Category Archives: Everyday Life

Shampoo?

Today, while I was working, N asked, “will you shampoo my hair?” “Later,” I told her.

While I was frantically cleaning for our dinner company, “will you shampoo my hair?” “Later,” I told her again.

While our friends were over for dinner, “will you shampoo my hair?” “Not right now, later,” I said once again, truly feeling a bit exasperated by this point.

All day, I knew that I needed to be a person of integrity for her. Not one who says “later” and then never finds the time. But, someone who sticks to her word. I didn’t quite get the big deal with washing her hair, but it clearly was important to her. So, as everyone was brushing teeth and putting on pajamas, I said, “do you want to shampoo your hair now?” “YES!!!”

So, I pulled the chair up to the sink, grabbed the shampoo and forced a smile on my face, despite how ready I was for bedtime.

As I began to pour the water over the head, I saw her squeeze her eyes closed and I asked, “is the water too hot?” “No.” And then, I saw her smile. The kind that says “I am treasuring this moment.” I gently lathered the soap into her hair and rubbed her scalp. When I was done, I brushed her hair, then cupped her face in my hands and kissed her forehead.  A huge smile crossed her face that said more than all of our broken language has.

For me, it was another thing on today’s checklist. For N, it was a moment that she may have never had before: a mother to gently wash her hair, to take care of her and pamper her. That is what hosting needs to be for most of the kids– smoothing out the rough edges of forced independence and giving them experiences of nourishing and nurturing that they haven’t had before. A shower and a bottle of shampoo? Yes, she could have done it herself. But, she wasn’t looking for clean hair. She was looking for someone to take the time to focus on and care for her.


These photos have nothing to do with the shampoo story, but I can’t share a blog post without photos. 🙂

Helping me make pizza for “піца п’ятницю” as I call it– Pizza Friday. That one got a laugh from her.
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A friend gave us this awesome little sprinkler. It was a big hit!

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Gus got a scraped knee, made better by Olaf. Gus did the best rendition of “Do you want to build a snowman?” the other day while Lena was in the bathroom, complete with knocking, sliding down the door and clucking his tongue. I only wish I had it on video.
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Catching fireflies.
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4 days

4 days and N will be here. Ahhh! This week has been a mad dash of getting things ready. Lots and lots of excitement building up in our house.

  • Welcome poster
  • Affirmations/scripture chain-link – almost done
  • Change out some photos in Lena’s room/add a photo of N
  • Pick up a couple of outfits and a set of pajamas for her – have them, but I still need to sort them
  • Pick out a small gift or two for her
  • Schedule dental appt and eye exam
  • Gather items for a family “ice breaker” a couple of days in if needed — squirt guns? silly string

So close! Just a few small things left to do here… and she’ll be here on Monday.

School’s Out

School’s Out! Oh wait, school’s been out, but I’m just really behind on my blogging.

Actually, Gus has been out of school for over a month now. And Reed and Lena, over two weeks.

All three of them had great years.

This was Gus’s first year in school. He is so well loved there. After Aaron had taken him to school a few times, he said “everyone knows Gus there… not just in his class, but in the whole building!” Gus’s classroom is in a large building with offices, adult classrooms, etc. Yes, I told him, that’s because he’s Gus. He makes himself known! I was surprised how much more focused he was at his spring class program than the winter one, singing along, saying his lines. He actually said one of his lines TOO early so his teacher had to ad-lib the script a bit.

Lena had a great school year, too. Her teacher is exceptional and really recognized Lena’s gifts. Lena is a great reader. She’s also gained a lot of confidence this year. For a girl who had no understand speech in any language at 3 years old, she’s made incredible progress!
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Reed matured a ton this year. Both his classroom teacher and one of his specials teachers remarked how he’d gone from being a follower, always in the center of “fun” (even if that’s trouble) to be a leader who makes wise decisions, even if that means going against his friends. He has a remarkable worth ethic. While he has been practicing Ukrainian this summer, he pulled out a notebook to take notes… and filled it with page after page of notes!
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Glad everyone had a great year and now we’re ready to enjoy summer. 🙂

Day In the Life

I’ve been meaning to share a day in the life for awhile. I’ve seen both blogger and photographer friends do this and as someone who loves to capture the little moments, I wanted to document an average day. I wanted to pick one when Gus was in school, but by the time I decided to do it, it was his last day of school! Oh well, take a look at what a busier-than-average day here looks like.

