Goodbye, Sweet Baby Locks!

This is the story of how our baby boy received his first hair cut before his older sister required so much as a bang trim.

We had never run into this issue at our house before, seeing as how our sweet daughter still doesn't have enough hair for a proper ponytail, let alone need a hair cut. But Isaac has regularly been sweating through his thick mop of hair. You might not know it from the front, but this kid can grow a mullet like nobody's business. His poor neck was getting heat rash from all the unwanted insulation!

Something had to be done.

And that "something" involved a kitchen chair, booster seat, backwards bib, and dadda's hair clippers. We are very serious about giving our children the professional-grade salon experience.

A few before photos, in which Isaac's shorts appear to be mistaking him for an 80 year old man and are doing the slow climb.

Do you SEE the flowing mane gracing the rear of his head? And Isaac's hair is getting long, too. Not to mention his ridiculous two-inch cowlick that I never noticed til reviewing these photos. You'd think I would have noticed a giant lock of hair pointing across the room, but no.

I know, that's a lot of "before" photos, but some of them were too cute to exclude.

Isaac enjoyed, or at least seemed unfazed by, his salon treatment. He hardly blinked an eye the entire time. Dadda entertained him with some photos on his phone, and big sister cheered him on, but he pretty much sat like this the entire time:

Maybe he was as thrilled as we were to be rid of the baby mullet?

Can you believe the amount of hair in these clippers? I was stunned at how long his mullet had grown. I mean, I could tell there was a party in the back, but this was a serious hair carnival.

And my precious baby boy looking suddenly grown up:

(No you cannot have him, HE'S MINE!!)

Seeing the "after" photos (and all the hair in the trash can!), I am realizing how deceptively long his hair was. Doesn't he look so dapper and clean-cut now? If the young ladies at church loved him before, they will be absolutely gaga now. I think his big blue eyes really pop now that his hair is more understated. Also, hopefully this lets his neck breathe a little better and cuts down on the head-sweat when we are out enjoying summer.

Ugh, I just LOVE my little guy! His new look will take some getting used to. I can't wait to see how long it takes me tomorrow morning while, half-awake, I try to figure out who the handsome young man in the crib is.

Potty Training Update

If you thought the standards for my writing were suddenly elevated after yesterday's reflective post, get ready for the other end of the spectrum. We still have toddlers everywhere, y'all.

Here's the update: Mikayla earned no fewer than SIX stickers on her potty chart yesterday, and had a few simply stunning bladder-control highlights. I know you're barely keeping it together, wondering what kind of urinary feats my daughter achieved.

I'm just as excited to share, I promise.

Most of the day was your typical "Mikayla, do you need to go potty?" every 15 minutes or as often as it occurred to Momma to ask. Eventually I set the kitchen timer to help keep up with the prompts. Mikayla had an accident around lunchtime, probably because eating trumps putting your peepee in the right place. I can't say I'm judging her too harshly for that one. A girl has a right to love her PBJ.

After that, though, Mikayla wanted to wear big girl undies for her nap. And declined the customary pre-nap potty sit. Oh dear. But she insisted she would keep them dry. Oooook big girl, I thought, show me your stuff!

Well. An hour and a half later, I heard thumping sounds coming from upstairs. Someone was clearly out of bed, and I chose to believe Isaac was not capable of escaping the crib. In fact, the thumping sounded strangely like a potty lid. Yup, folks, my big girl got out of bed, USED her little potty on her own, and then dumped it into the big potty. When I found her, she was helping herself to a drink at the sink.

The second highlight was when we were sitting and watching Curious George between bath and bedtime. Now, I wouldn't expect a toddler to break from watching TV to go potty. We have had our share of accidents while watching TV because it is just so captivating.

And Mikayla has wet the couch on occasion, too.

This time, however, Mikayla turned to me smack in the middle of a monkey adventure and cried with her usual drama, "I have to go potty! I have to go potty!"And so we went. Fast. I sneaked a hand under her bottom to check, and the couch was dry! Folks, I can't imagine an Olympic gold medalist feeling a greater sense of victory. I know you think I'm exaggerating, but if you have ever potty trained another human being, you might recall what I'm talking about.

I think one secret to our success today was that we made a HUGE deal of her successes. I had just read a potty training blog post that suggested having a list of people to call when the potty is used, to share the excitement. So we were on the phone with three grandparents, one dadda, and texted a proud aunt through the course of the day. Mikayla was just bursting with excitement to share her news - let's face it, she was just thrilled to be on the phone so many times in one day. We kept with the sticker and cookie routine as rewards as well. (Mikayla refers to yogurt-covered-raisins as cookies. I am not going to correct her for a long, long time.)

