Divide and Conquer

Our local library had it's annual book sale this week.  Today was the last day. 

Three of my kidlets and I went to browse through the books this morning.

Little did I know that we came at the right time. 

Time stood still as we heard the words come over the loudspeaker, .......

"Starting now, fill a bag for $2.00."

This is about half of our loot! 

In what was only seconds, but felt like slow motion we all made knowing eye contact throughout where we were standing in the room.  I may or may not have given them a slow nod of approval and mouthed the words..."RUN.  QUICK.  and ANYTHING YOU WANT."

Divide and conquer is how we roll in this household.

We left with three huge bags of books and feeling positively giddy. 

Why yes, we are a family of homeschoolers.  How can you tell? 

HAPPY SATURDAY! 

Yes, I can do her hair....

I figured it was time for another "Black Hair Care, According to This White Mama" post. 

Especially, since we did a hum dinger of a style today.

Little Mama wanted beads. 

Big Mama delivered.

Last night we did a wash and condition.  I actually washed her hair in sections this time, which was so much easier that tackling the whole thing in one big ball o'wet hair.  Black hair tanlgles so easy.  Washing and conditioning takes at least 20 to 30 minutes.  (I comb conditioner thru in the tub.)

After bath, I detangled all of her hair.  Above is the rough parting of sections that I  did.  She actually went to bed like that. 

With black hair it is so much easier to do it while it is stretched out a bit.  These braids are the best of my stretching technique...which is not really all that great. 

This morning, I started from the bottom sectioning her hair in little boxes.

I did not use bands at the base this time, I free boxed it...that is not a term, I just made that up...he, he, he!

During braiding I use that orange/black brush you see in the picture.  Love, love that brush.  It gets her hair so smooth.

I also use those two little bottles of product you see.  One is for detangling, one is gel for hold.

If you look very closely you can see my "beader".  It is white with a heart tip on it.  The beader threads the beads on the braid very quickly.  It is almost like a needle in which you slip the hair through the eye, and the beads slide up.  

Oh and please look at the craziness on my floor.  Tornado of hair supplies going off during hair time?  Check!

Above is what it looked like when I had the back done.  It is also was the point where I petered out and wanted to quit.  We were at the two hour mark,  and on the 4th Barney episode.  I wanted to be soooo done.

One of my dear friends who also is a white mama to a Black daughter, happened to text me during my "I want to quit" time.  Little does she know, but she provided me with encouragement and an "I so know how you feel" couple of texts. 

She gets it.  She made me laugh.  I love her. 

For people who wonder how a four year old can sit through a hair session. Trust me, girlfriend does not move one inch. She loves getting her hair done. She also wants me to finish it in one sitting.  

"Come on Mommy, I want you to finish."  she says.

So, I do.

Please tell me how she can get up out of bed 57 times at night, but sit for 3 hours as still as a statue?

Since my fingers were tired, I separated the front into three big sections. I then braided those sections into braids followed by beads and a cute little ballies on top.

It was a day well worth it.  She looks soooo cute! 

Linking up with: Proverbs 14 Verse 1

Women Living Well

Deep Roots at Home

The Boy with the bugs....

The summer after my freshman year in college, I kind of sort of thought this boy was the shabang.  We both worked at a Christian Camping Ministry together.

I remember talking to my mom one night on the phone.  I was telling her about this certain boy.  My mom asked me what was so special about him?.....

my enthusiastic response, "Oh.....  He really likes bugs. Like really likes them.  He has cages in the back of his Omni for catching things.  Isn't that neat, Mom?"

"Yes, honey he sounds wonderful" my mom said hesitatingly. 

18 months later I married said bug boy. 

Today it is his birthday. 

SO....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE HOTTEST ENTOMOLOGIST  EVER!

I thinks it's love

Last week was the only possible week in my life thus far that I could have used the excuse,

"Oh, I am sorry my vacuum is broken. " to any unexpected company. 

