Laundry sauce

   I have not bought laundry detergent since Bush W was president. No, we aren't grungy people, not do we buy new clothes every time our clothes get dirty. When I did buy laundry detergent, we went through a jug every 2 weeks or so with just my husband, son, and I. Any mom who has ever perused the laundry aisle knows that kind of usage translates into huge spendings.
   So our solution, make it ourselves. Like most people I read about while finding my method, I started with the Duggars. If you don't know them google them, they are a Christian family of 22 living debt free and with out any government assistance. They have a recipe on their Web site that works great, however i looker my laundry to have some fragrance.
   After doing a lot of research, all homemade laundry boil down to three ingredients: bar soap, borax, and laundry soda. For the bar soap, most recommend Fels Napa or Zote, I use two bars of my goat milk soap. The recipes break down to 1 grated bar, 1 cup and 1 cup. Boil the grated bar in approximately 4 cups of water then add the powders and mix completely.
   Now this makes an extreme concentrate so here is where the recipes vary. In this house we split the mixture into two quart size main jars and fill the rest with water. After about 3 hours I mix the mixture again to turn it into a smooth sauce. It only takes a tablespoon per load. We get about 68 loads a jar so not too bad.
   The real reason anyone might do this is cost. This recipe cost us about $0.95 a batch the last time I crunched the numbers. (I'm sure it's gone up, thanks economy) and it lasts us about a month. Now that is a lot better than the $30 ish I was spending before.
   Now the does it work aspect is a big yes. We are a homestead family which translates to a lot of out doors time. Also 3/5 of this family are children/toddlers, and they are very hard on their clothes. If you are looking for some where to pinch some pennies, this would definitely be a good place to start. It cost next to nothing to try it out which is the best selling point. Good luck and God bless.
  

Sleep deprived state of mind

With three babies under 4 years old, sleepless nights are bound to happen. When your husband works nights, they trend to happen more often. Last night, my children planned a mutiny on me. Conner kept getting out of bed, Miranda tossed and turned with an upset tummy, and Jasper was just fidgety. Between the three if them I was able to fall asleep around 11:30pm and was awaken promptly at 12am. I'm not a happy camper at all.
   When these nights start happening fairly often there are a few things I try to remember but am not always successful. First i have to remind myself that they are growing children. Even though I'm with then 24/7, I often forget that these are small children I'm dealing with. They don't yet have the mental capability to articulate what's wrong with them. So, with very little to no sleep i have to think quicker than Sherlock and Watson to get these babies feeling well enough to go to sleep.
   Next I usually have to remember that these tiny children are tired too. They played super hard all day and want to sleep but can't. I have finally figured that when tired, children tend to choose fighting the sleep instead of giving in. This world is still new and exciting, there it's nothing worse than missing something. Luckily, we have an amazing bed time routine. That's all i got for this issue: dinner, bath, tea and story time, bed.
    When all else fails, I go crying to my husband for a day, which translates to maybe 2 hours. God bless him, but most times mommy does it best. During my "day" I get to shut my door and lay down while Daniel runs defense to give me some time to breath. Those few hours gives me back my positive perspective on life.
   So to all my sleepless moms just wishing for a ray of hope, I hope this helps you find some peace. You are not alone.

Child's play

It is so interesting watching my children play every morning after chores but before it gets too hot. Conner is at the age were his imagination is starting to kick in, and he is so vocal about his play and what her his doing. His sister, Miranda is also starting to play with him. She doesn't always get the game but she is right in the middle of it. Well, unless a rock is more interesting.

The game to day is dirt. Conner is using his shovel to fill a bucket with dirt. Then he runs with the bucket to the drive way and pours the dirt out. This is followed by packing the dirt down with the shovel. The process repeats several times, it's hard work but someone has to do it.

This game is only topped by climbing the "barn" I built for him to keep his bike in. It's a simple structure made by screwing 4 pallets together. Once the dirt gets boring, he scales this building and truss to forge the coolest/scariest way to get down. The best way so far is climbing half way down and jumping.

Miranda had added a new game to her favorites list of butterfly watching. She is very stealthy for a one year old and can get very close to them. When they do fly off, she gets very upset with them for moving

I absolutely love that my children enjoy playing out doors and use their imaginations. They remind me of how innocent childhood can be. To be alter to pick up a stick and it be a bow or a gun to play cowboys and Indians, to be able to marvel at the colors of a butterfly's wings, it's truly amazing.