6:58 – I’ve started waking up just before my alarm clock. I hate the sound of that thing, so I’m eager to jump out of bed and turn it off before I have to.
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Aaron has already gotten up, let the dogs out and left for work, so they aren’t impressed with me.
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Lena is the first one up after me, as she moves through life at Lena-pace.
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Now, the boys. One yells “GOOD MORNING, MAMA!!!!” and the other needs a bit more coaxing to get out of bed.
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Applesauce for breakfast.
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I can’t be too far from these two while they’re eating breakfast. They can get a bit wild.
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I do take a few minutes to lay on my bed and check email and read the Skimm.
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Uh oh, 7:37. Better get moving.
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Dogs ride along for school drop off.
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Two kids dropped off miraculously on time.
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Gus and I have another half hour before I can drop him off AND I need to pick up something to bring to his school’s potluck later today.
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After our quick grocery store trip, it’s time to drop Gus off at school.
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Back home with a little bit of time to spare before I need to work.
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Prep food to take to Gus’s school potluck. I went with cheese and crackers, knowing it would get eaten at home even if it didn’t at the potluck.
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Laundry.
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And work for a bit.
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Then, I have to head to Gus’s school for the program and the potluck afterwards. The program is cute and Gus stays a bit more focused and participates this time!
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We don’t have too much time, because Reed and Lena have a dentist appointment. We head to pick them up, but Reed is already in the middle of lunch! So, he brings his whole lunch tray with him. He tells me about his healthy choices. “I usually pick 3 healthy things and one not so healthy thing.”
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Lena hasn’t eaten yet, so we have to head home quick so she can eat before we go. I make her and Gus quesadillas.
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Now, the dentist. Gus and I hang out in the waiting room while Reed and Lena go back for their cleanings.
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I am relieved to get home after the dentist.
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And, even more relieved that Gus will take a nap!
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Reed and Lena, dressed as twins today, finish up the cheese and crackers, then watch a movie.
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This gives me some time to settle in and work.
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After awhile Reed and Lena move outside to the trampoline.
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And when Gus joins them, I go out for a bit.
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I hear the dogs getting excited, which tells me… Aaron’s home!
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We have burgers for dinner.
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I’m not sure why we let these two sit next to each other.
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Then it’s time to get ready for bed.
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“Will you brush for me, please?”
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I find him already in bed, reading a book. It’s a chapter book and he’s pretty enthusiastic about it.
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Goodnight, everyone.
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And this is how introverts hang out… just kidding. After such a busy day, we both have a bit more work to catch up on before we get to settle in and watch our latest TV show, the Last Man on Earth.
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Bison and Puddles

I guess we’ve kind of fallen in love with Tallgrass National Prairie. Even though it’s a bit of a drive, we seem to end up there a couple of times a year. We were just there in late November, when we stumbled upon their Christmas activities.

When my mom visited us this spring, we decided to take her, hoping to see the bison, or at least get a nice hike in.

This photo is very similar to one that I took back in November. It might be a Tallgrass tradition for me now.
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How cute are they together?
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Reality? Gus spent a good amount of time fighting to get down and/or whining about how he didn’t want to walk.
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We did, eventually, make it up close enough to see the bison.
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Here’s a double exposure of my mom. As Gus would say, “Because, why not?”

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However, Gus wasn’t there to say that, because he was getting his feet REALLY dirty.
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In a moment of great parenting and photographer-ing, I liked the reflection on this puddle. I positioned my kid in front of it, thinking it would be a cool shot of him jumping in the air, reflection in the puddle.

However, he thought I meant jump IN the puddle.
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Fortunately, he’s a good sport, AND it was a warm day.
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Local friends, if you haven’t made the drive to Tallgrass Prairie yet, do it! And, text me for our favorite BBQ place where you can spot for dinner after your hike, too.