I have been enjoying watching fellow bloggers link up with Fine Linen and Purple’s What I Wore Sunday. They have embraced their femininity (the skirt/dress wearing puts me to shame) without sacrificing their cuteness and individuality. Then yesterday I read Dwija’s post Why I Stopped Not Caring and Started Wearing Concealer. Both struck a chord with me because I have had many of the same thoughts. (Even though I still haven’t bought any much needed concealer or started wearing skirts…yet.) What I have done, however, is get a rein on my crazy hair.
The other day a friend was complimenting my hair. She didn’t believe me when I told her that before I discovered hair product, I had an unwanted fro. (I have the 8th grade photos to prove it but you’ll never see those here!) She wanted to know what I used, which made me think that there might be other fellow curly haired gals that want to know. So this week’s {pretty, happy, funny, real} is the Dry, Frizzy Hair Edition.
{funny}
About a year ago I was complaining to my sister that I hated my Christmas tree hair do. “Huh?” you say. You know, pointed on top and then it flairs out like a triangle. I felt like Gilda Radner and that character she played on SNL.
{real}
My sis BC told me I had to get a real haircut and stop just chopping off the bottom of my hair with dull scissors twice a year. With a heavy sigh, I searched for a hairdresser that knew how to handle curly hair. God answered my pleas and sent sweet Joyce into my life. She gave me a good cut with long layers and new hair products that took me from this….
(The bright flash highlights the dried mess. My hair is actually much darker.)
{pretty}
TO THIS…
(Don’t you love photos that make you look 10 years younger than you look in real life? 😉
Although I am more likely to wear my hair pulled up, I like that I can wear it down without being embarrassed!
{happy}
Even with a good cut, I must wear product. Every curly head is different but these are the ones that make my hair the happiest.
Infusium 23 Repair & Renew Leave In Treatment
This stuff has been in our thick haired family for years. I use it for day to day leave-in conditioning.
On extra special days I’ll use a pricier leave-in treatment that replenishes my hair. It is a thicker oil so a little goes a long way and it smells nice.
Which ever treatment I use, I also have to use this…
TIGI Catwalk Curl Collection Curlesque Curls Rock Amplifier
This works well for me because it is not so stiff that I have rock sold hair but it is strong enough to give me hold for a day or two. I just make sure to NEVER brush out my hair (refer to the {real} photo). I only use my fingers.
(If you have super long hair and need to brush after a shower, get a wide toothed nylon bristle brush like this. Comb it once when you get out of the shower, put on product with your fingers and don’t comb again.
You can air dry but I find blow drying with a diffuser on medium heat gives me the best results if I plan to wear my hair down. When your hair starts getting frizzy, or if you’ve slept on it, you should be able to just wet your hand a little and gently run it through your hair or add just a touch more of your hair product.
Well, that is what worked for me. If you have other products that have worked well for you, please share them!
~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
AND
Time for a Friday evening {pretty, happy, funny, real} / 7 Quick Takes Mash-up/ & fave Instagrams of the week.
– 1 –
{happy}
It’s Beginning to Feel A Lot Like… – We’ve had our first rain of the season this week and it was wonderful! It has become tradition that once the first rain comes I listen to Christmas music and drink a cup of hot chocolate in anticipation of the holidays to come. I love it!
– 2 –
{pretty}
Blue Heaven – The day after the storm the sky was so pretty as the clouds moved out and the sun broke through the freshly washed land.
– 3 –
Biological Clock Ticking? – I’ve got baby on the brain. No, no, I am not expecting, and frankly, Brian and I believe this may be the end. Of course, one can never say never with God. But I have been thinking about it more. Normally, when I talk to people (not other Catholic families who already have a lot of kids but acquaintances or strangers) they are surprised that we have four kids and tell me how my hands must be full, blah, blah, blah, blah. (Bella and I say this often in Hotel Transylvania style. 😉 The other day we met a woman we know from church. She is a retired pediatrician and had 5 kids of her own. After we chatted, she said she was happy that we had 5 children…I corrected her and told her we only had 4. No worries! She said we should have another baby because we are such a wonderful, holy family etc. I smiled because to this sweet grandma, anyone under 45 was still considered young, despite my bones that creak in the morning and the new wrinkles and dark circles I’m finding under my eyes.
