A Pampering Girls-Night-Out Hair Styling Extravaganza

I desperately need a break from packing and all things related to getting ready to move in just a few short weeks!?!  Egads, so much to do!

But anyway, on to more exciting things.

Not too long ago Suave contacted me and asked if they could throw a party for me and 9 other lucky guests.  They said they would foot the bill to buy some delicious food and that they would also pay to have a hair stylist of MY choice come to the soirée to teach us about styling and hair care. And on top of that, they also said they would provide some great free product to all who attended.  (I must admit I have been enjoying the new Suave Professionals Rosemary Mint Shampoo and Conditioner they gave me.)

How could I pass up such an opportunity?

Let’s just say that our Girls-Night-Out Hair Styling Party Extravaganza was an absolute blast!  Two of my guests, Sonya and Megan, are avid knitters and it is rare to find them not working on a project.  However, John Paul – our classy hair stylist from Gene Juarez – kept them so engaged that they never even pulled out their needles!

So who is this John Paul?  Here is a short bio on him … and I didn’t even realize how exceptionally talented he is in his field until I came home and googled him.

“Armed with a degree in fashion illustration from the Art Institute of Seattle, John favors classic but campy looks from old cinema. An avid traveler, he’s inspired by the beautiful hair, style and culture of different countries. John has practiced in San Francisco and Seattle; appeared on TLC’s “The Makeover Story”; and worked with celebrity clients, including Rita Moreno, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, and Nancy Pelosi.”

John easily exceeded all my expectations for the night.  Not only did he share some amazing tips, but he also took the time to style all of our hair.

Since I know you are all wondering what kind of tips he shared with us, here are some highlights from our swankified evening:

1. When using your hair dryer, use the nozzle attachment so you can more accurately direct the air flow.  It also makes round brushing your hair much easier because you can touch it to the brush.

2. When blow drying your hair, blow it in the opposite direction you want it to go to give it more lift, body and volume.

3. Buy a satin pillowcase or even make your own.  Satin and silk pillowcases provide much less friction for you hair.  As a result, not only will your hair be healthier, but you will find that your hair will be less messy, bumpy and frizzy the next morning.  This is great news for those who shower at night or for those who don’t like to wash their hair every day.  And another side benefit to using a satin pillowcase? It helps alleviate allergies for those who suffer from them.

4. If you use a curling iron, take the hinge and clamp off of it and just use the barrel.  You will be amazed at the versatility this gives you.

5. Curling irons come in a triple barrel or three barrel variety.  Try one out to create deep and beautiful waves.

6. If you are styling your hair with a curling iron, a flat iron, a round brush or anything else, use some product in your hair to help it keep the shape you are after.

7. How can you tell if you have a good quality flat iron or straightener? The ends of your hair should not be frizzy after you use it.  The finished look should be glassy and straight.

And my post wouldn’t be complete without some pictures.  (Sorry, the photos are not the best quality.  The lighting in the room was a bit off.)

Here is a photo of me after John round brushed my hair.  Why am I so round brushed challenged? He made it look so easy.

Before photo of Diana.

After photo of Diana.  So cheery!

Before photo of Sonya.

After photo of Sonya.  Love the classy new look!

Before photo of Megan.  John had her wash her hair with the Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter Shampoo.  As you can tell, Megan has very curly and gorgeous locks.

After photo of Megan.  So sassy!

Kudos to Suave for allowing me to host such a fun filled night!  I wish I could have invited everyone I knew.  Thanks to all the lovely ladies who came and made the night so fabulous!

Master Of The House

Keri: “Why is it called the master bedroom?”

Me: “Because I am the master !”

Keri: “Someday I will be the master of the house.  … And boys don’t get to be masters … unless they don’t get married … because moms always rule the house.”

I must admit I couldn’t stop grinning!

And perhaps you are asking yourself why was she wondering about why a master bedroom is called that?  It is because we were drawing a rough sketch of the floor plan of the new unit in a triplex we will be moving into at the end of next month.

F.I.N.A.L.L.Y.

We will be nearly doubling our living space and we will be gaining a 450 square foot garage.  Storage space galore is coming our way.  Even our unit has a TON of closets.  Two in the master bedroom, two in one of the other bedrooms, one in the third bedroom and four in the hallway areas.

Plus we will have a large laundry room, a smallish den and an outside patio area with a small yard for the kids to play in.  There are even two full bathrooms.

