Today is wash day for my natural hair. I am always looking for a good deep conditioner. I have been completely 'natural' for about a year now, my BC was Feb 2012 last relaxer 10/2011. I am still trying to pin down a routine. If I put it in twists I expect it to stay longer than a week but its difficult to condition it without making the twists frizzy. I am thinking of two large french braids or flat twist until I pin down a routine. That enable me to take it down weekly to co-wash & DC, without crying from taking down twists. It would also help me keep my hands out of it being as its a protective style. 
  Having said all of that the next DC I plan to try is from the  Nappturalistic Beauty website. I have been following her on Facebook and I like what I see. Below is the link. Let me know if you have a routine that works for you or if you've tried this one before.

  This is the link to her recommended hair routine  http://nappturalisticbeauty.com/?page_id=2

  This is the recipe to her DC. Avocados are on sale right now and I have coconut oil from Tropicaltraditions.com so this one looks very doable;

Avocado Coconut Twist Deep Conditioner

by Nappturalistic Beauty (Notes) on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 5:27pm

Avocado Coconut Twist Deep Conditioner~

This is my favorite one & only deep conditioner that I use for my tresses on a weekly basis.  Depending on my schedule on my wash day, I leave it in my hair for a minimum of 2 hours.  Sometimes I have slept in it, leaving it in overnight.

My curls are very soft, silky, well-defined and very manageable once I rinse the conditioner out.  My hair is soft that I don’t have detangle…..my fingers literally slide right through my hair.  I love this conditioner so much, I highly doubt that I will ever purchase another store bought conditioner.

Ingredients:

• One ripe avocado
• One ripe banana
• ½ can of coconut milk (freeze the other half)
• 3-4 tablespoons of honey
• 3-4 tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 3-4 tablespoons of Coconut Oil

1. Combine all these ingredients in your blender and blend until very smooth.  You want to make sure that you don’t have any chunks or bit & pieces of avocado and banana.  If it isn’t blended well, you will be picking bits and pieces of avocado and banana out of your hair for days.
2. The consistency should be very creamy like yogurt or pudding.  It should not be liquidly or runny, if so, you will have constant drippies and nobody wants that.  ;)
3. Apply the conditioner to your hair from root to tips.  Any remaining conditioner can be refrigerated until the following week.  Or, it can be frozen until your next use.
4. Wrap your hair in plastic wrap and then put a plastic baggie on top.  I also use a thick headband (the one athletes use) to prevent any possible drippies.
5. Leave on a minimum of ½ hour.  Rinse with warm water.  Once all rinsed out, rinse your hair with cool water to seal and close your hairs cuticle. 
6. Style your hair as desired.

Why did I choose those ingredients?

• Avocado – Strengthens & fortifies your hair making it soft & shiny, prevents hair loss & frizz, contains nutrients that are great for hair growth; hydrates the scalp and reduces dandruff 
• Banana – Great for softening the hair & protecting the hairs natural elasticity, preventing split ends and breakage. It enhances the strength, shine and endurance of the hair strands, creating manageability and growth.
• Coconut Milk – Is a natural moisturizer that contains proteins which strengthen the hair and help minimize breakage.  Makes the hair soft & supple and also helps in controlling hair fall.  It also contains vitamin e & fats that nourishes the hair, protecting the hair and scalp from UV rays.
• Honey – Is a natural humectant that attracts moisture and water and holds it to the hair.
• Olive Oil – Contains vitamin e, controls hair fall, promotes hair growth & nourishes the hair follicle and shaft.
• Coconut Oil – Is the best natural nutrition for your hair, helps in healthy growth of hair and makes hair shiny.  It’s also a great conditioner that aids in the re-growth of damaged hair and slows the growth of gray hair.

 Well my cub is still very clingy from this weekend. He wants to be with me constantly. He is still teething & has a sm cold.  He even goes nuts when I pick up my purse! It is a but taxing but it will pass I suppose. It is about the time of the 8th month separation anxiety stage so that may be a part of it too.  I put him in a 'Seven' sling I bought when he was born. I didn't care for it for him as a newborn but at this age it rocks! If you've never heard of them check them out at sevenslings.com. On the teething topic I think I want to try the amber teething necklace for him. 

