I knew better. I really did. Nothing good can ever come of buying haircolor in a box. At least not for me. And yet, I did it anyway. Driven by a strong desire for change, and a wild idea that I’d love to be blonde again, I ran out to Walmart, and grabbed a box of Feria 110 Starlet. After all, what could be more “summer” than Gwyneth Paltrow locks?

Except, it turns out that Feria 110 Starlet actually only makes my hair orange. A shimmering orange. But orange, none the less.

THIS is the point where I should have stopped, coughed up the cold hard cash, and paid someone to restore my hair. But, oh no, not me. I am forever determined to “get it right” and decided to “up the anti.” After all, a little bleaching can fix orange hair.

Right?

So I ran back to Walmart (Orange hair and all) and grabbed L’Oreal’s Super Bleach Blonde. (You know they mean business when they drop the fancy descriptors and just call it what it is.) My mom and I diligently covered my hair in blue foaming goo and waited the hour-ish for the process to take. Then, as hopeful as a person can be who’s desperately trying to repair orange hair with an $8.00 box of bleach… we washed out the goop and blew dry the results…

First impression?

Milla Jovovich in the Fifth Element.

Remember her? Neon yellow-ish hair? (Hers may have been a tad more orange, but you get the picture.)

My eldest daughter approached me to touch my new creation and asked, “Why didn’t you do purple? How come you want yellow hair?”

Who knows. At least with purple hair, people might assume I did this on purpose…

Yesterday two of my kiddos woke up with a hacking cough. It appeared overnight and sounds horrid. Tonight, my other two kiddos have developed the same onset of cough. Not sure what’s going on. I just know it’s doing a fine job of interupting sleep.

It’s 4:06 a.m. and here is what my night has looked like:

9:30 p.m. The babies are asleep.
10:00 p.m. The two eldest girls finally fell asleep. (Don’t ask.)
10:15 p.m. I went to bed.
10:38 p.m. DFS1 woke up, having pooped.
11:00 p.m. I was able to go back to bed.
12:15 a.m. DFS1 woke up again with gas. He eats 2 ounces.

-It was at this point that I figured out that DD1 had snuck into my room, I moved her back to her room, only to find DD2 awake and crying because she was having a hard time breathing. I bring her to bed with me.)

12:40 a.m. I go back to bed.
1:30 a.m. DFS1 is awake AGAIN. He’s poopy. Again.
1:40 a.m. I crawl back in bed after having fed DFS1 two ounces.
2:30 a.m. A big burp wakes up DFS1. As I climb out of bed to comfort him. DD3 wakes up.

-I burp DFS1, feed DD3, put DFS1 back to sleep and then bring a wide awake DD3 downstairs to bounce in the bouncer and hope to put back to sleep. During the next hour and a half DFS1 wakes AGAIN and is again back to sleep. -

4:12 a.m. I’m headed to bed. The two eldest will be up at 6:30 a.m. like clockwork. Wish me luck.

I’ve sat down, on more than one occasion, to update everyone on how things are going on this end. I open up this page to start typing and without fail I am interrupted.

Wish me luck. Because, at this point, it feels like it’s been so long since the last update, I’m not sure where to begin.

So, let me start by saying that DD2’s speech therapy continues to be a success. She is saying spontaneous two word sentences now. A quantum leap from December. There has been some concerns about speech apraxia, but as of yet no official diagnosis. I think that as long as she continues to show marked improvement, we are all reluctant to stick too large of a label on the delay.

DD2 continues to be a very shy and concertedly organized little person. She likes to have things in order and could care less about being in the lime light. Quite the polar opposite of DD1. Whom craves attention like the air she breaths.

DD1 is currently in gymnastics and adores the exercise. She desperately wants to do the flips that the big girls do in “team” gymnastics. I’m all the time catching her in her room trying to do round offs and other such craziness. So, with the help of her coach, we’re working on getting her backbend strengthened and I’m trying to have her do more stretches. Anything to keep her mind off flipping off her bed! (I have pictures to prove the devastation that can occur when a four year old meets the footboard of her bed after attempting a hand spring.)

In addition to her physical aspirations, DD1 has become quite the negotiator. It’s a fantastic trait, that is easily abused by overuse. Still, we’re enjoying the “grown up” conversations. Even if she insists on saying “misappeared” instead of “disappeared” and “skunk screen” instead of “sun screen.”

