You Don't See That Every Day

I know it has almost been a month since I have been here. Where, oh, where did the summer go?! I had planned to write about our August adventures, but something more pressing has been on my mind today. And yesterday. And for the past few weeks actually. There is drama in the neighborhood and it is something I haven't really had to deal with much, outside of my family. A new neighbor moved in during the summer and the daughter is near the age of our 3rd and 4th kids. So it was fun getting to know her/them at first. But as novelty wears off, personalities come out. And along with that seems to come drama with these girls. We've had more of it this summer with 8, 9, and 10 year olds than my middle schooler did all the past year in school. The situations have brought up plenty of opportunities to talk with our girls about bullying, and gossip, and priorities, along with what a real friend looks like, and how to be a friend. Being in a homeschool world hasn't afforded us too ...

There is a lot of hair around our house. 5 females with long hair adds up to: many strands floating or found in various places; plus a lot of emptying of the vacuum canister. My two older girls have each cut their beautiful long hair once for Locks of Love. And this month it was the third one's turn. She has been asking since March, I think, to get her hair cut. I kept putting her off, until I had to tell her about the wedding. I had grand dreams of her long blonde hair in beautiful long curls. But since I have never really curled her hair much, I didn't realize that curls do.not.stay. in her hair. So she had long wavy hair for the wedding. And she still looked cute. The week we got back she started really hounding me about getting her hair cut. So I made it happen. Here we have the before photos:  so long and wavy And then after we visited the hair salon: Isn't she cute!? I said it made her look like Kit from the American Girls series. She really likes it ...

So, one more week until Christmas. Are you ready? Yeah, I'm about halfway there. I've got the gifts - or the makings of - for extended family members. But I don't have anything for most of my kids yet. Little K. is taken care of! She was the easiest this year, even though she doesn't really need more toys! The decorations are up, the tree is lit and pretty. G put strings of lights out on the house. The Christmas letter is drafted, and in process of being printed. I might even get it out before the Big day. And I got my Christmas haircut. What? You don't get one of those? How can you show your face around town without your Christmas haircut!? (just kiddin') I did get my hair done today. It needed a cut, and I finally gave in and had it colored. Just highlights, but still, a first for me. Way back years ago, my husband colored my hair with a box kit, but that was the one and only time (and once was enough!). So I plunged in and had a pro do my hair, and wow, I...

We've lived a full week - in 2 days. The kids came home on Monday and the girls decided to make a movie. Oh, have I mentioned we are 'electronic free' for the summer? Thus, the need to make their own entertainment instead of being entertained. It was mainly the girls who developed the storyline and gathered the actors. The idea centered around a murder no less. A cereal murderer. Oh yes, you read that correctly. C-e-r-e-a-l.  Not only entertaining but highly comedic. If I could find the little camera they used I might just be able to blog some of it! So as they were playing around, I took a moment to sit in the hammock and look up, and this is what I saw, for the few seconds I had my eyes off my 2 year old. Lovely. On Monday I got up the courage energy to make a bunch of phone calls I had been putting off. The dentist, the ob, the hair salon, the doctor's office .. and amazingly some of them were able to get me in this week. So that's why I have...

Can it really be a week since I posted on here? Time got away from me. Life was busy. And then my Internet went out. And the power was out too. I had a great post in my mind, made up while I was running last week, but it was one of the days I didn't have access to Internet .. and now it lost forever. Not a big loss ... The kids have been working on their pinewood derby cars this weekend. The Awana Grand Prix race is next Saturday and we have 4 kids entering their creations. G. might enter another car too. And Grandpa too. Here is my daughter, the tomato. Seriously, this is what she called herself. I just laugh and enjoy her imagination. When I saw her in all-red outfit I thought "Rahjneesh". Thankfully she thought tomato. A few weekends ago the oldest girl cut her hair. Since then, the next-in-line has been waiting for her turn to get her hair cut and sent in to Locks of Love. Saturday was the day. It was much more difficult for me to...

Before: It was time to cut hair this weekend. Little K has not had one single hair cut ever. It was not easy. She did not want to stay still at all. But those bangs needed it! So with a little distraction from dad I was able to get the scissors at her and trim across the front. That's all, but, boy, does it look a lot better. And I'm not having to constantly swipe her hair out of her face. After: Her older sister wanted a hair cut also. The tangles and the upkeep was beginning to be a pain in the neck for both of us! She has my curly, tangle-prone thick hair, so the short bob will be great for her. She also decided to send her hair into Locks of Love. Thankfully she had the length needed and we'll wrap it up to send in this week. Before:  After: Now my other daughter wants to do the same thing!

The truck with the trusses arrived today. Try and say that 5 times fast! Actually they arrived Monday morning. Unfortunately, we were unable to get them all across the roof. So they sit up top there in a stack, waiting, waiting, waiting. Still, it is one step closer to having a roof over our heads so to speak. It also happens to be 'spirit week' at our son's school this week. The first day he had to dress in something neon colored. Back in the day I'm sure both my husband and I could have easily outfitted him. But these days ... the only neon item we own in the whole house is a running jacket. My son wore it ... but I think it was reluctantly. At least is was neon orange! and not green! Today was crazy hair day. And since he needed a hair cut.... Well last night we decided to get him ready for crazy hair day. G shaved a cross in his hair and he went to school with 4 tufts of hair sticking up on the sides. Such bravery.