Have any of you had any experience with it? I have been using some teething tablets and I
will say they have been a Godsend.

 I am still trying to pin down vacation spots for the summer.I think we are going to check out 
Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine. I have heard many good things. They also seem to run 
frequent specials so that will help. I will give a review of it when we come back. Also I have 
been convinced to take the kids to Disney but it will be next year. We are going to get a price
and start saving now. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Tonight's dinner:

Bacony Chicken Dinner from Deep South Dish

http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2009/03/bacony-chicken-rice-bake.html

It's Over!

Well it's finally over! The weekend I have been anxious about for weeks is over! The play was great & we really turned it up a notch but my heart and mind were at home with my cub. He did NOT do well at all. I am so glad to have him back with me (& I know he's glad too)! There was no way I could've taken him with me. There was no room in the vehicle or the theatre. I really would've liked for him to be with me. Oh well, all is well. He has not let me go since I have been back and I don't blame him.

I have learned so much this weekend. I had to take solace in Maya Angelou's quote 'The first time a person shows you who they are, believe them'. It is with that in mind that I have made a, possibly unpopular, decision. I will say this; I did enjoy being on the stage. It was fun. I would not object to that as a hobby of sorts. I liked the entertaining part but was a little uneasy with the 'mingling' part. It's a bit to get used to for me. My cousin, Anne, saw me last night and loved my performance. She saw a lot of potential which was a nice complement coming from her. She's very artistic. She's also five months pregnant with their little girl just so I time log this. :)

Well I have a busy Monday ahead of me tomorrow. I will update you on any new developments this week.

Week 2 of the Play.

Week 2 of the play is upon us. Tomorrow we go out of town to perform and although I know that I know we'll do great I also know my mind will be with my little cub back home. Yes, I have decided to leave him home, for the first night at least. Like a trial if you will. We have gone over everything that needs to be done and my awesome super supportive hubby even took off work! Man he is great isn't he?! I need him in my life. Not to be outwitted the baby decides to start teething so bring on the excess drooling, crankiness, clingy-ness, sleepiness oh and temp... Ugh. As if I don't feel guilty enough! Tomorrow is just a trial. If he doesn't do well he comes with me Saturday! Regardless. The playwright won't mind but my helpers will. I have recently found out they don't want to travel with us. I don't blame them overall but I feel like the whole world should be as concerned about my cub as I am. I know what that must sound like but it sounds great in my head.

This weekend could round out April as my busiest month thus far. Too bad we have 8 months left to break that record. In addition to Bears prom and day one of the play on Friday, we have Saturday which is Syd's team pic day, soccer game, and of course day 2 of travel. Next weekend is just as busy with multiple birthday parties. I will be so glad to get back to my routine which is... Um... It's starts with. Wait. I don't have one do I?! Ugh so much for that.

I will have up give you another play update after we're done. I hope it will be timely. For now I am almost done with the menu for May. Bowie had requested that I not have beans every Wednesday, much to Jake's displeasure. I tell you that so when you see the menu you will know what happened to 'Beans Wednesday'.

In other news we have started watching 'Drive Thru History' on Netflix. I don't know if you've ever seen it but its very interesting. In the beginning I thought his vocab was a little advanced for my younger ones but they picked it up with few problems. Of course the kindergartner doesn't have quite the attention span for it but she comes in and out. I found a study guide online so we review afterwards and the kids really enjoy it.

I'm looking forward to our trips this summer. I look forward to leaving everything behind mentally most of all. I will mainly be able to do that with the California trip but ill take what I can get. I'm not overwhelmed, just a little tired. We still don't know where we're going for out family vacation but I've heard Great Wolf Lodge in Texas is good for our herd. The kids want Disney but... Well we shall see. I've never been a huge fan of the mouse so it only makes sense that they're rooting for him right? *rolls eyes*

Well I am going to go to bed now. I pray that the actual act of sleep soon follows. Please overlook any grammatical errors, I'm sure I have.