Can you tell I am a bit ecstatic?  I can’t wait.

Though, of course, I am also nervous.  Change always makes me a bit nervous, especially when you are going to increase your monthly expenditures.

And I dread packing and unpacking.  At least it is a local move, just about 15 minutes away.

Now here’s to hoping that no unforseen thing gets in our way.

I better get off of here so I can start planning my to do list of all the gazillion things I will need to get done between now and then.

And when I need a break from packing, I will come back and check in here. I have a post I need to write, a post about a most fantabulous party I had the chance to host last night.  It was a pampering girls night out get together (courtesy of Suave) with a classy hair designer (from Gene Juarez) who came and taught us more than you can ever imagine.  He even took the time to style all of our hair!  Talk about a grand time!

Until next time!

My 2010 Word of the Year

While reading blogs a few years ago, I came across the idea of choosing a “word of the year” for yourself.  This word is supposed to guide you during the year.  It is supposed to inspire you.  It is supposed to help you better define your life.  It is supposed to help you grow.  It is supposed to motivate you.  It is supposed to remind you of your priorities.

For the last few years I have chosen a word, but I never fully committed to it like I should have.  However, this year I am going to fully embrace the word I choose.

My word for the year 2010?  Temperance.

There is so much that comes to my mind when I think of this word.  Temperance in my attitude.  Temperance in the way I react to things. Temperance when it comes to raising my kids. Temperance in my finances.  Temperance in my eating habits.

I am excited to see where this word takes me this year.

And here is what helped inspire me to choose my word:

A few years ago, I was driving home from work when a large semitruck, traveling in the opposite direction, lost one of its dual tires. The tire flew over the median separating our lanes. It came bouncing down my side of the freeway. Cars were swerving in both directions, drivers not knowing which direction the tire would bounce next. I dodged left when I should have dodged right, and the tire took its final bounce right on the corner of my windshield.

A friend called my wife to inform her of the accident. She told me later that her first thought was of lacerations from shattered glass. Indeed, I was covered with beads of broken glass but did not suffer a single scratch. It was definitely not because of my driving skills; rather, it was because the windshield of my little car was made of tempered glass.

Tempered glass, like tempered steel, undergoes a well-controlled heating process which increases strength. Thus, when tempered glass is under stress, it will not easily break into jagged shards that can injure.

Likewise, a temperate soul—one who is humble and full of love—is also a person of increased spiritual strength. With increased spiritual strength, we are able to develop self-mastery and to live with moderation. We learn to control, or temper, our anger, vanity, and pride. With increased spiritual strength, we can protect ourselves from the dangerous excesses and destructive addictions of today’s world. …

When Jesus Christ, the greatest of all, suffered for us to the extent that He bled from every pore, He did not express anger or revile in suffering. With unsurpassed self-restraint, or temperance, His thoughts were not of Himself but of you and of me. And then, in humility and full of love, He said, “Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.” ~ Kent D. Watson

Do you have a word of the year you would like to embrace?

I hope everyone is having a healthy, happy and peaceful start to their new year.

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours …

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

** Picture painted by Liz Swindle

We hope your holiday season is filled with much light and peace.  Here’s to a happy new year and a wonderful new decade full of endless possibilities.

Fuming And Fidgeting

In 1987 I was working for the United States government. About the middle of December I received a last-minute assignment to go to Israel. It was the Christmas season, when many tourists come to celebrate the birth of Christ. Violence in and around Israel, however, had kept them away.

On my last day in the Holy Land I was able to go to Jerusalem. I had been there before but never at Christmastime. I walked through the streets of the Old City on that cold, dreary, rainy day. Most of the Arab shopkeepers in the old city had closed their shops and everyone seemed unhappy.

Yet as I walked, umbrella in hand, I thought of the Savior of the world. Despite the cold, the rain, and the tense political atmosphere, I was filled with joy and peace to know that I was in the city where the Savior of the world had lived and taught.

I departed the next day for Washington, D.C., arriving a few days before Christmas. I landed at Dulles International Airport and hailed a taxi. As we pulled out on the Capital Beltway, the traffic was awful. Everyone was trying to get home for Christmas. I started to lose patience and began fuming and fidgeting. The spirit of peace I had felt in Jerusalem drained away.