Where was Isaac during all this? The simple answer is, "everywhere". That kid spent at least twenty minutes pushing the spray button on my (empty) Swiffer mop at one point. He also emptied his changing table of anything diaper-related. I love him, but he has some serious energy! I just can't wait til we're potty training him. I imagine we'll be mopping arcs of pee pee from the walls.

Somebody remind me that I predicted that, ok?

Lies Moms Believe

Perhaps you are familiar with the book "Lies Women Believe (and the Truth that sets them free!)" book, and similar "Lies Young Women Believe..." by Nancy Leigh DeMoss an Dannah Gresh. Our church's young women are using the latter for a Bible study currently. I'm always amazed at how insightful, mature, and Scripturally-rooted our young women are (compared with myself at that age, particularly) as we work through the insidious lies of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Many are lies that we would never overtly claim to believe, but we nonetheless act as if they are true. ("I am my own authority", anyone?)

All that as background for sharing this link:

Adjusting to a New Baby, Ad Addendum

I was reading along thinking yup, I knew that, got it, etc. etc. and generally feeling like I had nailed the whole "adjusting to new baby" thing with each of my kiddos. Food, fat clothes, taking it easy early on. No sweat. Maybe I'm just lazy and I like to eat so new motherhood really suits me.

Then I got to #6: Never underestimate the spiritual warfare that occurs when new life is born.

I could practically feel the words leap from the screen to punch me in the face.

Reading through the first paragraph felt like a firsthand glimpse of my thought life and heart attitudes in the first weeks of having a new baby home. Who am I kidding, these are thoughts I struggled with this very morning.

See what you think:

When a new life is born, the devil begins to wreak havoc on your home especially the mother.  He is the father of lies.  He hates life and loves death so every time life is born, a part of you will pay in this war.  Although, his lies come in forms that we usually don't recognize.  "This is too much for one man."  "Why are you wasting your life?"  "Look at what you once were."  "Your body is trashed."  "This can't be right to be this tired and overwhelmed."  "Our marriage is a mess."  "I am not a good mother to the ones I have, why would I have more children."  "I can't seem to get it right."  "I am so lonely."  "I am losing my mind."  "I don't do well without sleep."  "You are better than this."  "They would be better off without you."  "I am much better at helping others than my own children."I was once so organized and now I can barely get out of bed."  "So and so is always with it, why can't I be like her?"  "Everybody does well after a baby, except me."

Poor body image? Negative thoughts about my spouse? Despair about the condition of my home and energy level? Wallowing in the loneliness of caring for two small children all by myself, knowing my husband has a work dinner and will be home later than usual today? Comparing myself with other moms who share idealized glimpses of their adorable, well-scrubbed children and brightly lit homes on Facebook?

Check, check, and check. However many checks that is. Got 'em all. 

So apparently I am pathetic and on the losing side (at the moment) of some serious spiritual warfare. I wonder if Nancy and Dannah would mind much if I undertook a spinoff of their books for moms. I Googled it and found a few different blog offerings and a "Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe". Clearly, this is something that we struggle with. 

I need some Truth in my life, and pronto. Flipping open my Bible, it falls open to Job. Ironic, perhaps, that the first passage I see is, "My spirit is broken; my days are extinct; the graveyard is ready for me." I'm not sure whether to identify with Job here, or consider this a reality check that my days full of laundry, crumbs, and urine-saturated chair cushions are more a sign of blessing than of suffering. My hunch is that God would have me go with the latter. Self-pity much?

I turn next to an old favorite, a passage that brought me comfort through my angsty teenage years. Today I am weary in different ways and have need of a different kind of strength. But my Supplier is unchanged.

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? 
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord will renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not be faint." [Isa. 40:31]

I'm scanning down the words at the far right of each line: faint, weary, exhausted. Ah, that would be me. But then I trace back just a bit further and see the word "not". Not faint, Not weary, Not exhausted. And even further back in each line and I'm astounded by the use of the emphatic, "they SHALL...". What a promise! They who wait for the Lord, seek His strength and find contentment in Him regardless of the season of life, they shall not only NOT be weary, but they shall run!

So, I feel encouraged and motivated. At least a little bit convicted that I have not been waiting on the Lord lately, or else I might not find myself feeling so depleted. Now, though, there is at least a refreshment of my spirit, such that I feel more likely to choose contentment and joy in my remaining duties today. If this excerpt from Isaiah 40 didn't do it for you, I encourage you to open the Scriptures and read the whole of Isaiah 40. Be reminded of the vastness and might and power of the God who is our strength.

And if you are a mom in need of particular tender mercy from the Lord today, as I find myself, please locate verse 11: "He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young."

