism at the top that produces waves very similar to the lunar pull on the ocean.  It's great fun to see the leafy kelp swaying up and down with the man-made current.  T recognized the resident Leopard Sharks, much to his delight.

In the Splash Zone designed for younger visitors, we saw several fun, brightly colored tanks full of butterfly fish, sponges, tangs, clams, anemones, and tomato clownfish.  Everyone enjoyed the vibrant, tropical colors.

Another adventure of the day was the octopus.  While this guy is normally squashed up in a corner looking very uninspiring, on this particular visit he was in a great mood.  He willingly showed off for us, torpedoing through the water like a bullet and then spreading his tentacles out on the glass much like an umbrella.  (Photo Credit)

We weren't able to see every area on this trip - we skipped the ray tank, the salmon river, and the sea horse exhibit - but spending the day with friends and viewing new displays of God's amazing marine creation made for a great afternoon.