Oy!

So all week we've been working on our bathroom for one week and it's still not done. I'm very sad because I wanted to use my cool new tub this week. However, since it's not done that means it will be MY project to finish. I hate following Brandon around getting stuff for him. It's not because he doesn't think I can't do it, it's just the rolls we fall into most.

Which brings me to thinking... Is this what we are teaching our children. I'm so thankful that my parents taught me so much. My mom spent hours in the kitchen teaching me to cook and my dad spent hours teaching me how to use tools in the garage. I want my kids to be just as well rounded, but I also want to keep them from falling to the stereo typical male-female rolls.

I'm lucky enough to have found Brandon who does let me take the lead and be in charge of projects at times too. I insisted I do all the tile work in my bathroom this week. He was really good about changing rolls and letting me take charge. Ideally this how I want my boys to work with their significant others all the time. But how do you teach this skill? Is it really taught or is it just something they have or don't have? Things to ponder.

Projects

Ohh, I'm so excited! I love knitting up fun things and sending them off, but with the heat of summer and the recent new sewing table and set up in the basement I can't stop sewing. I love sewing and there is nothing that makes me happier than sewing up something useful and knowing it will last.

So, things I want to finish sewing before it gets too cold in the basement.
-bag for swap
-undies for Caleb
-sweat shirt for Joel
-sweat shirt for Caleb
-sweat shirt for Me
-dressy pants for Me
-messenger bag
-2 long sleeve shirts for Joel
-2 pair pants for Joel
-winter cloths bag for Caleb

Then there is the Christmas list! I don't think I mentioned it yet, but everything we give for Christmas this year will be homemade. I got the idea from a friend. ;) We don't give to many people anymore so it won't be too hard. We are also planning to head out of town for Christmas this year and spend time together without the hustle and bustle.

Busy

So...

This summer has been crazy busy. I'm not entirely sure why, but we seem to have things going every single day. I couldn't even find the time to take the boys camping on my own. Usually, I take off and go camping a few days early and then Brandon comes and joins us for the weekend or the boys and I would head out Monday for a couple days or more. Oh-well.

Even our September is full and most people know what we will be doing in October. It's hard having everything planned out because I'm a fly by the seat of my pants girl. I hate schedules and appointments and all that other stuff.

So the perfect end to a busy summer is having found the perfect school for Caleb.

Anyway, it's noon already and I need to prepare for a few things today. Good times!

Happy Wednesday.

Bathroom

So, we have a problem. We were aware of the problem long before now so don't fret. Anyway, our problem is our shower floor is cracked in the master bathroom. No big deal when it wasn't leaking. However, it has begun to leak and leak something terrible. We were waiting until just the right time to fix it seeing as Brandon only has 13 days to take off from work. And we needed to save up money because what we want will require a plumber and maybe an electrician. We had planned on having it done for us, but with summer we couldn't come up with enough money. Gah! So to make a long story short we have already bought a really cool tub and some beautiful tiles and we are ready to go. I figure all we need now is a good time to get it done. I hate unfinished projects!!!

Well, that being said... I guess we start after our big vacation of the year, two weeks. Brandon has that Monday off and when we get home, he'll take the next 4 days off plus the weekend which gives us 6 days to totally redo my/our master bathroom. Before we leave I want to have the bathroom demolished and this faux wall/ledge thing constructed. Right now I have no where to set a bottle of shampoo and it's super annoying so we agreed on making a ledge thing about two feet up from the bathtub edge.

Soap!

First let me start with, I really enjoy making soap. Holy cow is it fun. Who knew? When I was a kid about 10 my Grandma H. showed me how to make soap with leftover bacon grease and I thought I would never do that. Ewe. I remember even thinking, "That soap is going to smell terrible!" Turns out it didn't smell like anything and boy did it make a great kitchen/bathroom soap bar. It was super hard and cleaned really well. Now mind you she usually let it set in the bathroom attic for nearly a year to harden, but still!

So, over a year ago I did lots and lots of research and started making soap. It turned out lovely and super hard and made a super lather and had the perfect pH. Huh? This is pretty easy. While it is easy, it's also very dangerous!!! Maybe that's part of the fun. Hah! Needless to say I made many and many more batches and gave tons and tons of it away since I could not figure out how to make a small batch. The book I had called for 10 pound loafs. Recently I've got that under control.