We are His lambs, and He gently leads those that are with young.

Gentle Father, help me to show this same tenderness and gentleness to my children this day and always. I have such need of your help; without you, I can do nothing but hate my children, be annoyed and impatient and frustrated at their needs. Yet you do not treat me with annoyance, impatience, nor frustration, even on my most pitiable days. Pour our your grace and strength upon me; cause me to wait upon you and to find contentment in this calling as a mother. As you love me, move my heart and my hands and my tongue to love my children in imitation of your perfect example.

Thank you most of all for Jesus, who covers every mothering sin, both of omission and comission, with His precious, plenteous blood. Let me always point my children to His completed work for us. Amen.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Soli deo gloria!!

Move Over, Rachael Ray!

I was trying to think of a really stylish cook for the title. I don't know.

So maybe a month ago, I posted a photo to Facebook of my crazy kiddos helping in the kitchen. It looked something like this:

Please note my topless daughter and my son wearing his manly, floral apron.

This is a post about how a dear friend, Kathy K., pitied my children and took matters into her own hands to provide appropriate kitchen attire for my little ones. She surprised them with a gift of these aprons when she and Brent hosted us on our way to South Carolina. We had stopped in our old stomping ground of Virginia Beach, and the K.'s are some of our dearest friends there. But this is not a post about that, per se (our visit there could easily be a blog miniseries; the friends! the food! the singing! the head injuries!). This post is about the cuteness that Kathy K. created.

Yes, they are standing at the stove. No, it is not turned on. Mikayla likes to pretend she is making tea with my kettle. It's all very safe, except for the next person who makes tea might find it heavily seasoned with salt and pepper. Ask me how I know.

But look, these kiddos are ready for anything in the kitchen! Thank you, Kathy K.! It's hard to get a 15 month old to hold still or turn in the right direction without using duct tape, and since I was fresh out, you can't tell that there is a cool truck on the front of Isaac's masculine green and blue apron. I can't wait to see him behind the grill with his dadda this summer. Meanwhile, Mikayla's apron incorporates beautiful pink and orange colors with some brown.

You can tell Isaac likes his because he wasn't crying and freaking out about having something tied behind his back. In fact, he walked over to me and ducked his head through the loop so that I could put it on him.

What a wonderful reminder, as these little aprons hang in our kitchen, of precious friends whose love spans the miles and years. And who definitely wield a sewing machine more deftly than I. So thankful that we are one in Christ, and were blessed to share some sweet time eating, visiting, and singing with you all down south! And thankful that Isaac's head is healing nicely as well. What can I say, it was a memorable visit!

Natural Cleaners Revisit

You know how those makeover TV shows often do a re-visit? I'm thinking Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, Nanny 911, Hoarders, etc. (this may or may not be a Who's Who of my recent Netflix queue, but that's irrelevant).

Consider this the day that we go knocking on my door to find out whether the natural cleaners are living up to the reviews they earned in the first week of use. Just like a TV revisit only with more honesty and less feigned shock (Seriously, you already have half the camera crew inside your house to capture the stunned look on your face. That and you are not wearing sweatpants. Does anybody hang out at home, not expecting company, and not wear sweatpants? Am I tipping my hand too much here?)

With no ado whatsoever:

Laundry detergent - 5/5, love this!
Ingredients: borax, washing soda, ivory soap, oxy clean
Comments: Still takes everything out of my laundry with no need for fabric softener. I might add a few drops of essential oil to a few loads to give it a fragrance, i.e. on sheets and colds. I like that I can use the same detergent on diapers and everything else because it is so basic and gentle.

Special thanks to Pam H. for your comment on stain removal tricks! I just spotted it not long ago on the original natural cleaner post. I can't wait for an opportunity to try them; and with the way things go around here, it shan't be long.

Dish soap - 4.5/5
Ingredients: ivory soap grated and melted with boiling water, borax
Comments: It's still hard to tell where the soap is because it doesn't suds like store-bought dish soap, but it cuts through everything, and fast. A little dab of this soaking in a pot will have it clean in no time.

Dishwasher detergent - 1/5
Ingredients: borax, washing soda, citric acid, kosher salt
Comments: This continued to leave the glasses filmy no matter what proportions and rinse aids we tried. It has been pulled from the rotation and replaced with a store-bought powder detergent. Maybe we'll try a different recipe sometime.

All-Purpose Cleaner: 5/5
Ingredients: vinegar, water, tea tree oil
Comments: Continues to clean like a breeze. I add a sprinkle of baking soda beforehand when cleaning sinks or other grimy spots like the bottom of my kids' bath mat. Cuts through soap scum and hard water deposits pretty well, too.