DD3 is 9 months old now. She is cruising around the house. Using the wall for leverage when she runs out of furniture. She can stand on her own now. Although it scares her when she realizes she’s doing it. DD3 is saying all kinds of words. My favorites include “nonono” complete with head shake. And sometimes she mimics me and hollers “RA-RA” (her attempt at her eldest sister’s name.)

I had to leave DD3 with my mom last Saturday for an all day Behavior Management training. I was reluctant to be separated for such a length of time. But as it turned out we all survived. It’s so bitter sweet to think of my baby girl being so independent. Thankfully, though, it will be a whole year before I have to do that training again. So we won’t (or shouldn’t) have to test the waters of independence too frequently.

Our son is doing well. Because of privacy rights I can’t really update you on how things are for him. But will say that his smiles have become such a highlight of my day. I wish everyone of you could know him. Because he’s pretty amazing. It’s hard to imagine life without him at this point. I’ve really enjoyed being a mother to four. Even if I sometimes wonder at my own sanity.

As far as me…
I’m staying busy. Between FP training, workshops, LLL, playgroups, spinning guild and general parenting, I find that my calendar remains full. I only have one more project that I’m attempting to find a way to fit on my plate. And that is homeschool this fall. I’m joining together with some local friends to start a cooperative. And hope to order Sonlights P4/5 curriculum. I went back and forth on what I really wanted to do this fall, and when it came down to it, what I wanted more than anything was to open up DD1’s world of learning, introduce Handwriting Without Tears, and just take it easy. The Sonlight program is closest to what I want. A literature based curriculum that is not heavy handed with workbooks and seat work.

I’ve heard suggestions for other approaches and have made a pointed effort to just take it easy and not get too hung up on philosophies. DD1 adamantly wants to do “school” this fall. She keeps talking about the yellow bus and her “teachers.” I’m not sure how to explain it to her that she will not ever (if I can help it) ride the yellow bus, and at least for right now she won’t have any teacher except for myself… I’m hoping that between her enjoyment of homeschool and the extracurricular opportunities she will realize she has got a good thing going.

About a month ago, a friend of mine turned me onto her newest favorite past time. Hula Hooping. At first thought, it seems a bit juvenile. I explained to her that those plastic hoops from Walmart just don’t seem to work. I’ve tried hooping, as an adult, and I can’t seem to keep the hoop spinning like I once could.

I was assured, however, that the hoops she was referencing weren’t the cheap plastic variety. They were the larger (still cheap) adult kind. Made from 100 or 160 psi black tubing and electrical tape. She linked me to a few videos and that was it.

I’m hooked.

Or should I say “hooped?”

I ran out that next day and bought tubing, connectors, and gobs of colorful electrical tape. I started off making the violet and green hoop for myself and two hoops for the girls. Each girl picked out their own colors and now guard their hoops relentlessly from each other.

They’re so cute to watch. DD1 is fairly adventurous. She tries really hard to spin the hoop and work in tricks, while DD2 holds the hoop with two hands and just swings it back and forth. She doesn’t understand that she needs to actually move her hips and let go. LOL.

As far as me, I’m still such an novice. Once the hoop slides down to my knees, it’s beyond recovery. lol. But still, I can hoop with my hands, around my hips and waist, and today I was practicing dipping my hands in and out of the hoop. (Although, I really should practice recovering the hoop when it slides below my hips. I’m always really bad about wanting to jump into advance “fun” steps without always mastering basics first.)

We’ve had so much fun hooping that this last week my folks came over and my mom made a Cornhusker (red and white) hoop and I made a red and yellow one. We even put a hoop together for my DAd. Although, I’m not sure if he’s wrapped his yet.

One thing I did differently this time is that I added a half cup of water to the hoops to help them spin, and it’s been history ever since.

Tomorrow Dh is bringing this two-tone 1993 Toyota Corolla home. It’s going to be his newest baby. We’re calling it “Dave’s Car.” (ala Dave Ramsey) It’s going to be the first time in six years that we’ll be a two car family. Until now we’ve operated as a one vehicle clan.

(I’d say we’ve had a good run as a one car family!)

But with four babes in the house and Dh’s increasingly busy work schedule, it was time to find a commuter car for Dh. Something we could buy, fix up, and drive for under a grand. So there you have it. It’s not especially beautiful, and it only has to last a year. But it’s going to be ours. And I’m feeling oddly sentimental about it.

Every time I start to feel bad that Dh’s new car is such an old one, I remind myself that this is not only good stewardship of finances, but an awesome demonstration of recycling and reusing. And, after all, isn’t that what it’s all about?