Hair!

I have not always had curly hair.

Here I am in 5th grade (age 10)

Here's 9th grade, (age 14) in the time of perms. I remember my brother sitting in curlers getting his perms (every 3 months). Oh, how I used to laugh at him.
That was the big thing in the 80's. Big, curly hair.
I'd get a perm and then curl it with a curling iron, see the ringlets?

My last perm was right before I got married, 14 years ago.
Well, then, I started having kiddos. Along came the curls.
It's funny reading your comments, because the straight haired people, wish they had curls and the curly hair people wish they had straight hair.
Over a year ago, I decided to embrace my curls and let them be what they are.
I quit straightening them.
I quit complaining about them.
See, my curls are not beautiful, thick curls. They are wavy and get kind of frizzy and fly away.
I do not have thick hair.
I have fine hair and a lot of fine hair.
(does that make sense?)
My husband loves my hair when I straighten it.
He's never said he doesn't like my curls, but he's never said he likes them either.
He has said he loves my hair when I straighten it.
I decided to try straightening my hair Saturday just for fun.
My kiddos were like "Wow, mom, what did you do to your hair?"
My girls were staring at me.
They liked it.
I liked it.
My husband liked it.
But
to be honest, it's work.
It takes time to straighten, like 15 extra minutes.
Then, if it's raining or humid out, I have to worry about the straightness going out and getting frizzy, like yesterday, I straightened it and it was misting outside, when we came in, it was curly again.
So, I usually just shower and put on a little mascara and liner and I'm off.
Make up, a whole 'nother story.
When I wear make up, people can't tell, but when I don't wear it, I can tell.
Isn't it all about how we feel about ourselves?
I kind of let my hair go.
I don't take the time when maybe I should, for my husband sometimes.
That's what it made me realize.
I need to take that time for him, because I love him.

I was asked what products I use.
Really? I feel like a celebrity or something.
Really, I'm not all that.
My hair is not even nice enough for anyone to ask what products I use.
BUT
If you are still reading, and still wondering, I use a hair creme after every shower, put it on and leave it on.
It calms the frizz somewhat.
I usually buy Suave, but lately the stores have been out, so I buy whatever I can find under $5
I don't go to salons or buy expensive salon shampoo or conditioner. I go to Sam's Club.
I buy big.
When I straighten, I usually straighten on a non-shower day, it straightens better when it's a day old and after straightening, I use a little wax on just fingered through my hair to calm the fly aways.
That's it folks.
No gels, no special shampoos or anything, just what's cheap and easy.
Bangs?
If I have bangs, it is because I was at a weak moment and having a bad hair day and got carried away, because when I have bangs, I hate them and can't wait for them to grow out.
When they are grown out, I also hate them.
I am a constant work in progress.
Trying to embrace what God has given me.
Bangs or no bangs
Curls or straight.

Much Needed Grace on Mondays

I really think there should be a Confession time for homeschooling mothers on Mondays.
(especially after a long holiday weekend)



Lord, please help me to be patient, loving and kind.
Help me to realize it's just a day.
Tomorrow we will do better.
Tomorrow, I will do better.
Help me to realize that kids are noisy, especially 5 kids.
Help me to be OK with that noise level, especially on Mondays.
Help me to understand that not only can the children not focus or concentrate on Mondays, but I can't either.
And that's OK.
If the only thought I process completely today is "Lord, help me!"
It's enough.


Lord, help me!
Amen.

Straight or Curly?

More on this tomorrow...

Thanksgiving 2010

Still trying to get that Christmas card picture...

(red eyes and blurry faces in this one)

Hubby does not like the yellow background and dark curtain.

I actually like this one, but hubby won't do it!

We had Tom's brother and his family over
Our little cousin never left Mary Hannah's side, she followed her everywhere, it was sooooo
cute. Mary Hannah is great with babies and children.

When I have company over, I always realize how unfancy I am. No fancy dishes, no fancy serving bowls or trays. No fancy water glasses.

Oh, well, that's not what it's all about, is it?

It's about food, family and being thankful.

The kiddos went sledding after dinner.

That sounds so funny on Thanksgiving. We have not had snow on Thanksgiving in years.

It was a very cold, windy day.

The kids had fun and came back in with rosy cheeks.

I was almost done with the dishes by this point...

