Portia's haircut

Portia cut her hair a little bit ago. When I told her that we would have to cut off the rest she sobbed....literally! So I didn't pursue that further and set my mind to doing her hair so you couldn't tell. We used clips and headbands and all was well until she took them out. I figured I would just let her hair grow back in and trim the other hair so the shorter stuff could catch up.
On Thursday my niece Sam woke up and wanted her hair cut short. So Becca cut it and then sent me a picture. I showed it to Portia. She now wanted her hair cut too. She said, "I'm not concerned anymore mom. We can get my hair cut now." (There are days when she sounds 14 not 4!) So on Saturday, while we were at Shaun's side of the family Christmas Dinner Auntie Becca cut her hair.

So here is Portia before:

during the haircut:

(it was a community event)

(I think she was a bit nervous)

all that hair...gone!

and the final result...

she wanted to stand next to her "twin" Sam...

Still adorable as ever!

The next morning when I was doing her hair she commented that she wanted hair pretties so she didn't look like a boy. I think she is not quite sure about this look...but we keep reassuring her that she looks beautiful and that her hair will grow back.

Mercedes, on the other hand, is QUITE pleased about Portia's haircut because her hair is now longer than Portia's...which is a first!

2 Different Nutcracker Experiences

My Mom took Mercedes to the Nutcracker when she was 4. Mercedes loved it. It was an extravagant gift that was wonderful! Her favorite part, and the part that he found the funniest, were the mice. She thought that it was SO funny that they wore clothes. She loved the dancing. After it was over she talked about it for quite awhile. My Mom told Portia she would take her when she was 4. So this last American Thanksgiving my Mom took Portia. She even wore the same beautiful dress. They drove off to Seattle for their big date! Portia had been looking forward to this for 2 years.

It was a very different experience. I think my mom wanted to poke her eyes out by the time it was over. This is what my mom said, "The first part of the Nutcracker with Portia was great because she wanted to buy the swan at the gift shop before the ballet began. When I told her that the swan was for a different ballet, Swan Lake, she said, "Grammie, we can just call it a goose!" Duuhhh! What was I thinking?During the first half of the ballet, she whispered in my ear, "... See More Grammie, the goose-swan just laid 17 eggs!". Ten minutes later she whispered again, "Grammie, the first egg just cracked!". So I got the giggles with Mercedes at four over the mice--she couldn't stop laughing because the mice had clothes on and everyone knows that mice don't wear clothes--and I got the giggles with Portia over the goose-swan and her eggs! I am SO blessed to have such wonderful girlies!!!"

It was just too long for her. She could not sit still and she was wiggling and squiggling and had to go to the bathroom during the best part. She said to my mom "The dancing is nice but it's just too loooooooong Grammie! I want to go!". My mom had a candy cane...so she asked Portia if she wanted to stay if she had a candy cane. Ohhhh that got her attention. She ate her candy cane and watched the rest of the performance quite happily. ...because of the candy cane. When asked what her favorite part of the performance was...the candy cane! My Mom gave a child CANDY!!!! Only a Portia could get my mom to give her a candy

Too funny!

hmmmmm...nothing to say...oh wait, apparently I do!

When I started this blog I felt like I had so much to say...and I did! Lately, I have had not so much to say...not because I actually have nothing to say but because I think I get tired of writing the same story again and again. Or maybe it's because I have been learning and changing and growing and I didn't want to write anything until the process was complete so that I could see the results. Or perhaps some of it was that a few of the things I have to say are too private or don't need to be written. We have had a few losses lately and they have really hurt...but it's not something I want to talk about. It's not earth shattering or too life altering. I see others in much more pain...so sometimes it doesn't feel like I need to add my two cents of puny pain to the noise when there is deeper pain. We've also had some pretty cool things going on but more "my life is average" cool as opposed to SUPER cool...if ya know what I mean.
Really I am rambling. I felt the need to post something for no other reason than "it's been awhile".
People don't always want to hear that my marriage is great! The girls are awesome! and I love homeschooling! Which is the truth but it's really funny how people respond...they want more dirt or to see me fail at the whole homeschooling thing. Some days I find it humorous...other days...not so much. Well here's one for ya...today I wanted to shake M until her eyes crossed. I didn't of course...didn't even touch her other than to hug and kiss her. Her favorite thing to say to me for EVERY conversation for the last 2 weeks (and we have MANY conversations in a day) is "I don't want too!" or "I can't" in a really annoying winy voice. And today I was done. I told her those phrases are banished from her vocabulary and if she says them again she won't like the results. I love my girl and she is amazing. But lately I have had to pray A LOT more for wisdom when dealing with her...which I guess is not a bad thing!
Shaun was out of work for about 3 months. That was really rough. He got laid off due to the economy and so he restarted his renovation business. And if you have ever had a business you know that it takes a bit to get the wheels going before you get contracts...so we are still in that process. Shaun is working very hard and he is AMAZING at what he does.
As for me...really nothing super exciting. Homeschooling, with the exception of today, is going so well that most days I am just thrilled out of my socks. I have been slowly and fairly methodically going through the house and culling all the extra unnecessaries that make up clutter and mess. I am in the process of reading a book called "Sink Reflections" and it motivates me to keep going.
Pretty much every Monday night we have young adults (college age) over for a meal and hanging out. It's super fun and the group changes every week. We are back attending the church we were attending before we moved. It's a bit of a drive but it's worth it. I will be back on the worship team as of January after a year and a half break. I am looking forward too it.
We really are enjoying living in Fort Langley. It's such a nice small town feel in the midst of the city. I am not sure will ever want to leave.
I think that we are getting to the place in life where we would like to stay put and put down roots as well as build the business and not be detoured. I've never experienced that really so it will be a new kind of way to live. It sort of freaks me out and makes me happy all at the same time.
ok there ya go...over and out. 10-4 good buddy.