As we drove along, I kept saying to the taxi driver, “Try that lane. Move over there—no, go over there. Try that.” It took us well over an hour to get to my exit in Virginia. When we finally exited, we ran into the worst local traffic jam I had ever seen. I again started fuming and fidgeting and making suggestions to the driver. Suddenly he turned around, looked me in the eye, and said in a tone of mild rebuke, “Sir, there is no reason to be upset about a traffic jam.” Then he turned back around.

Sensing perhaps that I was a bit miffed, he looked at me again and said, “Pardon me. But you see, I am from another planet.”

“Very well,” I replied, “just what planet do you come from?”

I will never forget his reply. He turned around again and said in a calm voice, “I am from Afghanistan, a country devastated by war, and if you had seen the things I have seen—villages bombed, people starving, men and women and children fleeing for their lives, and war and destruction and chaos on every side—you would not worry so much about a mere traffic jam.” Then he turned around again and drove on silently.

His words pierced me. Suddenly I saw everything in perspective. I lived in a free country in the midst of prosperity and peace. I was going home to a wonderful family in a home of our own, and we were going to celebrate Christmas together. I realized that I had everything in the world a person could possibly want, including the gospel of Jesus Christ. And there I was, getting upset at a simple traffic jam, which meant nothing at all.

Two days later my alarm clock sounded on the Sabbath before Christmas, and the radio played these words from “O Holy Night”:

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend.

I thought of my visit to Jerusalem. I thought of a humble taxi driver who had taught me an important lesson. Then I thought of Jesus Christ, who was born to be the friend of the lowly and the hope of the meek. My heart brimmed with love, and tears flowed freely as I thought that He might regard me as a friend.

This is my testimony—that each of us has a friend in our Redeemer. The Prince of Peace lived on earth as a poor, simple, and humble man, but He was in fact the Son of God. He knows our trials and our pains, our temptations and our suffering of every kind. I pray that no matter what your personal trial, challenge, temptation, difficulty, or sin may be, you will come unto Him who was born in Bethlehem and resurrected on the third day in Jerusalem.
~ Bruce D. Porter, “The Prince of Glory”

This story is something I really needed to read.  Lately, my perspective on life hasn’t been the most ideal.   I have been way too guilty of  “fuming and fidgeting.”  In fact, I feel like that is all I have been doing.

But I can take a deep breath.

I can pause.

I can step back and ask myself some poignant questions.  Is this thing I am getting so upset about or so anxiety ridden over, worth it?  Am I being overly reactive and/or overly dramatic?  Those are some easy questions for me to answer, but the answers are what I have a difficult time changing.

I have so much to be grateful for.  The Lord is continually blessing my life with a myriad of tender mercies.  Those tender mercies come on a daily basis. I just need to learn to open my eyes and my heart so I can take notice of them … and so I can thank Him, my friend, for what He gives me.  I need to stop being blind to gratitude so I can live in “thanksgiving daily.”

The Magic of December

Something magical begins when the calendar page turns to December.

There is just something special and bright about the holiday season. It makes me wishful.  It fills me with hope and light.  It warms my soul with “comfort and joy.”  It renews me and refreshes me while making me feel nostalgic.  It causes me to reflect as another year comes to a close, and it causes me to look forward with anticipation to a new year that will soon begin.

It also helps me to more easily see all the good that still does exist in the world, despite all the moments and days where I feel bitterness and anger cankering my soul.

** Rudy’s horrendous bout with contact dermatitis is f.i.n.a.l.l.y. coming to a close.  He had some sort of allergic reaction to something used during or after his surgery.  It left him with a gnarly and nasty rash that not only inflamed and swelled up his foot, but it also spread to other parts of his body.  The last 4 weeks have been filled with numerous doctors appointments and phone calls to nurses, but I am hopeful we are nearly done with this health issue.

** We are hopeful that we can knock Rudy’s two “traffic” tickets down from a fine of $675 when we contest it in court in January.  [On the way to one of his many appointments, he realized that he inadvertently left his wallet and license at home.  After his doctor visit, he got in the car to come home to get his wallet and he immediately got pulled over by a heartless motorcycle officer for not having a license plate on the front of our car.  (We didn't know we lived in a state where we needed both plates on the car.)  That was a fine of $124.  And since he didn't have his license on him and since the cop supposedly couldn't check his computer to verify that Rudy was allowed to operate a motor vehicle, he slapped him with a $550 fine!?  Don't even get me started about the overly rude court lady we had to deal with.]