Anyway, with yet more and more research I discovered I can do tons of way cool things with my soap. I went to my one of favorite stores, The Bulk Priced Food Store, and bought a bunch of bulk tea. One of my favorite smelling tea is Indian Spice, but I hate the way it tastes. Go figure. So I made a super strong tea and let it set out for at least an hour. Then I ground up a couple table spoons of the tea to make a reasonably fine powder. I used the strained tea to mix with the lye and then when the soap was done I stired in the powder. Finally, on top I sprinkled more whole tea on top. Needless to say, I have made one of the best smelling soaps ever, in my opinion. Woowee, do I love it.


Ahh.

Spiced Soap

So pretty all lined up!!!

Continuation

So, where was I? I've been thinking about finishing this post for awhile now and I don't know if I have the right words to explain exactly how I feel.

Well, anyway we moved to Bosnia. I stayed there with my wonderful husband who tried desperately to make it feel like home, but it just never felt right. He knew after being there for six weeks without me that I probably wouldn't like it, but he hoped I would get used to it. We lived with a family, or above a family who was fairly nice. Most of them spoke English and it was okay. I just liked some of the creature comforts offered in the States. I like a shower everyday and drinking water to come out of the faucet and electric most of the time. Now I can live without these things for short periods of time and it's all good, but three weeks in the middle of summer with temperatures over 100 and I'm very cranky. To make a long story short, I left with our son to go back to the States and buy a house.

I come home and it's good. I missed my family something terrible and loved having a hot shower everyday. Right away I started looking for a house and it was all good. The paperwork turned out to pain in the arse simply because Brandon was still in Bosnia, but we had already prepared for that. So, after about 100 houses, I finally picked one and moved in. Here we are now.

Caleb and I have been here nearly six years now and Brandon has been here three years. That means he spent three years away from us in Bosnia and Iraq. While in Iraq he went to school and got a degree and I tried. I was too slow and had too much going on with being a single parent to get a degree in any sort of timely manner. I took ten classes and feel like I've learned a lot, but I'm now 28 with two kiddos and still not done with school. This is what saddens me. I've spent my entire marriage doing what a good 1960's wife would do while I want to be my own person. Sure I have done things for myself over the years, but never have I sat down and done what I need to do for me. Like I said, I'm 28 and have no real job skills and have no degree and nothing else.

While I love being married and wouldn't change the last ten years of my life for anything, but gosh darn it, it's time to spend some time and money on me.

I applied for culinary arts at the local tech college for January and what I got in the mail was annoying. I have a long to do list that needs to be done in just a few days. After making several calls and talking to lots of people, there is no way it can be done. Maybe I will start next fall. I sent a few emails to my advisor at UW-online and was told I have to reapply. I'm betting I can get everything in to start again in January, but jeez. Reapply! I already have 30something credits. What if I don't get in? I mean they told I wouldn't, but...

So how is it that I finally get the nerve up to do something for myself and this is how it turns out? Color me annoyed. I guess if you want it bad enough you'll work for it.

So here is to me wanting it bad enough.
Peace!

Anniversary

So now that is one day till August I am once again reminded that our anniversary is coming up. This October 6th we will have been married for ten years. It was ten years ago tomorrow that I was talked into getting married, I was only 18.

With our anniversary coming up I should be happy and excited as I have in years past, but this year is different. Is it different because I think it should be extra special and I know it won't? I'm not sure, but what I do know is that I am sad. When I was 16 I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I was destine to become a nurse and live by myself with my dogs in a cute apartment all by myself. My ideas about my future never included a husband or kids simply because my parents told me I would never find a guy and surely not one who wanted to have babies.

Well, I turned 16 and dated a guy for awhile and became awesome friends with one his friends. We enjoyed talking on the phone and talking about Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. We had done several of the same adventures such as backpacking, and canoe trips. Needless to say we soon started dating. Sure enough a couple years later this same guy talked me into marrying him.

It wasn't long before he had me talked into moving to California with him. A couple years later, I still hadn't attended college because I had to work to pay for rent, and I found myself pregnant. It was good, all our friends had babies and most of them were younger than us. A few months after the birth of our first son, we moved back to WI. I was happy living near family again and working again where I worked when I was in High School.

While Brandon looked and looked for a job I kept working and all was good. We made it work while living above my parents. It was one cold night, when Brandon came to bed and asked if I was still awake. I was, and he asked, "Wanna move to Bosnia?" I knew it was in Europe and he knew I would do anything to get back to Europe. So we moved.

The rest of the story tomorrow!