Chica’s Hair Flair!

Okay, peeps.

It’s a Monday (with the kiddos off school), I’m functioning with a migraine, chaperoning another rodeo field trip tomorrow, our upcoming week is jam-packed, as usual, and the weather’s about to tank in 24 hours (hence the migraine), but…

It’s a sunny, crisp beautiful day, we managed to operate past a small bout of kiddo crankiness and level out for a decent day, I cleaned out the garage, Chica’s closet/room, and the fish tank, AND I don’t have to cook dinner (thanks to a school fundraiser night), so all in all, not a bad day! 

Which leaves a bit of bandwidth for a fun post about my Chica and her fun hair care and flair!

You might recall this pic from last month (on a snow day), when Chica was rocking bouncy curls, and it made me think of just how far my girl has come on the hair front, and that it was time to share an update. :)

Okay…some background.

My babies were not born with thick heads of hair. None of them. (Though, Little Man had the most and rocked an accidental faux-hawk for his first few years.) The girlies…goodness, it took awhile for their hair to really grow in, and even longer for it to grow thick! In fact, we had to keep both Chica’s and Chicklet’s hair pretty short for the first few years, just to encourage a bit of fullness, and there were definitely times I wondered it it would ever be plentiful.

Worse, still…Chica battled a bit of something the hairstylists who cut her hair always referred to as “cradle cap.” Honestly, to this day, I’m not sure that they were qualified to diagnose the patches that would show up on her poor scalp, and even our pediatrician tried a bit of guesstimation when treating it with various things—mostly, cortisone-based. Sometimes, she called it eczema, sometimes, she said we/Chica might no have properly rinsed out any shampoo and conditioner, and…truly, it was just a whole thing for years. All the way through elementary, really.

In addition to the time it took for Chica’s hair to grow (and grow well!) and the effort it took to maintain a healthy scalp, it was also a bit of a battle to get Chica to try very many hairstyles.

She was always kind of a one-and-done with her preferences. We went through years of the “tiny braid” (see blog post, below), years of half-up-half-down, and then years of the low ponytail that signified her most self-conscious phase during 5th and 6th grades, when she just didn’t want to draw attention to herself in any way.

http://delappenings.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-bitty-braid.html?m=1

There was definitely a year or two when the hubby worried we needed to force Chica out of her low ponytail comfort zone, but I felt strongly otherwise. Because I, too, went through a ponytail-because-of-self-conscious phase in middle school, and was so miserable due to the taunting of a few girls who just really, really wanted me to wear my hair down. But the more they pushed, the more I stuck to my ponytail, and…yup. It was a thing. So I knew Chica just needed to move past her low pony in her own time.

So, imagine my joy and glorious relief when Chica started feeling comfortable enough to leave her hair down on the weekends, outside of a school environment. Better, still, for special days or occasions (like holidays or church) she began to experiment with braiding her hair overnight, to have beautiful waves the next day. Like for Confirmation, last year…





It was wonderful to see my girl grow a bit more comfortable in her own skin, and to have some fun with her hair…for the first time, ever.

Welp. Fast forward to the past year(ish) and my girl is a whole different hair person, ha. Long and lovely, and styled in all sorts of ways, it’s so fun to watch her play.



And the coolest part of her hair experimentation is the dang creativity! Chica’s generation is apparently keyed in to working smarter, not harder, because sooooo many of her fun hair curls are thanks to overnight tricks and not curling irons or damaging heat.

Without ever telling me, Chica self-taught herself to use a bandana and do this really hysterical (but effective) hair twisting thing that she slept in, to create curls. She’d wake up in the morning, untwist, and…voila! She even recorded some adorable tutorials for a friend of hers who wanted to learn, and I just got such a kick out of the ingenuity and process.



Recognizing Chica’s interest, I gifted her a few items for Christmas that would allow her to create these overnight curls and waves with slightly softer and more official materials (beyond her knotted bandanas) and she’s mastered them all, and uses them frequently, for random school days or church days. Or just for kicks and giggles.

The net result is beautiful—just like my girl (inside and out). :)



And in yet another twist (ha, pun accidental) in this hair saga of hers…she’s recently become interested in fun up-dos of all varieties.

Chica’s interest sparked from these gorgeous covers of a book series she’s read and loved:

She searched online for some instructional videos that might help her tackle a few things and, over time, we’ve accumulated bobby pins and French pins and different kinds of rubber bands and decorative jewels and clips, and it’s so fun to see her play:

She’s also mastered standard French braids, inverse French braids and fishtail braids…



And the other day, when she came home with her hair falling out of a simple plaited braid after athletics, and threw on Chicklet’s rodeo hat, she rocked a whole western vibe, ha:

I really can’t tell you how lovely it’s been to witness my Chica throughout this hair journey.

First, it’s a relief to know that my Mama gut was correct, and Chica would, in fact, branch out and feel comfortable with her hair in so many different ways, just as soon as the timing was right. If I could go back and tell myself—and my hubby—not to worry about the low ponytail, the time it would have saved!

Second, it’s wonderful to see Chica grow comfortable in her own skin, to an even greater extent. I’ve always been proud of her general ease within her body, but to see her spread her wings a bit with clothes and hair and flair, it’s both fantastic and reassuring.

And, third—and, perhaps, best of all—it’s amazing to watch your child discover an interest that’s all their own. So often, I’ve steered my kiddos towards certain activities (crafts, engineering projects, books, iPad games, specific sports) when they don’t have any hardcore preferences of their own, yet. And then a move grows from that tiny seed. But this hair journey has been Chica-led and driven, with little involvement on my part (beyond funding supplies, ha), as I certainly don’t possess many of these skills she has mastered and didn’t spark her initial interest. It’s all Chica. :)

I love, love, love witnessing this kind of sparked joy and skill mastery—even if it’s yet another sign of how quickly my girl is growing.