** I kind of had a poor attitude about an unexpected church lesson I was “asked” to teach, but gratefully the Lord softened my heart and helped me get in a more humble mindset.  The Atonement truly is the most amazing and glorious gift.  Not only will it change our sins from scarlet to white as freshly fallen snow when we repent, but it will change all the bitterness we encounter in life to things that are sweet.  The Atonement also saves us in and from our inadequacies.

“A sense of falling short or falling down is not only natural, but essential to the mortal experience. But, after all we can do, the Atonement can fill that which is empty, straighten our bent parts, and make strong that which is weak.”  ~ Bruce C. Hafen

** Listening to Christmas music makes any day better.  One of my favorite Christmas hymns?  “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day.”  “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is another one of my favorites.

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

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Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

** The holiday shopping is all done.  It was mostly done nearly two months ago, but it is nice to have all the finishing touches wrapped up.

** The Christmas present I am giving myself?  I am not going to think about/worry about where or when or if we will be moving until after the month of December is over. See?  It really is a magical month.

** I am deeply humbled by all the love, concern and support shown to me and my family as we have been struggling to overcome all that is piled on our plate.  The emails, the phone calls, the packages, the prayers … they have all been greatly appreciated.  We are especially thrilled with the irresistible offer my Dad gave us – to fly us all home to Los Angeles for part of the holiday season!

** Little Eli, who is just shy of 17 months, has been into EVERYTHING lately.  He is even getting into things that Cory never got into!?  But, he is still as sweet as ever and his smile just lights up the room.  I love having a little “baby” in the house still.  The things he is learning right now are so precious. I love when he signs “more” and when he folds his arms on his own free will for prayer.  His cuddly snuggles are some of the best medicine around.

** The Children’s Publishing Division of Simon & Schuster recently sent me a box full of goodies … book goodies.  They sent me a dozen holiday reads and they kindly said I could offer a giveaway on my site to two lucky readers.  Here are some of our favorites from the lot.

Snow Bugs by David A. Carter
This is a wintery pop-up book that is sure to delight children of all ages.

Four Friends at Christmas by Tomie dePaola
This is the charming author and illustrator who has created the Strega Nona books.

Snow! Snow! Snow! by Lee Harper
The illustrations in this book are like magical paintings.

Where Is Baby’s Christmas Present? by Karen Katz
This is a fun lift-the-flap board book for little hands.

My Chanukah Palybook by Salina Yoon
Children learn about the meaning of Chanukah in this book and they are also able to “light” a beautiful menorah with play pieces that come with it.

The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein Lindsay and Crouse
This is a collectible pop-up book that has visually stunning art work.

A Gift of Days: The Greatest Words to Live By by Stephen Alcorn
This calendar book highlights the words and ideas of 366 noteworthy figures like Shakespeare, Beethoven, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Maya Angelou and more.

Santa Claus is Green by Alison Inches
I must admit I was a bit skeptical about this one, but to be completely honest, I loved it!  Sure it talked about being eco-friendly during the holiday season, but I found the suggestions and tips it shared to be more frugally minded and more in line with the true Christmas spirit of giving and sharing than being about saving the planet.  It talks about making homemade gifts, giving old toys to friends and charity, making your own Christmas cards and wrapping paper and giving of your time and self.

The Christmas Baby by Marion Dane Bauer
A beautifully illustrated story about the birth of the Savior.

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So how do you win this giveaway?

Simply leave a comment on this post before Thursday December 10th.  Two lucky winners will be selected for this fun holiday children’s book giveaway.  They will each get to choose ONE of the above mentioned books.

If you want to be entered into this giveaway three times, then in your comment answer at least one of the following questions:

• What makes the holiday season magical for you?
• What is your favorite Christmas song and why?

If you want to be entered into this giveaway five times, then write about this giveaway on your blog or your Facebook status or your Twitter account. Make sure you indicate in your comment that you did so.

Sorry, but this giveaway is for U.S. addresses only.  The winner will have 2 days to claim their prize.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

The Value Of Work

“Work kept us from dwelling too much on the difficulties of our circumstances. Although our situation didn’t change overnight, it did change. That’s the thing about work. If we simply keep at it—steady and constant—things certainly will improve. …

“The Lord doesn’t expect us to work harder than we are able. He doesn’t (nor should we) compare our efforts to those of others. Our Heavenly Father asks only that we do the best we can—that we work according to our full capacity, however great or small that may be.

