The Cutting Edge

Before Cora made her earthly debut, she went to the Utero Salon to get her tips frosted.

It's fuzzy, but you can still see.

Then when her newborn hair fell out (that part always makes me a little sad),  it grew in as fine, straight, soft-as-silk baby hair.

In time, a new batch grew in, and it was curly!  Like bouncy, boingy, fun to play with curly!

And we loved it.  

Nevermind the Ugly Christmas sweater.  It was a varied photo shoot for all the different grandparents.

But as it grew and grew and grew, I noticed that the top layers of her hair were straight.  I was afraid that we'd eventually lose the curl.

Boing! Boing! Boing!

Recently, though, I've pretty much had it with the snarls.  And the food getting in it.  And the split ends.  What "four girl" has split ends? 

Snarls after jumping on the trampoline?  Oh, yes!

When her hair was "done" it usually looked like this.

So last spring I mentioned to Hubby that it might be time for Miss Cora to get a haircut.  His response?  "Over my dead body!"  So it stayed over the summer...until now.

Ready for her very first haircut at 4 years, 10 months.

I think the goofball smile means she likes it.

Cute & Sassy hair on a Cute & Sassy girl.

Enough of my own

In the last couple of days, the Lord has been trying to tell me something.  I found four--four--blog entries from different places that said very, very similar things.

This one from my new-fave Scenes From the Wild and this one that someone on facebook shared even have the same word in the title: enough.  This one has very similar sentiment, expressed in a way that this Type-A Mama completely and totally relates to.  And this one simply reminds me that motherhood can be a touch trying every now and then (there really needs to be a sarcasm font), but that it can be a wonderful, beautiful thing when we rely on God to lead, guide, instruct--and frankly, carry--us along.  Plus another one I just remembered from a sweet friend struggling through a horrific nightmare who asked that we cherish our little ones when we can.  (See #11 to see the connection.)

They all add up to tell me the same thing:  take time to savor the little moments with the little (and big) people in my life.

So today instead of diligently chipping away at my mile-long we'releavingtomorrowtostayinCanadaforaweek List when the first thunderstorm of the year rolled in, I went outside and sat with my boys on the lawn to watch.  Later I came in specifically to tell Abby about it, and she joined us.  Sadly, Cora fell asleep on the floor at 8:30, and didn't join the fun until Alex & Lee brought their loud joyous exclamations inside.  Even Wes learned to point at the sky at random times and yell, "WHOOOAAAA!!!!"

I love thunder & lightning, and I love my kiddos even more.  I love them enough to put down my List for an hour and sit in the grass to wonder at the pure amazingness that is Nature.

~~And because I'm the awesome mom that I am, it is 10:30 and the children (except Wes) are still up, huddled by the window watching for more.  The boys are so ecstatic that they're barely able to form sentences, and their frames seem about to burst apart from sheer joy overload.  Their passion makes my heart smile.~~

Making Fun

I've discovered that being happy is not something that just happens.  Happiness is a decision.  It's something that we need to do.  So I've decided that one of the things that I'm going to do to foster said happiness is to put down the broom/laundry/phone/keyboard and spend time with my children doing fun things.

Lately my sweet, tender Alex has been requesting more time from me.
"Mom, will you watch Despicable Me with us?"
"Mom, can we go to the park and you can help me fly my kites?"
"Mom, will you play a game with us?"

Confession time:  I'm not a play mom.  I'm a business mom.  I'm a get-it-done-then-you-can-play-while-I-keep-working-on-my-own-stuff mom.  And I am definitely not a park mom.  After about 20 minutes of pushing on swings and "Watch Me"ing down the slide, I'm done.

I'm a boring mom.

And that's no fun.  Because when Fun walks in the door, often it brings along its good friend, Happy Memories.  (As long as it's Good Clean Fun, not one of its less savory cousins.)  So I've decided that it's good to make fun times, even if I don't feel like it.  Well, especially when I don't feel like it.

We love blueberry picking, and I'm grateful that the owners don't mind the berries Wes-sitting.

 

Not sure what's bluer--the berries or Cora's half-moon smiling eyes!

This kid picked 6.8 lbs in 20 minutes!!!  We call these 'big fat juicies.'

Seriously.  20 minutes.  I love this place.

!?!?!

Yesterday we walked to an elementary school nearby just to play on the toys, and the kids really enjoyed this.

(Please note that in order for me to take this photo, I had to be ON the merry-go-round.  If only I could see Lee's face.  Breaking out of my Boring just long enough to play and NOT barf.)

I heart staticy slide hair.  And I heart these boys.

This kid jumps all. the.time.

Riah says that when he looks deep into her eyes he just wants to drink them up.
Weird, but I totally get it.

The older two & I played on the map.  I haven't done that in years, but I had fun and found out that I need to brush up on my U.S. geography.  I won't admit how many state names my children and I completely forgot.

Sometimes Abby really steps into taking care of Weston.  She adores him.  She put him on the swing without being asked, and kept him safe.  (Sorry about the formatting.  I know what I did wrong, but don't want to take the time to fix it.)



She took him on the spider web thingy.



Even though he's not smiling here, he really enjoyed it.  If he ended up on the ground, he reached up, wanting back on.



That is a happy boy.

I dug these out of the toy rotation box and the kids have been sleeping in them for the last 4 nights.  There's a tent, teepee and two tubes.  They clutter up the living room, but they sure like the novelty!

Plus they make a nice place to play chess...until Weston finds the door.
And I hope you're sitting down...

...because I actually played Fort Twister.

Lee and Cora haven't figured out the fun of twisting around your neighbor.
That's probably a good thing.

Wes wanted to play, too!

Alex likes to challenge himself, finding the least convenient place for his hands and feet...

...and this is what inevitably happens.

And I am currently sitting here grateful for photos because the good, fun times can be captured and hopefully the crankies forgotten.  Off to tidy a bit while the kids finish Despicable Me so we can go try to fly the kites at the park when it's done.  Wish us luck!