We Heart Soap

I have been trying to spend a little more one-on-one time with Ella lately (when she lets me, but more about that in a minute). The child loves soap, so we decided to make some ourselves. I can't take credit for the idea. Ella's friend from church and her very creative mother made little soap snow globes to give as gifts this past Christmas, and Ella has been using it in the tub lately. She also loves the AVON body paint soaps, which she calls deodorant and insists that I not rinse off before getting her out of the tub.

I Googled it, of course, and made my weekly trip to Michael's (We might go broke keeping EGR in craft supplies; she's quite the painter.) for the ingredients. It's easy-peasy.

Glycerin (I got clear with olive oil because she could use the extra moisture with all the scrubbing she does.)
Color
Scented oil
Plastic molds (They make them especially for soap, but I bought candy molds because the shapes were more fun).

We melted the glycerin in the microwave, she dropped in the colors and scent, and I poured it into the molds. We made flowers, lions, monkeys, elephants, bears, a princess, a castle, and a carriage. We had so many, she decided to give some as gifts. I put away a handful in the bathroom drawer so I'd have extra when she runs out. I already had to give her a new one because she uses them up quickly. While we were cleaning up the mess (Did I mention that soap is self-cleaning?) I found some other candy molds that I didn't know I had, so next time we are going to make teddy bears for her friends at school. We took a picture (she arranged them on the towel for me); aren't they pretty? I think I had as much fun as she did, and I'm already scheming gift ideas.

I tried to have a girls' day with her and Aunt Becca yesterday, but she insisted that we bring Luke along. The plan was to drop Luke and Dave off at the house after church and pick up Aunt Becca for shopping. However, Ella informed me that "Luke will cry before we get back and we need to bring him with us because he's a baby." So, we brought him with us.

That's how it usually goes when I try to spend time with her by herself. She wants him to be there, too. He was napping the day we made soap, and she regretted afterward that he didn't get to sit in his high chair and watch. Occasionally, she doesn't want him around if she wants the tub to herself or for me to cuddle her at bedtime, but most of the time she wants him right there with us.