“Work is an antidote for anxiety, an ointment for sorrow, and a doorway to possibility. Whatever our circumstances in life … let us do the best we can and cultivate a reputation for excellence in all that we do. Let us set our minds and bodies to the glorious opportunity for work that each new day presents.

“When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, God is much more likely to assist the [person] who gets out to push than the [person]who merely raises his voice in prayer—no matter how eloquent the oration. President Thomas S. Monson put it this way:  ‘It is not enough to want to make the effort and to say we’ll make the effort. … It’s in the doing, not just the thinking, that we accomplish our goals. If we constantly put our goals off, we will never see them fulfilled.’

“Work can be ennobling and fulfilling, but remember Jacob’s warning not to ’spend … your labor for that which cannot satisfy.’ If we devote ourselves to the pursuit of worldly wealth and the glitter of public recognition at the expense of our families and our spiritual growth, we will discover soon enough that we have made a fool’s bargain. The righteous work we do within the walls of our homes is most sacred; its benefits are eternal in nature. It cannot be delegated. It is the foundation of our work.

“Remember, we are only temporary travelers in this world. Let us not devote our God-given talents and energies solely to setting earthly anchors, but rather let us spend our days growing spiritual wings.” ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf

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During this Thanksgiving season and during this time of great uncertainty as we strive to make several major decisions for our family, I am beyond grateful for these wise words of wisdom uttered by a man inspired of God.

It fills me with some much needed hope.

Post Surgery Update

Please note:  Be warned … there is a somewhat graphic picture further down this post.  It shows the incision from my husband’s foot surgery.

A little over a week ago my husband went in for his outpatient foot surgery.  He had a “largish” [I called it a golf ball size lump, he called it a peanut M&M size lump ... though even the surgeon said, "You can't miss seeing that" when he checked the lump during pre-op] ganglion cyst on the inside of his right foot, near his ankle, that needed to be removed.

The surgery itself went well, though it was a long day.  The doctor was running 3 hours behind schedule so it felt like we waited and waited for our turn to come around.  Thank goodness the kind souls who watched our kids didn’t mind the change in plans.

Here is his foot a few hours after surgery.  He is wearing the boot he has to hobble around in.  He also is supposed to use crutches, though 4 year old Cory calls them “crunches.”

And here is the actual incision 4 days after surgery.

We think it is healing well, but he still is trying to take it easy (though my definition of easy and his definition of easy aren’t the same)  and keep his foot elevated.  Hopefully when he goes in next week to get the stitches removed we will hear a good report.

I am ready for it to be fully healed so we can get back to our “normal” routine in life.  It has been kind of a long month with his business travel, his foot surgery and then some hefty decisions we are still attempting to make … when and where to move, whether or not to pursue the elusive Ph.D, what career path do we want to be on and some other family issues that have arisen.

But then again, my heart is full of gratitude for all the good things and good people we have in our life.  Despite the stress and  overwhelming anxiety I have felt lately, the Lord still blesses me with those occasional peaceful happy moments.  It is at those moments that I have to pause and step back and remember His words, “Be still.”

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

~ “Be Still My Soul” hymn; Text by Katharina von Schlegel

Happy Halloween (We Missed You, Daddy!)

The husband has been gone all week on a business trip.  (Who ever planned a business trip to involve Halloween weekend probably doesn’t have kids.  And while we are on the subject of not having kids , whoever enacted the time change law also must not have kids!?!)

Let me tell you it has been a long and tiring week, but I also know I was strengthened beyond my own means.  I never could have survived without all the prayers being said.  I even woke up with a lousy migraine this morning, but thankfully some medicine and 8 year old Keri came to my rescue. She “babysat” the kidlets while I attempted to get some extra shut-eye this morning.

Anywho, here are some fun pictures of our adventurous evening last night.  We first went to our Church’s trunk-or-treat party and then the two older kids went trick-or-treating in a local neighborhood.  (Much thanks to my dear friend who watched Eli for us so he didn’t have to freeze!)

Trying to get all 3 kids to look at the camera at the same time is not an easy feat.  Hence the candy wrapper and bulge
in little Eli’s mouth.

These two kids adore each other!  Best buddies!

Maybe our little 15 month old tiger should have been a monkey. He loves to scale everything!

The kids had a blast last night!  Cory declared that Halloween is his favorite holiday. Keri likes it second best, Christmas ranks first for her.

