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How To Feel Five Years Old Again
At some point, although I’m not sure exactly when, I stopped looking forward to my birthday – it had become just an annual reminder of getting older. But one of the presents I got for my birthday this year made up for being another year older.
It was a Bubble Thing: a kind of fabric loop suspended from a rod which could, so it said, make unbelievably huge bubbles. It was hard to tell who was most excited when I opened it: me or James. We couldn’t wait to try it.
The first thing we had to do was make the bubble mixture. This meant using a bucket, which got James even more excited – he loves messing about with water. Then it was outside, to have a go. Waving the Bubble Thing around, I felt like a Ringmaster, trying to tame lions in front of an expectant audience at the circus. As I swung the loop, the bubbles billowed out behind it in one long kaleidoscope of colour so intense it was like being inside a rainbow. And they were huge.
Forget pots of bubbles or even bubble wands – these bubbles were ENORMOUS! We stared in wonder. James let out one, long “WOOOOOWWWWW!” The bubbles mutated as they floated on the breeze, turning from sausages into huge spheres and even dividing in two. James followed them round the garden, only bursting them just before they collided with something. Some were carried away down the street by the wind where they no doubt made passers-by gawp in amazement.
So, I learned that while I might no longer be able to light the final candle on my birthday cake before the first candle has burned out, there are some presents that can make me feel 5 years old again.
To make giant bubbles, you need the right mixture. GENTLY stir in 12 cups of water, 1 cup of Fairy washing-up liquid, 1 cup of cornflour and 2 tablespoons of baking powder (in that order). Don’t skimp on the washing-up liquid – I baulked at using half a bottle of Fairy, but I can assure you it was absolutely worth it!
Comments (7)
Cool! Have you any idea where it came from? My birthday is coming up and I REALLY want one too!
Wow! Absolutely awesome bubbles! There's something about bubbles that make people (young and old) smile and laugh and skip about, trying to burst them. I'm more likely to take a wee pot of bubbles with me to keep the girls amused than anything else. I am *definitely* going to try your bubble-mix recipe tomorrow - thank you very much for that!
No idea, but it's called a Klutz Bubble Thing and was £8.99 including the book. An interesting read or you could make your own massive bubble thing using a wire coathanger...
Thanks, Helen. I'll add it to my birthday list and of not, will give the coathangers a go!
...coathangers! Now there's an idea! Right, I'm off out into the garden to do exactly this, once Rose wakes from her nap. I'm more excited than the kids will be, I think! Thanks again for the ideas, ladies xx
By the way, be careful not to spill the mixture on the grass - our lawn has some patches looking a bit sorry for themselves!
WOW a homemade Bubble Mixture.... I'm off to make some NOW. The Lunn's adore bubbles! I love the bubble thing too.... def on my present list for next birthday :)