Kinda Mohawk-ish

It's Halloween this week, which presents a few unique challenges.  Violet's costume is an ice-cream cone - her face pops out the front (so her entire head is inside of the costume).  Hello friction and hair damage.

SO.  Our options are to wear the sleep cap inside the costume (which we still might do) or to do a very protective style (which we definitely did).  

After our bath/detangle, we got cozy with snacks, blankets and a movie (Ponyo!)... and kind of just started playing.  It was GOING to be a combo of flat and free rope twists but as always, it evolved.

The final product?  Flat rope twists up both sides of the head, culminating in a mohawk of twists.  At first,  we bunched them together by color group and put them in mini-pony tails, but then I changed my mind and did one big cornrow of the twists to provide a more uniform profile view of the mohawk itself.  (Before on the left, After on the right).  

There are three twists in each "row" - one from each side and one from the center "column".  The next time I do this, I will just skip the center column and have each side meet in the middle.  But like I said, this evolved, so it wasn't completely thought out beforehand.

I left some of her bangs free... it just suits her.  And makes the style look more 'little girl' and less 'punk rocker' although I love the combo of both.  (I keep changing her bangs... love them down, but also love them rolled backwards and pinned with bobby pins.)  

After we were done, Daniel had pulled out some band toys and Violet grabbed the mic and sang her little heart out (to her own made up song consisting of the word "pinnochio" at high volume levels...).  

I love my kids.  

Brotherly Love

Their love for each other is priceless.  

He treasures her.  

She adores him.  

Just the way it's supposed to be.  

Asymmetry for the win!

Maybe it's because I'm still new to these more complicated styles, but as always, Violet's latest style evolved as we went.  It ended up being something I hadn't planned on, but wound up loving.  

Another totally protective style (no free hair anywhere) this style involves a side part with diagonal rope twists - one side ends in a low ponytail of twists and the other ends high on the opposite side of her head, in a loose bun of twists.  

This style suits her age.  Some protective styles make her look too old (in my opinion) or at least much older than she is.  This one is fun and fresh - and makes her look exactly like the two-year-old that she is!  

(And no, we don't normally encourage dancing on the bed... but every time we finish a "new do" we have a little mini-shoot... and when the camera is out, I have been known to break a few rules for a good photo...!)

Oh What A Night

Tonight I feel satisfied.  Full of the kind of contentedness you daydream about during more stressful times.  It makes little sense, as our world is full of uncertainty these days.  But tonight, on the back patio, under a full moon and strings of little white lights, listening to a fire crackle, eating dinner and burnt marshmallows to a familiar family soundtrack, life is perfect.

Our home is neither too big nor too small.  It is modest and perfect.  I admire the way the hanging white lights reflect in the windows, and am grateful for a husband whose ideal style of life so matches mine.

Our children are playing together with hearts full of love toward each other.  Helpful and nurturing, even.  Violet has just invented a game where she is the Mommy and Daniel gets to play his favorite alter-ego - a puppy dog.  He obliges her.  They complete each other in every way; the perfect sibling pair.

The weather is divine.  Cool enough to feel like Fall and warm enough for the kids to scamper around the backyard barefoot, playing with the crickets.

The food satisfies.  Warm, fresh, healthy and abundant.  The product of teamwork and creativity.

The music surrounds us and I am simultaneously transported to a thousand happy memories and also sure that tonight, right now, I'm breathing the air of what will be a cherished memory for years to come.

"Doesn't this feel like something we'll remember, babe?" I remark to my nearly napping husband.  (He is a sucker for a good fire and an evening on the patio.)  "When we are living somewhere else... doing something else... this will be the kind of night we'll think about fondly.  'Remember that little stucco house?' we'll say.  And 'Remember where Daniel took his first steps... on the carpet over there.  And Violet's first steps... on the patio right there.'  We'll say, 'That little house was so good to us.'"

And we smile lazily, both thinking the same thing:  God has been so good to us.

"The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." (Psalm 16:6).  

For these boundary lines, and for tonight, we are so grateful.

Bead Crazy

This week's style (as most seem to be) wasn't exactly what I had planned.  I knew I wanted something protective, but honestly I had bantu knots on the brain.  Those may still happen, but for the purpose of lasting all week, they just didn't seem to be the most practical.

Like always, she had a bath/shampoo/conditioner/detangle first.  Then we transitioned into lunch/coconut oil/parting time.  I started with squares and did three rows of those along the bottom, and started twisting as I went.  I used Jelly Creme and Madagascar Vanilla Creme on each twist and finally tried out a fabulous new trick that a friend mentioned months ago:  Do the first few stitches of each twist as a braid and it will hold better.  (It works!)

After nap we finished the top of her head, and that's where the part lines got all crazy.  I had planned a series of short, flat twists on top that didn't make sense once I got to that part. So, we improvised and finished her head in rope twists, with two sideways flat ones as bangs.  