On the agenda for this week?

My husband is having foot surgery on Wednesday.  And there is supposed to be a three week recovery for it.  Hopefully it goes well and hopefully I will still be standing after a month long bout of parenting on the solo side !

How To Get Rid Of Halloween Candy

Do you have too much Halloween candy on hand from all your trick-or-treating munchkins? Or too much left over from trick-or-treaters who never visited?

Besides doing scientific experiments on it or running a small candy store where your kids trade in their treats for little toys or fun family outing coupons, try freezing some or putting it in your food storage.  We like to do this and recycle their treats into their Christmas stockings, Valentine’s Day gifts, etc.

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!

It is hard to believe November is here. Thanksgiving (one of my favorite holidays) is in a few weeks.  And Keri promptly told me this morning that Christmas is in 55 days. Yikes!

I Miss My Baby

A few weeks ago, Rudy mentioned a couple of different times how he thought little Eli was starting to look kind of like a girl.  He thought Eli’s hair was getting too long and shaggy.

I should have taken a before shot.  This was from the
beginning of September.

Learning how to cut hair is something I have always wanted to do [kind of like how I eventually want to take voice lessons and how I eventually want to take photography lessons and how I eventually want to learn how to sew and how I eventually want to take piano lessons again], but right now I don’t know the first thing about how to do it.  I once shaved my brother’s head in high school … with clippers even … and it looked wrong.  Just wrong.

I have also attempted to trim Cory’s and Keri’s hair before, but I wasn’t overly fond with the way it turned out.  It seemed somewhat crooked and lopsided to me.

Apparently my domestic/homemaking skills are non-existent in this  department.  That doesn’t come as too much of a surprise to me, though, because in general I don’t have much of an artistic or creative flair.  It is hard for me to even visualize things in my head.  Perhaps that is why I didn’t like geometry in high school, but I adored algebra and calculus.

I think my older brother got all the art and design genes in the family.  Although, somehow those genes have been passed on to my kids.   Both Keri, who is 8, and Cory, who is 4, draw WAY better than me.  Even my stick figures tend to be crooked.

Anyway, I didn’t feel like shelling out a bunch of cash to go get Eli’s hair cut, so I decided to try and take on the project by myself.  I was a bit nervous, but I did search the Internet for some tips on how to cut kids hair, especially toddlers hair when they don’t want to hold still.

If I do say so myself, it didn’t turn out as bad as I thought it would.  His bangs aren’t the straightest thing in the world, but for the most part I think it looks kind of decent.  Especially since I only used scissors and no clippers.

However, now that he has his hair cut, he looks much older to me.  He looks like a little boy, not a little baby.

I miss my baby!

But I am glad he is growing up.  Just don’t grow up too fast, OK little one?

A Woggle of Books

I adore libraries.

I love meandering up and down the quiet aisles perusing the titles of dozens and dozens of books.

I love holding a book in my hands and thumbing through  its pages which hold the words of a story waiting to be devoured.

Not only do I love finding great reads for me, but I also get a thrill out of finding literary treasures I know my kids will enjoy.  I can spend forever and a day in the picture book section of the library poring over all it has to offer.  In fact, I don’t think I can enter a library …  even when I don’t have kids with me … without stopping in the children’s section.  It is too enticing.

While in the library today with my three little ones, I absentmindedly picked up a Halloween book.  As soon as I looked at the cover I was flooded with a myriad of memories.  (Don’t you love it when something you see, hear, smell or taste brings back pleasant childhood memories?  I cherish these unexpected trips down memory lane.) Instantly I knew this was a book I wanted to share with my kids.

I remember reading this book, “A Woggle of Witches,” as a young child. I remember curling up on our family room couch and being fascinated by the paintings this author-illustrator, Adrienne Adams, created.

It was charming and magical.

It taught me that a woggle is a medium-sized group of witches.  It taught me that witches like to eat bat stew.  It taught me that witches get scared, too.

This book probably helped sparked my love for the Autumn season.

And now it has sparked my new obsession with the word woggle.

Woggle.  Woggle.  Woggle.

Although I think I am going to use it to mean anything medium-sized … medium being relative.

I should now hurry off and attend to the woggle of books waiting for me in the other room.

Hmmm.  Maybe the stack is more like a woggle times a woggle.  Or a woggle to the woggleth degree.