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!