A few days later we had our carpets cleaned by a great local company and the guy, who I am assuming was about our age, was asking about our kids and if we were going to have any more. When we said we weren’t sure but didn’t think so, he said we were still young and should have another! He had eight of his own and said it was hard work but worth it. I told Brian if one more person tells us we should have another baby we may have to pray about whether or not God is trying to tell us something. LOL
– 4 –
Baby Boom – I may also have baby on the brain because there is a preggers boom in blogging land! Now, of course whenever you get a group of practicing Catholic mamas together, you are bound to have a number of overlapping pregnancies but it seems like every week another blogger (or two) is announcing the blessing of a little one growing in them. By the way, that reminds me to offer congratulations to Jen, Hallie, Jenna, and the recently announced Dawn. (I could also add Betty and Karianna but they are either farther along or on the home stretch.) Okay, who’s next? (And stop looking at me.)
– 5 –
{funny}
Touché – In the meantime, my little climber Matthew continues to scale the furniture. It has become a game to him. His latest is to climb up on the TV stand and sit in front of the screen. Literally. Usually he then calls, “Mama!!!” and when I walk in he either laughs and say, “Ge Dow” (get down) or he shakes his finger at me and says, “No, no, no.”
Although on this day Pocoyo came on the screen and he was too absorbed to repeat to me all the things I usually tell him.
That look says, “You know, Mama, if you were really mad at me you’d stop taking photos and laughing about it on your blog.”
– 6 –
Mother of the Zombie Apocalypse – There is nothing sweeter than hearing your kids say their prayers. There is often also a touch of humor as they are still getting the correct wording down. The other day Andrew was praying the Hail Mary and I just caught the end which sounded more like dialogue in a zombie movie…”Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for our innards now and we are deaf.”
– 7 –
He Sounds Like Buckwheat from Little Rascals – In the past, since Andrew and John-Paul were both speech delayed (and A. having borderline apraxia) I would long to hear them say the words “I love you.” The other evening as I was kissing them goodnight Andrew said, “I love you, Mommy” and John-Paul echoed “I lub you, mama!” I was moved to tears. As I kissed them and told them to have sweet dreams I got JP’s signature, “Otay, mama!”
– BONUS TAKE 8 –
{real}
Like Mother, Like Son – Speaking of John-Paul, he is usually my shopping buddy but I think I created a bit of a shopping monster. Everyday this week when I took him to school, as I turned off the highway to go towards his school he would yell from the backseat, “No, no! Go Target!” Every day. This morning he was off from school and I told him he had to get dressed so we could run errands. He exclaimed, “Go Target, Mama!” Yes, we were going to Target. Brian looked at us quizzically and I explained that he loved to go shopping at Target. He just shook his head and prayed under his breath, “Save us, Jesus.” One Target-aholic in the family is enough.
Have a wonderful weekend!
~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
AND
Time for a Friday evening {pretty, happy, funny, real} / 7 Quick Takes Mash-up.
– 1 –
{happy}
I Love You, Fog – This morning Brian worked the early shift and he told me I could go out and take a walk at the beach. It has been awhile since I’ve taken that trail. It started out foggy but then it warmed up and the sun came out. Although I am not complaining about the fog! I was soo happy to see it return after this week’s heat wave!
Daddy Long Legs – My hat goes off to all those people who have endured the summer heat for three long months. We had a heat wave in Carmel (with the hottest day hitting 90 by the coast) and we barely lasted three days. Although I was a major grouch able to remain incredibly cheerful, the kids were like zombies on the couch begging for cups of ice. I was hunting high and low for shorts that would fit the boys since it was never hot enough all summer to buy any new ones. I finally found some in a box of too small clothes and for three days the boys looked like retro basketball players with their too small, short-shorts. We are so cool-weather spoiled, it is ridiculous.
– 3 –
{happy}
Spoiler Alert – Remember when I was telling you about Ryan Charles Trusell and his publication Ora et Labora et Zombies? Well, we got the next two letters this week and Brian and I were so happy! Well, at first we weren’t though, because it caused a little ruckus in the house. After I told Brian about the novel and encouraged him to read with me, he became intrigued and got into the story too. So the other day when he got the mail and found the envelope he was excited to open it right away. I told him it had my name on the envelope so it was actually my mail to open. (Okay, so I was teasing him a bit.) I told him he could read it first but he knows the rules – he can’t give me any spoilers or tell me what happens. Well, later I asked him how the next installment was and he said, “It’s getting good! So-and-so does such-and-such…” Nooooo! He broke the only rule he had. Now he knows he is not allowed to read the upcoming installments until I a have read it first. LOL.