Did I get unexpected company last week in whom I could say that to? 

No.  No, I did not.

Amazon is rather speedy in delivery.  Total time without a vacuum....3 days. 

We chose that bad boy up there....The Dyson, because it doesn't loose suction (please read that with a British accent.)

It came.

  It conquered.

It put our old vacuum to shame. 

It was worth every penny.

I love it. 

Like really love it. 

It doesn't take much for me,  folks.   Not much at all.

(and tomorrow, I may just talk about this life changer below..... or what I like to call heaven in a jar.....)

 

HAPPY TUESDAY!!

Hands

Lets talk about hands today, shall we?

My baby has man hands. 

 I am not kidding.  I have never seen baby hands as big as his. 

After being a transracial family for four years, you would think I would be used to all the questions and comments that we get about our two youngest children.

Little Misters hands (8 1/2 mos.) with Little Mama's hands (4 years old)

We get the.....

"Why did their real mom give them away?"

"How much did your adoption cost?"

"Was the mom young?"

"Did she have other kids?"

"Were drugs or alcohol involved?"

........and my list could go on and on. 

No biggie at all.  Ask away.

 Some questions I will be very forthcoming about, others I will not share the answers at all because of privacy reasons for my child. 

With that said, and getting back to my topic at hand (pun intended), let's get back to.......

Little Misters hands with my 6 year olds

The number one comment/question we get about Little Mister all have to do with his hands.

Funny right?

"His hands are huge!"

or

"Your baby has the biggest hands I have ever seen."

or

"He is going to be a BIG boy, just look at his hands!"

"You have got a future football player, judging by the size of his hands."

As I sit here today....after our photo hand shoot yesterday, and once again contemplating my baby's paws  hands, and trying to write a blog post that is quite witty yet symbolic at the same time,  I feel so very blessed.

Look at those hands up there.  All of those little digits are connected to little arms that are connected to little bodies that have not so little mouths that call  me, "Mama", every. single. day. 

Blessed. I am so thankful that my hands are full caring for my bairns,....BUT.... I am even more blessed that my heart is just as  full in the process of mothering them  as well.

Thank you Lord for my five children!

 Don't you see that children are God's best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! 

-Psalm 127: 3-4 (the Message)

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!

Bean, Rice, Barley Sensory Bin

I have one sensory seeking child.....meaning this particular child loves to get dirty, play with different textures, and explore everything in her world with touch.

I also have one non sensory seeking child......meaning,  said child doesn't like to be dirty, experiment with different textures, and is a bit hesitant to explore by touch.

This bin was PERFECT for both of my kiddos.

The beans, rice, and barley do not leave things dirty, messy, or sticky.  My tactile defensive child can explore the bin in relative "safety" as she gets really awesome sensory input. 

For my sensory seeker, this bin was also fab for her to gain that sensory input she thrives off of and organization skills with the tools that I put in the bin.

HAPPY TUESDAY!!!

Resurrection Buns

Every year we make resurrection buns.  They are such a wonderful way to symbolize the empty tomb.

This blog post is circa 2010 from my personal blog, way back before I started this one.  My kids seem so little!

What you need:

* A tube of biscuits found in the refrigerator section in your grocery store.

*Butter

*Cinnamon

*Sugar

*Large Marshmallows

1.)Each child takes a canned biscuit. They flatten the biscuit out until it's about 5 inches across.

2.) Spread melted butter, sugar and cinnamon on it. Explain that the spices represent the spices used to anoint Jesus' body before His burial.

3.)Then each child gets one large marshmallow. The marshmallow represents Jesus. It is white because it stands for His purity and His sinless life. They place the marshmallow in the center of the biscuit, then fold the sides around it forming a "tomb". ( Pinch the sides of their tombs closed and then we place them crease side down on a baking sheet so they will not open while cooking).

4.)Put more butter, cinnamon and sugar on the outside. We talk about the sweet taste of the spices and how Jesus gave us the sweetest gift we will ever receive.

