Hair Time

Since Grace is not a big fan of sitting still, or getting her hair picked out, I have kind of avoided hair time for a while. We still moisturize it and make it look presentable before we go out somewhere, but that has pretty much summed it up for the last few months. It is just not worth the fight when we don't have anywhere to go. I assume she will outgrow this hair phobia phase somewhere before she goes to high school, so I am not too concerned about it for now.

Anyhow, today Grace came up to me from out of the blue and asked me to put "pretties" in her hair. I almost fell over. After asking her about 12 different ways if she was SURE that's what she wanted, I got the appropriate supplies out and got started. She did a decent job of getting through the comb out part (better than usual anyway). I parted her hair into boxes and banded them while she ate lunch. That worked fairly well until I was about 2/3 finished. Basically I just took advantage of the fact that the highchair was holding her prisoner to get through the rest.

After a much needed break (for both of us), we sat down with a couple episodes of Clifford and started working on the braids. That was great until I had about 4 braids left. I finally convinced Grace that she should let me finish by telling her that Aunt Shannon (my sister who is visiting with her family) REALLY wanted to see the "pretties" in her hair. After that, she couldn't get enough of telling me which clip to put on each and every braid. It was super sweet. I only hope that the day will come that the process does not take 4 hours (with breaks), and no longer requires multiple wrestling matches.

Here are some pictures of the final product. She is very proud of her new 'do, and I.....am tired. Enjoy the photos. I'm going to go take a nap. 8^)

Sometimes a girl just has to shake things up a bit!!!

Worn Out

Playing with cousins for a week can really make a girl tired!!!

All is Well!!!

Just in case you were wondering....I have not gone on another hiatus. We have just doubled the normal population in our house because my family is out for a visit before my Brother-in-law deploys for Iraq. I'll do my best to check in from time to time, but family time is at a premium right now. Thanks for your understanding. I'll be back ASAP!!!!!

What Color Are You???

You are most like: You are Orange
Brilliant and stunning, you provide a pleasant surprise to any room into which you walk. This is a hard color to pull off, but you do it well.
Take this quiz: Which Crayola Box of 8 Color Are You?

The LONG Weekend

***I have no idea why I didn't post this when I wrote it, but at least proves I haven't been quite as delinquent in my blogging reponsibilities as it may have seemed. Of course, if you believe that, I have a bridge or two that just might be for sale. 8^) Thanks for skicking around.***

It's been a weekend of relaxation and rest mostly. Of course, during the Summer, our weeks and weekends just kind of blur into each other. With Will being off work, it is REALLY easy to forget what day it is entirely. The 6:00am Water Polo practices have helped keep us on track for the most part, but we still stray from the path now and then.



Since we live in the VERY fire prone area of Southern California, no fireworks are legal here. No...not even the "safe and sane" variety. We can't even do sparklers along side our pool for God's sake. The kids had to be satisfied with a dip in the pool and a few Snap Dragons (the things you throw on the ground and they pop) to celebrate the 4th of July. I know; WooHoo!!!



Fortunately, we had no commitments for the past few days, so we figured we would spend them in the pool. Oops! No such luck. Our pool system decided that this would be the opportune weekend to take a crap on us. There was no chlorine. It needed salt. After the salt was added, it needed conditioner. Then, just to add some excitement to the weekend, the clear coating on the slide started to chip off. This requires no less that sanding the surface of the slide down to bare concrete, doing an acid wash on the newly sanded surface, possibly painting it, and then finally sealing it with a two step epoxy product. Let's just say that this news did not make Will's weekend.



Fortunately, for the kids and I, the chemical situation in the pool was resolved nicely today. We had a great day of swimming and playing Uno Splash in the pool as we tried to beat the triple digit heat. Unfortunately for Will, he had to spend the day sanding the slide. He did take a couple nice dips in the water, but the sanding job pretty much sucked. He is off to some far off town tomorrow to purchase the amazing new coating for our slide that should last from 5 to 7 years (a far cry from the 2 years that the original coating lasted). I only hope it lives up to its' claims.



On a brighter note, Gracie is becoming a swimmer. She has spent most of her outings in the pool shivering or clinging to any bigger body that was willing to cart her around. All of a sudden, today, she decided that she could swim. Keep in mind that we have her in a heads up vest any time she is in the backyard. She has spent more than her fair share of time flailing and floating around on her back in the water, kind of like a turtle stuck on its' back on land. It was kind of funny and sad at the same time. After a little instruction by her brother Daniel, she was kicking and paddling her arms like a pro. I'm not sure what made that lesson click more than the 50 or so lessons that Will and I have given her, but I sure am grateful that it did. Pool time ought to be a whole lot more fun for all of us now.

PS The new coating worked great, and we were able to enjoy it to the fullest while my family was out visiting. Thanks, Will, for all your hard work!!

Time to Show Some Love

I received an email from the great folks at AHOPE this morning. For any of you not in the know, that is an HIV+ orphanage in Ethiopia. They were the first to receive antiretroviral drugs for children in the country through Dr. Jane Aronson and the Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO). They are also facilitating the first international adoptions of HIV+ children through Adoption Advocates International (AAI). What it really comes down to is that these people, both in the US and Ethiopia, are doing some amazing work. Will and I had the pleasure of visiting AHOPE when we traveled to Addis to bring Grace home a little over 2 years ago. The children are vibrant, and obviously well loved and taken care of.

There are many ways to give to AHOPE, but there is a brand new one that is super easy, and even helps get the word out to those around you. They are selling T-shirts. The logo is simple, but is definitely likely to be a conversation starter. Even if you are not a person that feels equipped to take on a child through adoption, know that you could make a difference for many children, for less than $25 and a few minutes of conversation. I think most of us can do that. So, click on the box below, or over there on my sidebar, and let's show some love to these very deserving kiddos. OK Peeps?!?!?!?!