So, it was time for pie!

I love kids eating pie.

They love pie.

We had pumpkin, pumpkin cheesecake, and French Silk.

And of course there was entertainment!

My 2 oldest wanted to give a show several times, but every time they tried to play the littles would come and try to play too.

My girls gave a play, but I was busy getting dinner on. So no pictures. They said I didn't need to be there. (My girls don't like to show off or anything)

All I heard was Babycakes acting like a turkey.

Nothing unusual.

Time to take down the turkey stuff and get ready for Advent!

I know I stocked up on Advent candles last year...but where did I put them?

Off to Confession today, but nothing else.

It's great to have a Saturday with nothing on the schedule.

No shopping, no nothing.

Just family.

Thankful Thanksgiving!

As flowers carry dewdrops, trembling on the edges of the petals, and ready to fall at the first waft of the wind or brush of bird, so the heart should carry its beaded words of thanksgiving. At the first breath of heavenly flavor, let down the shower perfumed with the heart's gratitude.

-Henry Ward Beecher
I am so very thankful for my rich, Catholic faith.
For my wonderful husband

For these 5 beautiful, healthy, active children

For my newly painted stairway....

Bathroom...(not finished with pictures yet) I love babies in tubs and sinks, so I need to gather pictures of the kiddos and frame them and put those up in here, along with some fish...

Living room before

Living room after. (It looks more yellow here, but it's actually more a gold-ish color)

Thankful for babies in the sink...did I tell you I like babies in the sink?
(well, I don't leave them there! I just like to give them baths there!)

For Christ the King

Feast day celebrated Sunday....

With store bought cupcakes and added crowned M&M's!

I'm thankful for Advent....which is just around the corner.

I've been saving these tin cans to wrap and put something inside for each day until Christmas.

Just not sure yet what.

Happy Blessed Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Book Review--Little Star

I was asked by Anthony DeStafano, the author of Little Star, to read a review copy and see if my readers might like this cute Nativity story about the star of Bethlehem.

I love Christmas books.

Little Star does not disappoint and I think it will become one of our favorites.

I love stories that have signs or symbols that turn out to be all for our Lord's birth.

Little Star is just that, a star bursting with love for our Lord.

"He was only aware of the child in the cold stable."

I love that line from the book.

Words we can ponder in our own lives, to focus only on Jesus.

Don't

Don't go to any store, but let's say don't go into Bed, Bath & Beyond on a busy Friday evening, with your 4 and 6 year old if you might, possibly have those uncontrollable, silent, but deadly kind of farts. Even if you think you have the perfect scapegoat, the baby, with you. It won't work.
There is no fooling these bright, rather loud, nose plugging, kiddos. You will hear your 4 year old say, very honestly and loudly, "No Mom, the poop smell is coming from your butt." (who could blame her, really, her head happens to be in that vicinity) Her older sister will then say, quite loudly, "Yeah, Mom, you farted, it's not Bridget's poopie diaper" You will hear yourself saying, trying not to laugh, in your meanest whisper "You guys be quiet! Don't say anything more about it and mommy will buy you a treat at the end!"


Remind me to never have homemade chicken barley soup for lunch ever again.

Thanksgiving Treats for the Kiddos

Pilgrim Hats
(the only time I buy Fruity Pebbles)

Cornucopias!

Recipes found here

Thankful Thursday

Thankful for sweet, beater licking, girls in pretty dresses,

For Ballerina Rosie's beautiful water color painting that inspired me to forget the purple choices and just go with blue and a fish theme for our bathroom...


For these pencils and pens I keep finding taped onto paper that's been cut (a dead give away that a certain 4 year old had a hand in this) and taped under tables and chairs.
(do your kiddos like tape as much as mine?)

For our Thanksgiving Tree, full of thankfulness.

And girls who picked rocks for the jar.

For our Tom Turkey who comes out every year to visit us. He's also a Thankful Turkey, full of thankful feathers.

(I've had this turkey since I made it for my daycare children 13 years ago, his feathers have changed every year, but his body and feet stay the same)

And for these cutest ever boots for Sweetie Pie, now if she could just stand with her snow stuff on...

Of course I am ever so thankful for faith, family, friends and oh, so much.

Throwdown!

