Boy "Crafts."

It's been a long week around these here parts. 
Not bad - just long. 
And slightly hairy.

As in taking-three-hoolies-by-myself-to-the-midwife hairy and getting-shot-895-times-by-Kaden's-new-dart-gun hairy.

And also as in taking-three-hoolies-errand-shopping-by-myself hairy...and long-days-for-Daddy-at-work-which-make-for-long-days-at-home-for-me hairy.

Nothing necessarily out of the ordinary, mind you.
Just a wee bit nuts.

Give me one day here or there where I take all three darlings somewhere out and about all by myself, and I am happily set for another month of staying at home - well within our own little happy spaces of knowing boundaries and where Hooliganism can run wild and unlimited...

And they are not even bad boys.  They are all actually quite sweet and for the most part, really have little hearts that honestly desire to please.  There is just something about new territory, and of maybe just getting "out" that seems to push an "impy" button or three.  Jesse, especially seems to take an extra crazy pill on our excursions out and about...and his big brother Kaden seems to find this most hilarious...which just gives Jesse more fuel for his fire.

And Ransom always seems to have to use the bathroom - as in go #2 - at the most inopportune times....and this child is a marathon pooper.  So, we're talking like twenty minutes plus - be it wherever we are.  Like say, smack dab in the middle of my midwife appointment when he declares his intentions for another go around.  And believe you me - there is absolutely no rushing this child.  And so we all sit....and we wait....while he loudly gives us his play by play from inside the bathroom.  Glory be....

Anyway, I digress...

Needless to say, today was a much needed catch-up, hang at home, and re-find our rhythm kind of a day. And once the world righted itself again, and after I found my sanity that was in hiding for the better part of this week, when the boys asked if we could "make something" today, I was (mostly) all for it. 

We went to my dear friend Rachael's house last week, and the boys spent the better part of the day downstairs in her girls' "craft room" making things to sell.  Well, let me just tell you how all of this inspired my wee boys.  They now want their own "workshop" (calling it a craft room is "too girly," so says Kaden).  And they now want to make "creations" to sell (calling them "crafts" is not what boys do, so says Jesse). 

And so, while my Hoolies do not yet have for themselves a workshop yet, we did find some "creations" that were boy-approved, that could possibly be sold (to Grampys and Grammys and our good neighbor Lew at least),  and that were easy, cheap, and fun to make - courtesy of my good friend, Pinterest.

Here is the little gem of a website (blog? pin?) that we found....and where you will most likely get better pictures and/or instructions.  But, you know....I'll give it a whirl over here - along with what worked and what didn't for us.  So, far we have made three of the ten "Boy Approved Crafts," and we were more than pleased with all of them.  We have tried the homemade lava lamps, marshmallow shooters, and homemade GAK. 

The marshmallow shooters were, by far, the least involved....and least messy.  We used 12 ounce plastic cups - doubled up for extra thickness.  We cut off the bottom third of the cup, tied a knot in our deflated balloon and cut 1/2 inch off the top of that (either 10" or 12" work nicely).  Then, we stretched the balloon over the lip of the cup, inserted one wee little marshmallow inside, pulled back on our knotted little "handle," and let 'er rip.

And let me just tell you -- those marshmallows soar!  Seriously.  I was very impressed.  The very couth and kosher Mama who invented said marshmallow shooters recommends to shoot pompoms in the house and leave the marshmallows for outside play.  That might be a good idea.  It might also be a good idea to not try M&M's or mini Valentine heart candies, either.  Just sayin'.  They're more painful.  But, they can also get some major air, as well....

Setting up targets.  Not nearly as fun as trying to shoot marshmallows into each other's mouths...or at the cats.

The homemade lava lamps were pretty cool, too.  I would recommend using taller, wider jars.  All we had were some empty Izze soda bottles.  Ingredients needed:  glass jars, oil, water, food coloring, and Alka Seltzer tablets.  Easy sneezy.  Except for the fact that if Kev ever needs any of his medicine....his entire two boxes have been....er...very well used.

Take your glass jars and fill 2/3rds of the way up with oil.  Then, fill them the rest of the way with water -- sparing an inch or two at the top for potential explosions.  Add 5 or 10 drops.....or half a bottle of food coloring, depending on how well you supervise your children --- and then wait a few minutes for the drops to penetrate the oil barrier and change the color of your water. 

And then the fun begins!

Take an Alka Seltzer tablet and break it up into small pieces.  When you drop them into your jar, they will immediately start to fizz and cause tons of mini little food colored oil bubbles to rise to the surface - thus making your very own wee little "lava lamps."  The lava stops rising as soon as the tablets stop fizzing, but each time you drop in a little piece, your lava will rise once again.

Or --- you can do what Jesse did and just toss an entire tablet into your jar for one amazing volcano-like effect of a lava lamp explosion.  Whatever works.  Jesse marches to the beat of his own little drum...

And finally - the homemade GAK!  This was my boys' favorite "creation," and it really is kind of cool.  Plus it lasts in a plastic bag or container with a lid for several weeks.  All you need is a 4oz. bottle of white glue, water, food coloring, and Borax.  Dump your entire bottle of glue into a bowl and mix with a half cup of water.  Add food coloring and stir some more.

Then, heat up one cup of water and dissolve one tablespoon of borax into this.  While stirring, add another 1/2 teaspoon of borax and continue adding 1/2 teaspoons until the borax no longer dissolves into the water.

 (Stirring the borax and water....with Kaden telling me over and over again that no matter how many red drops he added to his mixture...it still is only making PINK.  Oh, the horrors...)

I think that we added too much borax - because I thought it was dissolving when it was really just settling onto the bottom of the bowl.  I believe the recipe said about 2 1/2 more teaspoons after the original 1 tablespoon.  I think I added about a cup....  It still came out good - maybe just not as "GAK-y."

Behold, the "blob."

Dump the borax and water into your glue mixture and immediately start stirring.  Almost instantly, you will see a big huge blob start to form in the middle of the water.  Stir it for a bit longer, and then just pull your blob out of the water.  Chuck the water and start handling and kneading your GAK.  It will feel really wet and slimy, at first - but the more you handle it, the drier it becomes, until it just feels cold and damp - but not sticky or slimy at all.

Establish the rule that all GAK stays at the table, and let your children play at will.

You are very welcome.

And I apologize in advance for marshmallows in your heating ducts, for food coloring stained fingers, for spilled oil and for missing medicine, and lastly for GAK all over your kitchen floor.

But just so you know...it does peel off quite nicely.
Although, not so much from your hair.....