Roman's First Haircut!

We finally stayed healthy long enough for Nanna to come rescue our long haired scraggly boys and give them a haircut.  Roman got his first hair cut too, but he was very wiggly.

This was after the first attempt, still too long on the sides a bit.

Finished product after round two, longish on top and short on the sides

 

Another Hike and a Big Haircut

We went on a hike with another big family early one morning shortly after Bob's birthday.  We had 10 kids altogether and some hikers asked us, "Where is your group from?"  Meaning, I supposed, what organization are we with.  I answered that we were "just two moms with their kids out for a hike."  

This was an old lookout tower, watching for the Comanche Indians.

Later in the week I took the boys to get haircuts at my salon.  Brian had agreed to go a little shorter for Drew than last time.  His idea and mine, I guess. were different.  Brian wasn't too happy I got rid of all the waves in the back that he still called curls, but I felt like it was not working anymore and way too hard to keep tidy looking.  This is a cute, trendy cut, and Drew loves it.  He kept telling me how long his neck was now.  :)

Judah's haircut was similiar to the way we've been getting it cut, and Bobby's was exactly the same baby curly hair style.

Happy Birthday to Judah!

I mentioned before that Judah has been less than enthusiastic this year about his schoolwork.  He was majorly bitter about having to do his schoolwork on his birthday, but it was only day three of our school year, and I didn't want to lose momentum.  

It got him off to a bad start though, and what I had planned for the day did not live up to his standards.  Why, oh why, must children get so selfish on their birthdays and think the world should revolve around them for the day??!!  I'm hoping it's just because we don't spoil them as much as they see other kids getting spoiled and that it will build their character in the long run.

This little insect visited our bug-loving birthday boy.

Then hopped onto Bob

We started the morning opening his gifts and cards from the family before everyone went off to school.  The funny part about that was that Isaac got so wrapped up in watching him open his gifts that when the alarm for us to be getting in the van went off, he said, "But I haven't eaten breakfast yet!"  I looked at him, and, in shock, replied, "That's the least of your troubles.  You aren't even dressed!"  All was well in the end because he's a boy and when pressed can get dressed in just a couple of minutes.  I threw together a to go breakfast for him while he changed and no one was late for school.

After struggling through our morning of school work with a child who thought it the biggest injustice to be forced to work on his birthday, we headed to Mass.  Mass was followed by a picnic lunch with homeschoolers and a Cre8 Crafting Club meeting.  I thought that would be fun, but Judah really didn't want to go for some reason.  However, he had fun after all.   We didn't have time to go to the library before picking up the kids from school and he was very disappointed.  I did get him a shake as a special afternoon snack though.

He made a foil "6" out of his wrapper from our picnic lunch of hot dogs.

His birthday dinner had to be put off until the weekend and he chose a fancy-pantsy restaurant that we went to years ago when visiting my siblings.  It's an Italian pizzeria that imports ingredients from Italy.  It had been recommended on the Food TV Network.  The thing he liked about it and why it had stuck in his mind all these years is that they give the kids dough to play with.  I think after seeing how much money it cost to feed our family there, next time I'll just make homemade dough at home for him.

A couple of weeks later all three little guys had a well check at the doctor.  Only Bob had to get shots, but I can't ever remember the schedule so I prepared everyone.  Bob did okay, not crying until after the third shot and only for a couple minutes, if that.

We also got him a haircut.  I was a little bit tired of a full head of sweaty hair to deal with all the time and thought we'd cut it shorter for the end of the hot weather season.  However, I miss his longer hair so I might not be doing it so short again for a while.

Happy sixth birthday, my sweet boy!

A Christmas Gift for the Girls

All the girls have been wanting since we found out we were moving to Germany has been to dye their hair a fashion color.  I had a bit of sticker shock after I did my blue last year and so was putting this off, but then we won't be here that much longer, so I decided to make it their Christmas present from their dad and me.  It has been a much enjoyed and long lasting gift for Christmas!  The boys have lost parts of their gifts and broken things already, but this has actually been worth it.

They got to spend half a day at the salon with my hairdresser working on them together.  I was able to drop in and run out to keep the boys busy with friends and such so they didn't all have to sit at the salon all day.  Nobody would have wanted that! 

Hannah chose purple, but it turned out a little pinkish purple.  Don't tell her that though because she is not a fan of pink.  She does love her hair though!  I was hoping to see fewer ponytails and more braids and hair down on her, but, alas, the pigtail hangs behind her. 

Genevieve chose blue streaks and she loves it.  I also got her a little bit of layers in her hair cut too.  She is happy with it too!  Her hair didn't take as well, so we actually went back at the request of my hairdresser to do another foil to get it darker the next week.  It looks a little more navy now than in this picture.  It really brings out her eyes and goes well with her new blue robe that she got from her Mimi which has become her new "uniform" when at home until the second we leave when she trades it for a coat.

A New "Do" for Judah

I finally acquiesced and got all three of the youngest boys haircuts in a salon instead of just Drew.  I think Judah looks better with more hair than his typical buzz cut, but I just can't seem to do a good job with a pair of scissors.  I buzzed Isaac and then took the other three to Drew's hair dresser.  Judah was looking sharp!

Bobby's hair is just growing at different lengths and needed some trimming.  It really didn't look too different and so I didn't even get an after photo that day.

This is his Popeye face that he does frequently.

Everyone likes his new hair here on the homefront.