5.)Bake the buns according to the package directions on the biscuit tube. Caution:  the insides will be hot and steaming. 

When the children bite into their buns they will be surprised to find the center empty. The marshmallow has melted.

HE IS NOT HERE, HE IS RISEN!

*Linking up with my bloggy buddy Lisa over at her blog, Home to 4 Kiddos Try a New Recipe Tuesday.

and

The linky party over at Living Life Intentionally Homeschool Blog

I would never.....

I can't even tell you how many times, I have started a sentence whether in my head or verbally with the words, "I would never......"

Before I had kids, I said I would never:

let them have no snotty noses in public, watch Spongebob, read Harry Potter, go to Public School, homeschool, use tv as an activity,  let them throw tantrums in a grocery store,  or eat a Hot Pocket for breakfast.

Before I was married, I said I would never..

nag my husband, go above 125 pounds,  take my husband for granted, argue in front of the kids with said husband,  go to bed angry, have  dirty dishes in my sink,  or have bugs as pets


And my list can go on and on with other topics like adoption, homeschooling, finances, and relationships. 


How many times do we say those things before we have an actual scope of what xyz will be like in our life?  Before we really know what it is like to walk through something that we have not planned in life....divorce, infidelity, adoption issues, infertility, illness, unemployment, behavior problems, educational choices,  bankruptcy, etc...?

How many times do we look at others and say, "I am so glad my (insert husband, kids, finances, marriage, job, etc...) are not like that?"


 I don't know about you, but often my NEVERS come back to bite me in the behind.

NEVERS that are not from The Lord are usually a  perfect storm that combines pride, judgement, fear, youth, inexperience, anger, and selfishness into a swirling mess in our hearts.

As I grow older, see more life, get further down the road in parenting and marriage...it is easy sometimes painfully so, to see my folly, lack of wisdom, critical comments, and harsh judgement that I dealt out in the past...okay...and sometimes in the present.

I'll leave you with this little nugget: Remember the movie An American Tail?  Remember that cute little mouse with the big blue hat?  Remember the songs?

"There are no cats in America, and the streets are paved with cheese?"

"Never say Never again?"

Guess what?  There were cats and no cheesed paved streets.  

And such is life.....er....um....exactly like Feival Mouskewitz, a cartoon mouse, leaving Russia for America.  Right? 



Proverbs  18:4  The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.

HAPPY TUESDAY!!!

It is that time of year.  The time where everything is gearing up to gear down at the same time...does that make sense?

Awana is almost over. 

Co-op is almost over.

Scouts are almost over.

School is almost over. 

I am actively starting to work on the kids Portfolios for the school year.  We finished up their state assesment/achievement standarized testing last week.  Both are required for homeschooling in our state. 

So this week, we are having a fun week here in school.  I thought I would share the randomness........

I think I have said it before, but I really like the Childhood of Famous American series as a read aloud.  More importantly, my kids like them too. 

It was my sons turn to pick this time.

Did you know Babe Ruth did not even know what the game baseball was until he played at the Catholic Boarding School he was sent to at the age of 7?

I also like the Download N Go's from Amanda Bennet.  Again, the kids like them too.  We do a couple every year, just to break up the monotomy of our standard curriculum. 

It was my oldest girls turn to pick this time.

Horses it is.

It was cake decorating time at Awana a few weeks back. 

My boy made a caterpillar.

My girl made an aunt hill.

 And can I just say that as a mother it is so hard sometimes to just let them go, stand back, and do it their way?  I did though.  They did wonderfull!!  I am proud of them (and myself too, for not butting in..ha!)

We started watching Out of the Wild Alaska Experiment of Netflix.  

We are hooked. 

They eat gophers, carry 60 pounds of gear on their backs,  and don't wash their hair.  

 How they do that, I don't know.  I just don't know. 

HAPPY MONDAY!!