Our very own (in Blogworld) Pioneer Woman will be on

Throwdown with Bobby Flay tonight 8pm (central time zone) on the Food Network.

I will have to DVR this one!
(I like Bobby Flay....but who doesn't?)

Oh, yeah, it's a Thanksgiving special, whole hour show and I especially want to watch her stuffing, because I make her stuffing every year and it's wonderful!

The Karate Kid

The new Karate Kid was excellent!! I loved it and if we bought movies, would buy this one!

It is basically the same story as the old, original Karate Kid, but little things are different and better. Better actors for one thing. Who can resist Will Smith's son, Jaden Smith? He looks so much like his daddy, it's fun to see him act. And Jackie Chan? You know it's going to be good with Jackie Chan! The only thing I didn't care for was Jaden plays a 13 year old and they have him kiss the young girl he falls in love with. A little too young for my taste.

Otherwise, it was a very good family movie!

You Know Winter Has Arrived When...

The beautiful pink orange sunsets can be seen through the trees...

The land is covered in a blanket of white...

Kiddos are very excited to go outside....

and come back in very, very wet...

And the final proof that winter has arrived.

Birthday Wishes!

Please go wish Paula a happy birthday today!

And Melissa Saturday!

God bless you both!

Thankful Thursday

First of all and always I'm so very thankful for my faith and family.

I'm so thankful for all the veterans that have so bravely served and protected all of us.

This Sunday, our parish prayed a special prayer for veterans at the end of Mass, and there happened to be a man there dressed in his "army clothes" with his wife, 2 daughters and baby son.

I kept tearing up during Mass wondering if he was ready to leave, if he had just come home or if he was off to something special for Veteran's day. Then, at the end of Mass we sang "God Bless America" Oh, the tears flowed then.

Thinking of the hardships not only he has endured for us, but the hardships his whole family has endured for all of us.

Thankful to find a new crockpot recipe that my whole family loved!

(You can find it here)

Thankful for a very curious and active little baby....I guess she's now considered a toddler, no, I didn't say that, she's my baby.
A baby that walks and climbs and gets into everything!
Thankful that I've started another project for our home.
More painting.
I love to paint and change things.
In order to paint the entry and stairway, I wanted to take off the wood edging, that was above that first layer of blue and then take off the wallpaper border that the other people had painted over. What have I gotten myself into? When I took off the wood border, it ripped the sheet rock. Now, I'll need to patch, patch, patch....hoping it all looks good when it's done.
I'm going with a lighter, brighter blue.
Thankful for another year of memories of trying to get the perfect Christmas card picture.
I said trying.
Still haven't gotten the perfect one!
Thankful we live in the day and age where we can take a picture one day and get Christmas card pictures within a few days of that. (if not one hour)
Thankful for the date my husband and I got to go on last night.
I'd had a gift certificate for a Catholic gift shop from last December and we had to use it up.
My good friend Sarah gave me a $100 gift card for there for my 40th b-day/Christmas/Anniversary and we finally went and picked
this print for our living room.
I love paintings that have a story, so many meanings to talk and discuss with the kiddos.
Our next painting we want to get is the Calming of the Storm.

(Those are not the prices we paid, just wanted you to be able to see the prints!)
Thankful for the unseasonable warm weather we have been having in Mn lately.
It's been in the 60's!
Thankful for the picnic we had yesterday, here in MN on November 10th!!
(outside with no jackets!)

Wigs and Roundabouts!

My husband always wanted a red-head!

(not quite sure this is what he had in mind)
We went Wally-World (Wal-Mart) and bought a bunch of costumes and wigs for 90%
off!!
Twirly skirts $1 each
Jedi got Bobo Fett, Jenga Fett and Darth Vader for $4/each
Butterfly wings $1 each!

The girls have been playing dress up ever since!

Ok, aren't you happy I'm not putting Crystal Gayle up anymore?

I might still do it once in a while....Come on everyone, You know you liked it!

These are new to our City.

These signs are everywhere you turn, the grocery store, Sam's Club, the Library.

They are everywhere because no one knows how to use them.

They are stupid.

(my opinion)

I think they are an accident waiting to happen.

My kiddos said they are supposed to save energy, by not putting an actual intersection in.

I just worry about the icy MN roads and wonder how much sand and salt will be needed to keep these Roundabouts safe.