First Haircut

I put it off as long as I could...the dreaded first haircut.  I loved his sweet curls but I had to make a decision when he started sweeping his hair back with his hand because his hair was always in his face.  He was constantly slicking his hair back so I caved. 

BEFORE PICS:

Sweet mohawk.  This was at the end of him slicking his hair back.

No one should have this kind of bang problem.

Oh my, this was the hardest part to let go of.  He would go to bed with a headfull of fresh curls and wake up with a matted mess.

Trouble.

Thinking about his first haircut.

Feeling better after we promised he would still be the cutest thing around.

DURING:

We went to Pigtails and Crewcuts and loved it!  They were great with kids and Ben didn't shed a tear.

Getting suited up.  He chose the yellow taxi.

Not sure what to think but the other kids seemed to be doing okay.

Can I trust these snacks?

The snacks were a total hit.

The length in the back before she started trimming away.

MB biting her lip while waiting for the final results.

He thought she was crazy!

How could you do this to me?  Oh well, at least they gave me snacks.

My snack cup is almost empty.  Make haste!

They gave me this measly car instead.

Seriously, my cup is getting low.

Bye bye mohawk.

The duster was as big as his head.

Not the clippers, anything but the clippers!!!

Big sister had her second haircut!  She got a tiny trim and enjoyed the experience.  Her first haircut was on her third birthday.

It's getting long.  She wants it to grow all the way to the ground.

The blowout.

AFTER PICS:

Looking so grown up.

We celebrated with ice cream, a family favorite.

Back just a few hours later and looking so different!

He seems much happier about his situation.

Mom, it's about time!  What were you even worried about?

Saddest part of the whole experience.  Miss those curls.

But honestly, how could you not love his new "do"?  He is so stinking handsome!

Rough and Tough - Before and After

Boys really are different.  I wasn't even all that surprised when Dan called me to tell me about Ben chipping his tooth in the bathtub.  Lord have mercy, he is wild!  My mom sent me this "before" picture taken over Christmas so we could remember what he looked like with a full tooth. Dan has had major dad guilt over this one and probably won't feel better until the permanent tooth makes it's way in.  Since this incident, he already has sliced his thumb/thumbnail open and made a trip to the clinic.  We made friends with the doctor and all the nurses because I have a feeling it won't be our last trip. 

So happy with his grill.

So happy with his partial grill.  I still think he is as cute as ever!

The full effect.  Let's pretend like my hand doesn't really look like that in real life, okay?  Thanks.

Oh yes we did!

Add this to the list of the other 100 things I said I would never do when I became a parent.  I have to admit, I was way more excited about the minivan purchase than I thought I would be.  I guess I had come to a breaking point with cramming the car seats and kids in the back seat of our Explorer and not having room for other folks.  I'm in love with the new ride!  Funny note, we bought this late Saturday night and drove it to church the next morning.  We had a hard time finding it in the parking lot and we confidently approached another van.  We tried to unlock it but it didn't work.  Dan started worrying that he hadn't noticed a dent in the front bumper and hadn't done his due diligence and I was concerned because the color seemed more blue than it had the day before (nothing wrong with the color blue but I was worried that the picture in my mind of our new car was failing me).  Thank goodness we were just at the wrong van and we were just a few cars down.  It's one of those moments that probably took a few seconds but it was embarrassing nonetheless.

Saying good-bye to the old sportier friend but thankful for the fun memories.

Saying hello to the new family ride and looking forward to our next road trip.  Well, I guess I'm looking forward to it as much as you can with two little ones who'd rather be playing and jumping around the car than riding.  :-)

Wordless Wednesday (Viva Mexico)

Wordless Wednesday (Christmas Cookies with Cousins)

Merry Christmas!

A few of my favorites

Our good friend Lisa Butler took family photos of us and I am so happy with how they turn out.  Every time we meet with her, I am always amazed that she is able to transform pure and absolute chaos into something magical.  I told her that I wanted a fun and casual photo shoot and wanted to capture the kid's different expressions (tears and all).  Lisa takes the photos and her sister Cynthia does the editing.  They are an amazing team!  Oh, and I haven't changed anything about my blogger account yet and it let me post these photos.  I guess they got wind that I may switch things up!  :-)