She sat like an angel for me kept reaching up to gently feel the twists and beads.  And as soon as she knew I was done, she started shaking her head like crazy - she LOVES the sound and feel of those beads.



We went to our usual "inspect our work" spot in the bathroom and she and I both admired the new look.  I can tell when she feels pretty.  And she does today.

Funny side note:  That night she had a low grade fever, so I gave her some Tylenol.  After she drank her medicine, she patted her throat and said, "Medicine goes in my mouth, my throat, my heart, my belly, my hair, my beads and helps my whole body feel better!"  I guess beads are a body part now... that didn't take long!

A Summer on FB

So, Summer came and went and I'm still getting caught up on blog posts (what's new, right?).  But here's the snapshot version of Violet's last three months through the fabulous facebook filter... in no particular order!

So thankful my husband taught Violet the word "Capiche".  Seriously.  Nothing cuter than a 20 pound kid saying, "Mommy, you read me two stories please then you sing me two songs.  Capiche?"

3 stores + 2 kids + 4 times in and out of car seats + 2 sprints to the bathroom + 10 bags of groceries + 0 bad behavior = 1 happy mom.

We are back, world.  After a two day delay with a broken down van, the great outdoors seemed that much more great.  And even bigger through the eyes of someone so tiny.

It took me a while to figure out why the fans were always off after I know I had turned them on.  Mystery solved:  Violet is finally tall enough to reach the switches... But only the "off" switches.

Ah, the potential... Violet is coming unglued with excitement.  New paint brushes... it's like Christmas over here. 

V wasn't interested in legos until I said the words "lego bracelet"... then she was onboard.

Turns out my gramma's grandmother was named Violet.  No one knew this until today.  Kind of cool that we accidentally gave V a family name.

(And in an even crazier turn of events, my sister researched more and found out that the original Violet's mom's name was "Mariam" - V's middle name that we thought we had invented!)

Crazy day.  But there were some great moments.  Most notably just now when my kids and I sat in the dark on the sidewalk, watching an insane lightening show.  And then the next moment was pretty good too:  The sky opened up and it started pouring.  The NEXT moment (the screaming and running for the house) might take the cake. 

Violet, talking to Baby Karate (a doll):  "Baby Karate Amaro, don't suck your thumb!  Take it out!!"  Can you tell what we have been working on at home??

My first 2 cornrows... but they aren't on Violet!  My sister Keila let me practice on her head.  Totally different texture than Violet, but great practice.  Excited!

Ms. V is a happy girl... especially today.  It's her first day in big girl undies at school.  She has been begging us... guess it's time!

Girlie girls today... Ms. V and I got *real* pedicures with the Garland girls.

I am cracking myself up at Veggie Tales' Wizard of Ha's.  Seriously hilarious lines for the benefit of the parents, I'm sure.  "His name is Darby, and he's our hero... like Dana Carvey, Robert DeNiro..."

She just went into my closet and came out with the only heels I own.  That happen to be red.  Lord, help us. 

My Girl

Me and my girl.  Her kisses are the best. 

Renewed Creativity

New Style!  I have been newly inspired by 1) Violet's thickening and lengthening hair, and 2) a new fun blog I found:  Chocolate Hair, Vanilla Care.  It's a fun source of creative new styles, just in time for us.  Violet's damage in the back doesn't seem to be getting much better, and we're going to have to stick to JUST protective styles for a while.  (Bye, sweet little fro!  See you soon!)  

In the meantime, I'm excited to try all kinds of new styles.  Violet sits still for me for long stretches of time, which is helpful.  Her current favorite movie is Ponyo (I'm pretty sure this is Fernando and my favorite movie right now, too...) and she cozies up in her high chair with a blanket and a snack and just is a an absolute trooper.  It doesn't hurt that Daniel runs over ever 30 minutes, exclaiming, "Violet!  Your hair is BEAUTIFUL!"   

This style was born out of me biting off more than I could chew.  My original plan was to test out my flat rope twists on the top of her head (and some parting practice) and finish the rest of her head in regular rope twists, free-hanging.  But time ran out.  So, the top half are flat rope twists, continued into regular rope twists, and just added into 2 puffs.  I may finish out her head in twists later this week, to keep the back of her head protected.  We'll see.  

The downside is that there is so much baby hair still growing in that the twists were fuzzy from the beginning, even with freshly washed/detangled/producted strands.  It's ok.  She's 2.  And I'm new at all this craziness. (I'm talking myself into this, apparently).

  

Right now, we are loving this style on her and she seems to agree!   It looks precious with bobbles on the pigtails or matching flowers.  Lots of options!  I think this style is a keeper.  