– 4 –
{funny}
Here is a sample of things the boys do in the room with me, while I am on the computer. There’s nothing quite as fun as leaping from couch to chair, especially if you happen to land on your brother.
– 5 –
{real}
WTH! – After my walk this morning I went to go fill up my car with gas. I could not believe how much the prices have jumped up in just a week! It is flippin insane! The guy who got gas before me paid $136. That is a huge tank and huge bill!
– 6 –
Monkey See, Monkey Do – Speaking of WTH, speech therapy has been going well for Andrew and John-Paul. Andrew still needs a lot of work with the blends and clarity in general but we are making progress. JP is not as bad and has been saying words clearly and making short sentences now. I knew he was making progress when he came into the room exclaiming, “What de heck!” Now he says it all the time. Brian just gives me that look that says, see what you’ve taught him. I don’t get it. I was proud that I was able to control my language to not say “what the hell” in front of the kids. I guess we better stay away from the holier homeschool groups for awhile.
– 7 –
I was debating whether the next take should be about a new soup recipe I tried (that Brian loved!) or about all the awesome church feast days in October. However, I just looked at the clock and realized I am late starting dinner. We are having homemade (lower fat) mac ‘an cheese, ham steaks and broccoli. Yum! So I’ll save those other takes for later.
Have a great weekend!
~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
AND
September is always a busy month for us with family, school and parish activities scheduled. Here’s a recap of some of the highlights with a Sunday afternoon {pretty, happy, funny, real} / 7 Quick Takes Mash-up.
Note: The {pretty, happy, funny, real} can apply to many photos so I’ll do them in order rather than category.
– 1 –
Happy birthday, baby! – Yesterday was my sweet Bella’s 11th birthday. Has a decade and a year really gone by so quickly?? I remember when I was holding her in my arms like this…
Now my sweet girl stands next to me like this. Happy birthday, baby!
– 2 –
I Heart Autumn – We are so ready for Fall! I decorated our front porch to welcome the season and our visitors.
It is also the perfect time for Pumpkin Picking. Thanks to Brian rearranging his schedule, he was able to babysit the younger boys so I could attend Andrew’s school field trip to The Farm where they have a few farm animals, a pumpkin patch, crops and an organic produce/ products store. We had a lot of fun, although the sweetest part was the ride on the bus when he held my hand and rested his head on me with a contented sigh. It was the kind of moment that mamas live for.
Checking out the animals.
He found his perfect pumpkin.
– 3 –
Fiesta Fun – September is also the time for our parish’s annual Fiesta. There is delicious food, mariachi music, numerous booths and a kids’ carnival. What more can you ask for?
Andrew is practicing his swing.
John-Paul on the other hand thought it was “Whack A Mole” as he swung the bat over his head like a club.
JP had better luck pitching his curve ball.
Meanwhile Matthew was waiting his turn to be let loose at the playground.
– 4 –
Random Funny Shots -September must have been a busy month in the delivery rooms years ago because we have received countless invitations to birthday parties this month. One party was particularly fun because the whole family was able to attend. I find this shot of Brian funny because he is having as much fun as the kids with his race car game.
I know when John-Paul has been playing with my phone because I will find photos like this. He literally took 77 photos (I counted them) of Angry Birds in various poses.
– 5 –
Is It the Kid’s Bedtime Yet? – Tonight when we come home from dinner at my in-laws I plan to get cozy on the couch with Brian and watch the new (for the USA) PBS show Call the Midwives. I’ve heard good things about it. Here is the trailer.
– 6 –
Go Pack Go! – As I am typing this I can hear Brian cheering for the Packers as the game is on right now. They have been in a comfortable lead but I fear that is changing because I hear a lot of “Oh Come On!!” coming from the family room. There goes the Packer lead. Funny how the Packers are the only ones that can get my mild mannered hubby all fired up. He turns a bit more like me for those few hours. hee hee
– 7 –
Last one – I was going to do a quick take on a bit of Downton Abbey news but I’ve run out of time so I’ll save it for tomorrow. I leave you with a pretty shot of a flower that caught my eye this week.
~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
AND
It’s been a busy week (AGAIN) so it is time for another Saturday morning {pretty, happy, funny, real}/7 Quick Takes Mash-up.
– 1 –
{happy}
All the kids are officially back in school. Bella started the 5th grade – and moved out of jumpers and into skirts. (Although, after this photo day she is wearing her favored uniform pants since she doesn’t like skirts. Oops, a little like her mama.)