First weekend of the play down

Well I can officially say I have one weekend under my belt regarding the play. I enjoyed it overall. It was a bit more nerve-wracking than the first night but its over now. In retrospect I preferred the first night. I have seen more than I wanted to behind the scenes, for now anyway. I am marking the calendar for the last day of the play next weekend. It sounds worse then it was I suppose. I guess we can chalk that up to exhaustion. I like this character overall. I like the freedom to make it a little of my own in certain ways but I dont like certain paths I see it possibly taking. Therein lies the problem. Only God knows where this will take me, if anywhere. I am curious.

  This weekend was soo very busy for us. Besides Sydney's birthday, there was also her soccer game (which they won!), my brother, Frank's, promotion, two more plays & church. Our friend was a super blessing and cooked dinner for the family Saturday! Boy was she hearing God! So thankful for friends like that. I am so glad we are a homeschooling family. We will be taking part in the 'mommy savings time' very similar to 'daylight savings time', and get an extra hour of sleep in the morning. On the docket for Monday; Call for house insurance quotes (always fun) school, prepare notes for a parenting class on Tuesday and try to repair the computer via though a telephone troubleshooter (sigh...). Well I will take it all in stride. Until next time...

The Play night 1

Well the first night of the play was hilarious. There were missed lines, costume malfunctions and the always funny, people tripping over props to entertain us. I and a co-star found it funnier then the playwright would've liked but I really couldn't help it. It was just too comical. I know nerves were a little raw but I figure its your first night, things are going to happen. I think we will really be on our game tonight! Ill let you know after the weekend is over. Two shows left this weekend. Next week is on to another city. Oh, I did great, if I do say so myself! No missed lines or wardrobe malfunctions for me!

In other news my sweet beautiful daughter turned 10 yesterday. Needless to say it was quite an eventful day. She was at my hip for the majority of it which is just how she [has always] liked it. We did our celebratory birthday lunch, did a little shopping then the play, and dessert. Busy busy busy. I love it. I need a chauffeur. I truly don't like driving... But I digress.

Today is Sydney's soccer game, my brothers military promotion and night 2 of the play. This weekend is going to fly by. I will try to squeeze in a birthday cake somewhere today for Syd. Time didn't allow for it yesterday. My hubby has so many people coming to the play that in honestly considering having him be my 'agent' in all this! He's an awesome promoter! That's what comes of being a well liked people person.

Well other than the baby getting his first two teeth (insert hesitant smile) my news update is done. Oh, do you like that pic? Birthday girl and 'Mabel' on my first night! Break a leg right?

The Crandles ep.1

Well, time is drawing near for my first performance in a theatre stage. Three more days till I play an older woman who, at one point, goes toe to toe with a shady preacher. I hope it is as fun on stage as it is fun practicing. It still doesn't really seem real. I keep waiting for something to happen that makes us have to cancel. I'm pretty sure someone will say that's 'bad luck' but its true. I got the wig today and ill get the rest of the props tomorrow. I will be sure to update you when the time comes.
I am still at a, partial, loss of what to do with the baby when we go out of town next week for the play. He is doing better and better when left with a bottle and Ronni but the question is can I actually leave him for a minimum of 6 hrs for 3 days?? Just writing it seems harsh. I went through all the trouble of getting donor milk, which he absolutely refuses, and I am downing fenugreek and choc chip, oatmeal, walnut lactation cookies (oh the sacrifices we make as mothers right?) to increase my supply but in the end I can produce as much milk as Foremost but if he doesn't drink it its no use. My play director doesn't seem to share the concern overall but it's my child so I can't make her see it from my perspective. I am more curious about next week than I am about the play itself. The Lord will work it all out.
Well the 9 yr old sprained her toe and had to miss soccer practice tonight which was ok because they cancelled it due to pending bad weather (which hasn't shown up yet, btw). The coach and I want her to baby the foot anyway so she can be well for the game on Saturday. She is so into this and was devastated at the thought of missing practice but it all worked out in the end. Praise God.

The handwritten menu

Here is the original handwritten menu for April since the file refuses to cooperate. No it's not 'operator error'! Ok maybe it is. At any rate you will have to take this one until its resolved. I will use another method for May's menu. Suggestions welcomed.