Patience

I know... it's been weeks since a Violet update!  After years of not missing a week, I am finally playing catch-up.  I will fill in the gaps in the next few weeks, with lots of photos along the way.  Stay tuned for new styles... new adventures... new camping stories... new health updates and all kinds of excitement in the world of Ms. V!

A Day in the Life

Just a few fun photos from my afternoon with the kiddos yesterday. Violet was my buddy, connected at the (virtual) hip... (she's much shorter than I am).

We cooked... we cleaned... we finger-painted... we danced... we napped (in her new sleep cap!)... and she gave us both manicures (see: previous reference to "finger paint").

What a life!

Natural and Unnatural Fireworks

We experience BOTH natural and unnatural fireworks last night... and while man-made fireworks are fun, nothing compares to the beauty and majesty of crazy big (and close!) lightening.

We drove up north to Lake Pleasant with some friends and enjoyed a "night before" celebration. Violet did fabulously with the fireworks, sitting in my lap munching on carrots and guacamole, and sipping the lemonade drink Fernando got her as a treat. (Which was mostly to keep her diverted from the funnel cake we all were sharing that she cannot eat... so sad!)

But she was a happy camper, snuggled in for the whole set of fireworks, yelling "purple!" so loudly that I thought the folks in front of us were going to say something.

I am so proud of her boldness - even when she's frightened, she is able to work through it and enjoy the very thing she was scared of. We were close to the fireworks, so they were quite loud, but she gradually removed her hands from her ears and ended up pumping her fist in the air yelling, "Go fireworks! Come on fireworks!"

The skies opened up mid-show and cooled us off with a welcome rain, and the lightening competed for our attention all evening.

It was a relaxing, fun, change-of-pace, kind of evening.

Detangling the Mess

Always in search of a fun new family-friendly movie, we rented "Tangled" to watch all together. We popped popcorn, got in our pajamas, and snuggled on the couch to enjoy the show.

From a surface, "keep us entertained and laughing" standpoint, it was better than I expected.

But any deeper than that level, and it was a complete mess for young kiddos - especially ones in an adoptive situation.

1) The "mom" situation is complicated from the get-go. Evil witch steals sweet baby from crib (in a too-terrifying scene, by the way) but then the mom appears young and kind for a while. Enough so that Violet kept pointing: "Mommy, that's me and you! Violet and Mommy!" I kept trying to correct her: "That's just pretend Mommy..." but there was enough affection that the evil chic was convincing as a mom. Subtly she reveals herself as evil... jabs and slightly mean comments that just made the kids uncomfortable. It's a grey area.

2) Which leads to the next point. Maybe unintentionally, but this movie teaches a clear lesson: If your mom is mean to you, or you just feel like there's something better "out there", it's ok to run away. It's ok to go find your "real" family.

3) Which leads me to point number 3. Once you do run away and find the "real" family you always knew was out there, naturally, that mommy is more beautiful, kind, gracious and (naturally) everything is perfect. Life has no problems.

4) Which leads me to maybe my biggest complaint with the whole movie: Hair. Real mommy, like all movie heroines, has long, straight, shiny, curl-free hair. Rapunzel herself boasts insane amounts of golden flawless (tangle-free) hair. This might seem silly or even trivial. But to a 2-year-old who is watching EVERYTHING, this is a big deal. Especially because there IS someone who has her hair: The evil witch. Deep black curls. It's actually a beautiful head of hair. Too bad it's on someone who re-defines evil AND the worst mommy complex I have ever seen.

We are officially on the hunt for princess/heroine/fairy tales that feature curly-headed girls as the main item. It's harder than it sounds, and it's certainly not coming out of anything Disney-related. Even their African-American heroine straightens her curls into a sleek bun.

It's heart-breaking to view this world of fantasy and romance through Violet's eyes. It's amazing too, for a little girl, how much of that fantasy and romance is tied into glamorous (straight) hair. I think the part that I didn't expect to struggle with is that I HAVE that hair... long and straight. And already Violet is stroking it, playing with it, and telling me it's beautiful.

I'm determined to change this. I will find heroines with curls that she'll adore, even if we have to create them. I'll make sure she sees the beauty in her coils. And I'll do my best to demonstrate that longing for hair you don't have is a waste of energy and time - no matter your original color or texture.

Even if it means I have to chop of my hair, dye it black and perm it. Just kidding. Kind of.

Summer!

What strange weather we've had. It should have been insanely hot for a month now, but instead we've had some rain, cool and even cold temperatures, and a chill in the air that makes swimming out of the question.

And then suddenly... the cool front was gone and we wasted no lost time in rocketing up to the triple digits we had been wondering about.

Just like that... Swimming Pools. Sundresses. Ice Cream. Splashing with Friends. Picnics. Water Guns. Watermelon. Sunscreen.

Summer is here. Bring it on!

