Let Them Blow Bubbles

It was one of those days.

The kids were complaining, the housework was mounting, the writing deadlines were approaching and I?

I was having a Calgon moment.

Don’t even pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about.

I try to keep a small cache of activities on hand for moments like this one, and on this day, I decided on a no-fail activity, one that fits just about any budget….

 

Bubbles.

An outrageously kind toy rep had sent us a boxful of bubble blowing products, including this 27-piece Bubble Bonanza. It’s just $5.99 at Kmart, but the kids reacted as if the multiple bubble blowers included in the package were made of gold.

Gold, I tell you!

It never fails to amaze me how absorbed both of my children can be by the act of blowing, watching and catching bubbles.

It also never fails to amaze me how quickly we run out of bubble liquid. I generally buy big containers of the stuff (We are bubble-blowing fools, after all) since it’s so cheap, but you can also make your own for even less money. Here’s an easy recipe from eHow:

MIX:

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup dish detergent
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup

eHow recommends funneling this mixture into an empty gallon jug and letting it sit for a day before using it. Since we already have these ingredients on hand, we might have to try this ourselves. It would definitely make for a fun little math lesson.

 

Our most popular bubble blowing tool of the day was this Thomas Bubble Blower, which whistles when you blow into it.

Oh, the arguing over whose turn it was to play with Thomas! Oh, the shouting! Oh, the tears! You can just see the abject longing, the unmitigated envy in Punky’s eyes in this shot, can’t you?

 

Never fear, Punky fans. SHE GOT HER TURN.

So the next time this summer that your kids are squalling, your dogs are barking, your oven is broken (or is that just me?), and you’re at your wit’s end…

[In other words, TOMORROW…]

Just say “BUBBLES!”

And all will be well with the world.

 

 

 

NOTE: For the purposes of this post, we also used the Little Tykes Bubble Leaf and Lawn Blower {which my son mistook for a bubble machine gun}. I think it’s safe to say he liked it a lawt. All of our bubble blowers were provided by the folks at Imperial Toys, who graciously saved my sanity on an otherwise rocky afternoon.