Building memories

Well it has only taken my husband 13 years but it looks like I may be submitting to country ways after all. Last night we enjoyed a lovely bonfire with some friends and as is customary for country people, I hear, we met more people. It was very nice. The kids had an awesome time which was an added bonus. Even the baby was quite tolerant, which was great seeing how sleepy he was. I think by the time we got home and settled down in bed it was about 11:30p. He likes to be in bed somewhere around 7p, yikes! It's ok though he made me pay dearly for it by giving me as little sleep as possible.
We went to church today and went for a long leisurely boat ride with a few more friends. I even got to drive the boat for a while! It was a bit chilly on the water but with my main man there blocking the wind it was comfortable. I told them when it gets hotter I would live to go again, and it WILL get hotter. We grilled sausages, relaxed and just enjoyed each others company. It was very nice!
I recapped all of that to point out Gods gifts of great friends and awesome memories with them as well. I know we will have many more times of smiles and laughter. I'm so thankful.

My Sweet girl

Well today was The 9 yr olds first soccer game. She was admittedly nervous but did phenomenal despite it! They lost but you couldn't tell for all of the great sportsmanship! Great game all around. Her beloved Uncle Frank was on attendance, which made the day all the more special for her. I love having family days like this. I know I should just enjoy the moment but at times I stop and think what it will be like when they're all grown and gone. No sadness just curiosity... Ok maybe a little sadness.
Still working on uploading that menu. I tried to no avail, several times yesterday. I will try again today. Just don't want you to think I forgot. Oh, all of this menu planning has me looking to fill May's menu ahead of time. Just a preliminary menu of sorts. We she see.

Blog Repentance

I have decided to get more focused on the blog lately. So much has happened in my life since I have last logged on (both good and bad) that it should make for pretty interesting topics for a few entries at least.
   My beloved father died on March 20, 2012. I was pregnant at the time and as death often is, it was hard. I am a certified daddy's girl and I just never thought of life without him. It didn't help that I was pregnant AND that the baby was due on his birthday. I do take solace in him knowing that before he died though. I loved him so much and miss him greatly. It was my first real time dealing with death. My grandmother died a few years back but I knew she had lived a full live. My dad, as far as I was concerned, was not supposed to die. He just wasn't. I could go on forever but I wont.
    I had a baby boy, Carson, who is now 6 months old. Time to update the blog photo right? Later. While I was pregnant with C I had so many dreams about how he would look and act, etc. It was right on point. Often times he looks like my dad, which is quite eerie and comforting at the same time. We just love having this 'little' man around and he loves being doted on so it all works out. I an still exclusively breastfeeding which is good for me because with the other kids I had already started supplementing (mainly because I had returned to work but I am not working now so no need to). It seems that this child it so different from the others. I almost felt like a first time mom again. I had to ask questions to some of the simplest things when he was a newborn. We have gotten int a routine of sorts now so things are better. I am still homeschooling the kids. We are to start Classical Conversations this fall. If you have never heard of it their site Classicalconversations.com is awesome. Feel free to ask me questions but be forewarned, I am new to it. I have been interested in, and intimidated by, the classical method of education for some time now. I just didn't know all that I needed to know to be comfortable with using it. I think this will transition us into it nicely. We are all excited.
 I also have a bit of news that may throw some of you for a loop ( it did me). I have started acting. I know, I know 'where did that come from' right? I asked the same question.Through a suggestion from my brother's, now ex, girlfriend, I auditioned for and got the part in a play. It's local community theater but were traveling to another venue the following week. It's a bit exciting and a bit scary. I have never had any desire to act but its fun and as long as it does not take over my duties an wife and mom it can stay. Beyond that and it's gone. More on it later. I am getting better at running the household more efficiently. I have put together a menu for the entire month!! That was a short term goal of mine! I will post it and the sources later. If you have not discovered Pinterest by now do so! I highly the recommend it. Now know this- it is highly addictive. It has certainly helped with my mission to get better organized.
Oh, for the record I have not only kept the weight off I spoke of previously but since having the baby and exclusively breast feeding I have dropped more weight. I am 15lbs less than I was before I got pregnant! Awesome eh?!
There I have given you a brief update. I will go into details later. Stay tuned!