Glass Cleaner: 5/5
Ingredients: grain alcohol (vodka), vinegar, dab of dish soap, water
Comments: Great on mirrors or any place you'd want a streak-free surface cleaner.

Toilet cleaner: 4.5/5
Ingredients: vinegar, tea tree oil
Comments: Still cleans sparkling clean all over the commode; generous sprinkle of baking soda inside first guarantees a gentle scrubbing power that leaves the bowl crystal clean.

So the dishwasher detergent is the only one we've decided not to use anymore. Overall that's a pretty good success rate! I'm amazed at how effectively I can clean using mainly vinegar and baking soda. If one doesn't do the trick, combine them. Even in laundry - a vinegar soak or rinse does wonders on my dish rags.

I just made my first batch of face wash using grapeseed oil, castile soap, and a few essential oils. I'm excited and slightly nervous to try it out. Also in the queue are a face moisturizer and hair gel. I've read good reviews on all of these recipes but as always, the proof is in the pudding. We'll see how they work!

There you have it. Hope you found this at least somewhat interesting. I felt it was my duty as a responsible blogger to get back to you and let you know at least that the dishwasher detergent was a bomb. Because you have all been struggling to sleep at night wondering how that was working out. I just always hate trying something that I've found online and has great reviews, only to end up wondering if I have remedial instruction-following skills because mine is nothing like what is described or pictured. If you tried the dishwashing detergent but became frustrated with the results, you are not alone.

1995 called; it wants its pop culture reference back. Anyone else spot it?

Have a great Friday, everyone! Check back again soon, I am hoping to keep up with much more frequent posting. Of course, saying that is like the kiss of death but I figure if I put it out there, I might feel some modicum of accountability to follow through.    
   
In fact, I already have my next post planned: The kids modeling their new aprons, courtesy of our dear friends the Kornmans, who graciously hosted us when we passed through Virginia Beach last week. You won't want to miss the cuteness!

Life With Toddlers

Having recently arrived back from vacation, which entailed four days in a minivan passing out goldfish crackers as if my life depended on it, my cognitive functioning can best be described as "compromised". My thoughts occur in bullet points. Since I am no longer on Facebook, where some of these anecdotes would make great status fodder, I'll list them here in no particular order.

• Mikayla learned all the words to "Patty Cake" recently and has been enjoying doing it "on my own!" This morning we took turns saying the words and doing the motions. She sang, "Mark it with an Eeeeeeee, and put it in the oven for...horse! and book!" I am not at all sure that we have explained the concept quite clearly enough.
• Isaac has learned how to shake hands. Today at breakfast, I asked him to shake my hand, which he did quite readily, and landed a few kisses on my fingers as well. That boy possesses a charm well beyond his years. He then proceeded to look at his hands, and I saw the light bulb go on. He grabbed his left hand with his right, and gave himself a hearty handshake. Yes, I suppose it works that way, too.
• Mikayla is showing interest in potty training again. Today she insisted on wearing undies. She kept them dry and wanted to wear them during naptime, too. The deal was that she had to go on the potty and make sure her peepee was all gone, and then she could wear undies for her nap. That girl wanted to sit on every potty in the house (that makes five, counting her little ones) but decided she didn't like any of them. She cheerfully placed her undies back into the dresser drawer so that I could diaper her for naptime. I am ready to eat sprinkles by the spoonful at this point.
• Nothing makes a mother's heart sink quite like the sight of the wooden block bin...completely empty of wooden blocks. This just after I spent the morning tidying, cleaning, and vacuuming. I did find a large cache of blocks underneath my bed, in a location that defies the physics of my children's arm length. They were right behind the book I had hoped to take and read on vacation. Last week. New favorite hiding place? Add this to the list right behind the living room end table drawer, under the kitchen buffet, and inside my shoes.
• The sweetest for last: Today as I cleaned, I could hear my children giggling and talking to each other as they toddled up and down the hallway together. Mikayla loves that Isaac is getting steadier on his feet so that she can drag him around dance with him, and he is just happy to be a part of her shenanigans. I spied them at one point with arms tangled around each other, partially off-balance, staggering toward Isaac's room, absolutely squealing with delight. Not only are they bonding as siblings, but Momma has some newfound freedom to get things done during awake time! Win-win!

God is good. Vacation was great. More about that, perhaps after I receive an email with photos and videos from the grandparents. I, shamefully, captured zero memories, but in my defense it is difficult to take photos when you spend four days essentially pig wrestling two toddlers slathered in SPF 50. I was thankful for the sand that stuck to every inch of their greasy appendages, as it gave me some traction for the post-beach journey back to the timeshare. Thank you, Gramsie and Papa, for a wonderful week and for snapping some evidence that we were there!