Andrew started Pre-K and was all smiles when he found out he got to get out earlier than Bella. (He only goes half-day.)
– 2 –
It’s funny that I imagined myself having all this free time and I had my plans of continuing to clean and organize, I thought of all the projects I’d start and blog posts I’d write but I’ve done nada! First of all, between three kids attending two schools with three separate school schedules, I spend a good portion of my day lugging kids in and out of the car. In fact, yesterday when I took John-Paul to school, I must have been on auto pilot because I accidentally drive him to School A instead of School B. Luckily, I had enough time to turn around and head in the opposite direction. Anyway, add in a few errands into the mix and I have to drive right back to School A & B for the 1/2 dayers and literally don’t get back from “taking them to school” until 1:30, unless it’s a speech therapy day, then add an extra hour. By 3pm I’m finally putting the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher. Thankfully next week Brian and my father-in-law will be doing a couple of the shifts so that should ease things up.
– 3 –
My other misconception was that mothering would be easier with only Matthew in the house. Egads, I am more exhausted just watching Matthew than I am caring for all four. He is at that “Cyclone Stage” where he runs around the house leaving a path of destruction everywhere. At least with the kids at home he is occupied playing with them and there is always another set of eyes to lets me know when he is causing trouble. We are both getting adjusted. In the meantime, this is what happens when I try to get some housework done.
{funny}
Put in a load of laundry – find him on the table throwing puzzle pieces.
Put my breakfast dishes in the dishwasher – find that he gave himself a yogurt facial and shampoo.
Try to make dinner – it’s his invitation to dump out the kitchen cabinets, again.
The first few times, this is cute and photoworthy but as I pick up the dumped cookware he runs and dumps out a book shelf. As I am putting the books back on the shelf, he opens the dishwasher and climbs inside. I get him out and wipe his dirty feet prints off the washer and he runs over and dumps over the trash can. I pick up the trash and find in the rubbish the remote control, my serving spoon and his lost shoe. He’s too young for a time out chair and I’m not into spanking but even a little swat on the bottom does nothing. I tried throwing him in his crib and fencing him in but he climbed out and knocked down the barricades. I don’t remember any of the kids being this persistent in giving me a heart attack. I don’t understand how someone so small and cute can be so strong and relentless. So we’ll see how we manage together as the weeks progress.
– 4 –
Okay, since I am getting my complaints off my chest, let me just add one more thing. Normally, the boys get along fairly well but every once in awhile Matthew likes to tease John-Paul by taking one of his toys and running away with it. John-Paul, unable to fully verbalize his displeasure, will resort to screeching at the top of his lungs and grab his toy back. Matthew in turn will yell and screech at the top of his lungs. They were so loud I got flashbacks of those nature shows where the monkeys, chimpanzees, or gorillas go crazy. The boys sounded just like this…
I ran into the room and broke it up and I swear I am still shocked that the neighbors did not call child protective services or the animal control center.
– 5 –
{real}
Somehow all this craziness has made me want to enjoy some of the quieter moments of mothering and homemaking. On the weekends or during a moment of uninterrupted, blessed naptime, I have been feeling domestic and cooking and baking more. I think it is partly because of the weather. Normally we have warmer weather in September but there are still those days when the fog starts to creep in…
It looks like this.
Until it completely covers the mountains behind us.
That is when I am most likely to go baking crazy.
Here we used up all the over ripe bananas with Banana Blueberry Muffins, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies. In fact someone was asking me for the recipe for the cookies (I tried making them a little lower in fat) so I’ll post it next week.
– 6 –
I also dusted off my bread machine and have been making fresh bread for the family. Last night we had Italian wheat bread. The smell of bread baking is lovely!
It went fast.
– 7 –
{pretty}
Well, with all the mommy craziness, I certainly need more of God’s grace to get through it. I took this photo at the Mission’s garden and it reminds me of a mama and her baby.
It also reminds me of St Therese of the Little Flower. I have to remember that my life with Matthew (and all the kids) is my specific road to sanctity. God knows exactly how selfish, self-centered and impatient I am. He gave me just the little guy I need to help me chip away at those faults and give me opportunities to practice patience, charity and selfless giving. (It also helps to repeat my motto, “And this too shall pass.”)
With that, I must get off the computer and practice some virtue in the form of a stinky diaper that needs to be changed, breakfast dishes that need to be washed and countless piles of laundry to be tackled. 😉
Have a great weekend!
