Soap report

I realized that I have yet to make good on my promise to report back on how the soap turned out. My assessment: it's awesome!!! I have used it as hand soap, bar soap in the shower, and today I used it instead of shampoo. Seriously. It worked great. I can't wait to make more, even though I have enough to last our family for the better part of a year. If you don't want homemade soap as a Christmas gift, let me know. :)

In other news, Eliana has started playing the piano. She can play "Twinkle twinkle little star, " "Mary had a little lamb," and the song from Winnie the Pooh (the first part...deep in the hundred acre wood, etc., etc.) Believe me, this has all been her idea. It's a frustrating process, because she wants to be able to play a song perfectly the first time through (where did she get that from?). But a couple of things have helped. #1, I write the letter names of the notes on the keys with pencil, so she has a visual cue in addition to auditory; #2, I bought some new music for myself and have been modeling appropriate behavior for learning a new song on the piano. I make sure she notices how I have to try several times before I get a section right.

Here is a video of her first "performance"

And here's what what was running through my head when she was really frustrated

http://www.youtube.com/watch#playnext=1&playnext_from=TL&videos=7uaZJGZMyUg&v=q1Ugqh471IE