Grating soap.

Today I NEED to make more washing powder. See the glass jar on the top shelf with the little red scoop, I last made washing powder way back around April, may be March, maybe May, but about then. For a few months, it was used for 3 peoples clothes, including mucky overalls, the rest of the time its been a household of two, two messy eaters - I always spill my food! And one general mess from a 6 year old, paint, muck and whatever else he finds, along with food. He even gets food in his hair!
So later today I will be grating a pack of soap bars I found when cleaning out a box of junk. I don't normally grate soap to use, I'm lazy and buy Grannys Soap Flakes but I keep forgetting to go to the iron mongers and the bars of soap are not going to get used. We don't like bars of soap, we have a coconut liquid wash that a little goes a long long way.
To the grated soap I will add half that amount of soda crystals and half of that again of borax. Shake before putting some in the drum.

 

Poor Lightning; last night was the local fireworks display. The rain was doubling back up to get underneath your chin, streams forming along nearly every street and mock ponds forming in all the usual places, yet the council went ahead. I can see most of these from my house. Not the same as being there, but still good to look at. I sat in a darkened room with my very 'don't touch me unless I want food' cat, who was petrified and sat 5 inches away from me. To him, that is as good as a cuddle you are going to get. Dreading this week of bangs. 

Being a good person is something we can work on.

"9. You don't need to memorize and follow a bunch of rules.
The only useful rule is to listen to yourself and follow that.
10. Nobody is more spiritual than anyone else.
Everyone has a spirit. We are all equally spiritual. Being a good person is something we can work on. "

from 10 things everyone gets wrong abot yoga over at MindBodyGreen

these 2 really spoke to me. I dont really have many aims in life (other than get rid of debt and be mortgage free asap.), but I do live by a philosophy of treat others the way you would like to be treated. I find this works for me, and I am tyring to instill a sense of that in my son. In all honesty, I don't need to instil that in him, it is already there and it shines out from within him. Yet he is treading the murky waters of Primary school, friendships, best friends, horrible friends and everything inbetween. So far I have had to remind him that he does what HE wants and not to do something because other friends are telling him he needs to, or, as I overhear at my door one day, blackmail; If you don't do suchandsuch, then we wont be your friend for a whole week*.

Today is Lyle's school Halloween party. We quickly made a costume yesterday.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle - Leonardo.
Made eye mask, belt, shell, swords, undershell. and our own face paint.

Here is a rough copy... will get better pics tonight when he is 'all dressed'.

*I was livid with that and went to my door, and said to Lyle, loud enough for them 2 to hear, that he does not need friends who make him feel sad and that he has other friends he can play with, (he didnt then, he only had those two boys as friends...) and to close the door when done.  Oh how much I wanted to give those kids into trouble! All because he did not want to go out to play.

I nearly forgot this

Nine pounds for a Samsung HDTV DVD player. Yes, you read that correct. £9 for a Brand DVD player. I love it when Tesco sell off their stuff ch-e-a-p!

Little Christmas Stash.

So tonight I got some great bargins whilst doing my messages - Scottish for going shopping, mostly food shopping.

I picked up and added to my little pile:
Batman pyjamas for Declan £7, nope I paid £4.
Girls pyjamas for Coby-Leigh, £4.50, I paid £2!
Flip top pens, £4 a pack, I paid £3 for 2 packs.
Sharpie pens, I paid 50p a pack and got 2 packs. I might get another few packs when next there, as they are good present builders/stocking fillers.
Crayola dry erasers £1 I think. I might keep these for me as I'm hoping to get something for in the kitchen... More on that another time.
The 3 games that I mentioned before
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ooze chucking Mikey (when did they start calling Michelangelo Mikey?).
TMNT Socks (probably when they changed to TMNT).
Wellie socks
Skylanders Mega Bloks - Troll Mech Ambush and Arkeyan Copter Attack.

Not pictured is TMNT pyjamas and obviously his bike, which is staying in the shop til the week of Christmas.

Just need to get some make up/nail stuff for Coby and something of WWF for Declan and I'm done for them.
Not got Rio anything yet, but have began looking.

7th Birthday

For some reason, today, I am just bursting with ideas for my sons 7th birthday.

He wanted a Harry Potter themed party last year but I could not get anywhere that could accomodate what I wanted to do (have things stuck to the walls/ceiling etc... so this year I want to get super organised.
My friend gave me a website for cheap wands, but at around £10 each, its more than I want to pay for each kid. Going to stick with an idea from the web - when I find the site I will link back to it, chopsticks, glue gun, paint and beads/gems.

I'm planning on making a pináta, with some string attached and they have to perform spells to get it to open.... i'm thinking of making it like the Boggart in the cupboard when Professor Lupin gets the moon.

Sting attached to paper candles and hung over the food table.

Wall to walk in that looks like the brick wall for platform 9 3/4, using old sheet and some paint. Hang this up on the door to the party.

Most wanted poster to have your picture taken in. Bit like a Photo booth thing.

Each child will go home with a Spell Book.

The kids will be split into houses.
Unsure yet if they are going to earn points throughout the day

Unsure yet on how long this is going to last, that may be dictated by price of venue.

Venue - Newark Castle/Fort Matilda train station - need to call and see if they would accomodate us, if yes how much for. If not then back to the thinking board.

Activities
Potions Class - mentos n coke, vinegar n bicarb type experiments.
Herbology Class - grow cress seeds or something similar.
Defense Against the Dark Arts - Boggart Pináta
Quidich - using balloons and hola hoops