The DL on the GI

The results came in from Violet's blood work, so we made another trip to the naturopath's office. Her first statement to us was this: "I have never seen so many food aversions for someone this little!"

Turns out the doctor's hunch was right - we have been feeding her lots of food that has been aggravating her condition. Not causing it necessarily, but preventing it from healing. The doctor's theory is that if we (very strictly) remove all of these items for 3 months (possibly longer) it will give her gut lining a chance to heal and then we can re-introduce some/most/all of these foods later. The long term goal is that she will be able to eat all of them eventually. These aren't necessarily allergies - but aversions.

But for these three months, we are to treat them as if she'd have a serious external reaction to even one bite.

Here's the list:

Fruits: Apple, Cantaloupe, Grapes, Watermelon.

Vegetables: Tomato, Lima Beans, Cucumber, Garlic, Green Peas, Green/Yellow/Red Peppers

Nuts: Cashew, Peanut

Other: Scallops, Coffee

Dry: Gluten, Rye, Safflower, Sesame, Soybean, Sunflower, Wheat, Baker's Yeast

All in all, it's not a huge list. But it's a tricky one. Aside from a lot of these things being her favorite foods, there are some often-hidden items here. Apples appear in many forms in a lot of products (apple pectin, for example). Garlic eliminates most canned items and any restaurant's menu (and all my favorite recipes). Gluten isn't all that tough on it's own, but add in the sesame/safflower/sunflower restriction, and the entire gluten-free section is off limits because of the oils used. And while cocoa is ok, chocolate is not because soy lecithin is in EVERYTHING. Etc etc.

So the Amaro kitchen has changed yet again, but it's ok. We were ready, in a strange way, without knowing it. Two of her favorite staples are still ok: Beans and rice, and yogurt and oats. We have to prepare all of her snacks and meals for school in advance, and the kitchen ladies are being so wonderful about accommodating us. Birthday parties and social events are tricky (read: Corn Dogs, Cake, Ice Cream, Chips and a whole lot of other junk she can't have) but she's a champ, and isn't complaining about it.

Here's the amazing part: After two weeks of the change, a note came home from Violet's teacher saying that she had pooped "normal" stools twice that day. We have yet to see that at home, but we have seen some changes, including the number of times a day she poops - it seems to be less frequent, and slightly more... firm. Ahem.

Honestly, it's just exciting to have clear direction. Steps to take. We are doubling and tripling her two supplements, too (still using Glutamine and Saccharomycin). And hopefully by our follow-up appointment in September, she will be healed completely, or well on her way!

New Hair Adventures

Lots of fun developments in Violet's hair world, mainly that she has started doing MINE! Whenever she has the chance, she has me sit in front of her while she perches on the couch, and she just goes to town on my poor head. It's actually pretty fun, and a great lesson in what I'm teaching her inadvertently. She's very patient with my attempts in styling her hair, so turnabout's fair play, right!?

Other developments:

1) We are trying new styles! Getting brave. The most recent have both involved bantu knots, which just seems to suit Violet's personality AND Mommy's slowly budding styling abilities (read: they are easy to do). One style involved 5 knots on her head, and the other involved a series of flat twists and knots. Which brings me to my next point...

2) Parting. It might sound easy, but it's not. (I almost wrote, "but it's knot!" Ha!) Her hair is so tightly coiled that it takes effort to get a straight line, and my old plastic comb just wasn't doing the trick. I picked up a metal pin tail comb at Sally's and have been practicing with more success. The other night I started parting just for the sake of practice and wound up with a new style involving 8 parts, and a giant "x" of flat twists over her head. It was a lot of fun, actually.

3) I have been bitten by the accessory bug, apparently, because I have ordered a bunch of clips/beads/snaps for Violet's hair. My site of choice was www.snapaholics.com ... and they are very inexpensive. Which is wonderful and bad all at the same time, as it will make me want to order more. I tried out a few little heart snaps on Violet and just fell in love. I can't wait to do a whole head of small twists... and tiny hearts.

4) Last but (unfortunately) not least: BREAKAGE. I knew this was part of toddler hair, and especially for delicate hair like Violet's, but I had managed not to see any crazy breakage until a few days ago. I had put up her hair into messy twists for nap time and it revealed a big chunk on the back of her head. Short, brittle hair instead of long, soft curls. My favorite hair blogger (Katie!) had just posted a series on this very topic, so my panic subsided quickly and I formed a plan: Time to order satin crib sheets and sleep caps. I am overdue in doing so. I'm also realizing that until naps/car seats are out of the picture (and rolling around on the floor when she's tired) back of the head breakage and wear-n-tear will just be a fact of life. We'll use it as a learning process and do our best to keep the damage to a minimum!

Never a dull moment with Ms. V's hair... and I wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes I find myself feeling sad for parents with straight-hair-kids because of all the fun they are missing!