Hair Changes Again

Bob had developed a bit of a comb over look.  I trimmed the top a week or so before, the weekend Brian was gone, but then he started getting too wiggly and I decided to wait until Brian was home to help keep him still.  Turns out that was the right call since all Brian had to do was read him a book on the bathroom floor while I snipped off some of his curls.  I left some small curls, but it was just getting too long in the back for how much hair was on top.  Now the mullet is gone.

Finished product!

On other hair news, I was getting tired of my fading blue hair so I made the appointment to chop it all off a month in advance.  The day before my appointment I made a last hoorah crown braid, my favorite hair style ever.   I wanted to go super short, but longer in the front.  Brian said I could do whatever I wanted, but he seemed like he'd prefer me to not go quite as short as I was planning.  I figured that I can always go shorter next time if I want and went with a bob that was slightly longer.  I also wanted highlights and since I wasn't going super short there was still going to be the tiniest bit of color on the tips in the front.I was wanting honey/gold highlights, but had to go with a cooler blonde which was whiter than I prefer in the end.

"Before" picture, that morning at the salon 

I have a lot of hair and the full foil highlights took forever.  I dropped the boys off at German school at 9 am headed straight to the salon.  I was walking out the door just in time to pick them up at 2pm.  She was literally snipping at my hair as I walked out the door.  She told me since she was rushed on the cut to let her know if I want to go shorter after sitting with it a few days.  I should have gotten a picture of it right away, but I was in a major hurry to pick up the boys on time.  Things got busy and all I got was this lousy selfie when I had already changed clothes.

"After" picture that night after I'd already gotten in my comfies.  You can't even see the turquoise on the tips in this picture.  

I'm going to need a few days with the color to see if it grows on me.  It was a whiter blonde than I prefer.  I like the cut, but I think it makes me look older which isn't exactly what someone approaching 40 wants.  The blue hair definitely made me feel young.

**Update  A few days after I wrote this I figured out what was bothering me about the back of it when styling it myself.  It was just too long for me.  I messaged my amazing hair dresser and she said she could trim that back shorter if I could wait until after my trip to Venice.  So, I went back and she did a whole new cut with a shampoo and blow dry and didn't charge me a thing.  She even turned down the tip I offered her.  I am much happier with how it feels now that she took it up to my hair line in the back.  That's how I used to keep it when I had short hair because I don't like constant hair on my neck.  I need to be able to escape it with an up-do if it's long enough to touch my neck.

New Hair: Fried Green Tomatoes Edition

The day before the pumpkin patch tour, I got a little crazy.  I had my hair dyed ombre blue.  This was not a wild hair, spur of the moment decision, I have actually been planning this for over a year.  Basically, when we found out we were moving to Germany, I started planning it.  It is very common here.  I knew I wouldn't stand out too much (dare I say, I might even blend in a little more...at least when not behind the wheel of my 12 passenger van,) but I'd still get to do something bold.

I waited so long because I was nursing Bobby and this takes a long time to do this at the salon.  It actually took six hours because of my hair being so long and thick.  It was estimated at 3-4 hours, so Wow!  I am glad I made sure Bobby was weaned before taking the plunge.

I love it, but I guess I didn't show Brian what "ombre blue hair" actually looked like because he was initially not a huge fan.  He said it has grown on him now, but at first he was not pleased that I had spent so much money on something he didn't love.  I was bummed he didn't like it, but the kids all thought it was super cool.  

It takes a lot more care than I realized.  I have to wash it in cold water to keep it from fading too quickly.  Although it is a permanent color, fashion colors apparently are more semi permanent depending on how well you take care of it.  FYI, I am really not a fan of cold water in the fall when my husband won't turn on the heat yet!  Then if it rains, I have to cover it so it doesn't run and stain my clothes.  I now travel with a blue towel and pillowcase since when it is wet, it stains everything it touches.  I even stained my toilet seat cover when I rogue wet hair escaped unnoticed.  It took a Magic Eraser and a lot of hard scrubbing to get it off.  Nothing too major, but I thought it was funny that I found out all this while getting blue dye painted on my hair and not before.

The day after the pumpkin patch tour, Genevieve and Drew had hair cut appointments at a much cheaper salon.  Drew got his first good hair cut at a salon ever.  We are going back to Paulina for sure.  First time ever Brian has come home and not told me that he will never let me take him to get his hair cut again.

Genevieve wanted a big change.  She wanted a slanted short Bob cut.  And, boy, did she get it!  When the lady showed her her hair with the mirror, Genevieve was practically bouncing out of the seat with the biggest smile ever and said, "I love it!  It's gorgeous!"  One of the cutest moments ever!  So genuine and so sweet!  I truly love that girl.

I love it because she doesn't have to do a thing to it and it looks precious.  The natural waves really work in her favor with this cut.  Somedays it's curlier than this and it looks even cuter.

Big Hair

Bedhead at its finest!  Good morning to you!

And what it looks like directly after a bath.  Crazy curly!

When Nanna was here, she trimmed Drew's hair, and then she gave the girls big summer hair cuts.  We were hoping it would give some bouncy to those curls of Genna's that are falling out with the weight of her hair.  Hannah just doesn't want anything done to her hair ever, so a bob is the best way to go.  Get it?  A Bob!

Hannah was standing for the hair cut and got dizzy and passed out.  I guess she's just going to be my clone in nearly every way.  I have low blood pressure and have passed out many a time from standing or kneeling.