This past weekend, the hubby and I watched a movie (a terrible one, ha) with an interesting quote that said 92% of all the time you’ll ever spend with your kids happens before the age of 18. I wanted to weep, crawl into the fetal position, and give my kiddos magical potions to keep them from growing, ha.

But once the shock and terror of the statistic wore off, I just told myswlf it’s another reminder to cherish all the moments, all the stages, and all the ages.

It’s a beautiful thing, peeps.

Okay…more mañana, peeps!

Over and out.

Rodeo Field Trip—Chicklet’s Day

Okay, peeps.

I’ve done a lotta field trips throughout my Mama years. Approximately two hundred gabazillion (technical number). So when I tell you that today might have been the most unpleasant weather circumstances of any, ever, well…believe me.

Torrential downpours all morning? Yup. Flooded streets en route? You betcha. Lightning and thunder as the kiddos tried to unload and head to the destination, which was (ironic drum roll, please)…

The RODEO.

As in, a lot of outdoor and dirty, muddy conditions on a good day.

Not gonna lie: it wasn’t great.

But it also wasn’t terrible.

It was a JOY, as always, for my girl to be out of the classroom, no matter the conditions, and it was also nice for me to catch up with a couple Mama friends I don’t see too often.

So, without further delay, I give you…pics. :)

The surprise highlight and hilarity of the day: pug races! Featuring swine with names like Kevin Bacon, BarbieQ, Patrick Mahams, and so many more.

The excitement was palpable:





The pigs were adorably tiny, eliciting and bunch of awwwwws…



This little one showed off swimming skills!



It certainly helped to counteract the drizzle and damp stadium seats to have some happy kiddo entertainment.

And then, blessedly, we shifted indoors for barrel racing and lunch.

By the time I wrapped up my duties, my shoes were soaked through, my backside was, as well, one umbrella was broken and I was $40 poorer, thanks to on site parking.

But, hey—at least I get to do it all over again next week for Little Man’s class.

UGGGGH.

Good thing I love my kids. ;)

Happy Tuesday, peeps!

Over and out. 

Big Picture Posts: Pup, Not Puppy

Okay, peeps.

I’m just gonna be honest, here, and say that life has been so wonky this past month or so that I’m about 2,743 posts behind on this here blog. Shocker.

And, honestly, it’s a little overwhelming to think of going back to share so many odds and ends that I’ve had to gloss over. It’s a bummer, since I love sharing the minutiae of our days, but…for the time being, onward and upward is the motto as we emerge from this round of illness and yuckiness!

So…on that note, I’ve been wanting to share some bigger picture things that have been on my mind. Time willing, I’ll share a few of these in the coming weeks, but for now, the first topic of conversation is…

Coda girl, as a pup (not a true puppy) at 18 months!

This crazy, smiling, feisty, overwhelming, cuddle bug fur-baby of mine is equal parts JOY and WORK. 

But, much like my OBGYN used to tell me back in the day about morning sickness: it doesn’t get easier overnight or like a flipped switch, but eventually, you look up and realize things have gotten marginally better.

And that, my dear friends, is where we’re at: marginally better! And I’ll take it!

Now…one more smiling pic before I count the ways…

Okay, first up: our girl is rarely in her puppy jail (her playpen in the living room) these days—unless we’re not at home.

For the first year, we kept her in there all the time, out of necessity, if Coda just couldn’t stop being mischievous, wandering off and risking accidents, or getting into things she shouldn’t.

She also wouldn’t actively sleep—even when she was dog tired (ahem, pun intended) unless we put her in the playpen and forced her to nap. Just like a toddler, ha.

But, now—or, rather, a couple months ago—we entered the most adorable phase of lounging, all thanks to what we call The Princess Pillow.

I didn’t realize it at first, but sometime around the holidays, our girl started actively seeking out cozy spots to curl up and snooze when we she wasn’t playing with us or out on a walk or excursion.

And her chosen area to reign like the royalty she is??

One of my (not-cheap) faux fur couch pillows that we now officially prop up just for her so she can lay her privileged little head just so, and see the whole of her kingdom at a glance.

It’s a good thing I long ago surrendered the idea of actually seeing my glorious couch beneath the piles of cushy blankets and pillows, because this fur baby of ours had basically taken it over as her territory. 



She has direct line of sight to the front door, the windows to the backyard, and the kitchen, all in one fell swoop, and who wouldn’t love this kind of snuggly perch?



It was a life-changing transition to make it to January and realize that Coda girl loved her snuggle zone so much, she was even cool to chill there for a bit in the mad dash of getting the kiddos ready for school. 

No more juggling her circus jumping and cage rattling until I picked her up and carted her around in my arms from 6:20-6:50 a.m. amidst two hundred thousand other morning tasks.

The Princess Pillow Perch is LEGIT the greatest harbinger of sanity returning to m’brain after immersive puppy mayhem, and I’m so HERE FOR IT.

(And so is the hubby, who just dies over our princess and the pea and her lofty lounging. In her valentine pajamas, no less!)

And, guess what? The lounging has extended to other areas, as well. I’ve taken to buying cozy little beds and lounge pads and just tossing them in key areas (like the dining room) and if it feels plush, my girl will enjoy it.

Better, still, if she can have a window view and a sunbeam warming her body, tehe:





I mean, don’t get me wrong, we are still dealing with the MASSIVE challenge and overstimulation of Coda girl barking like a maniac over every car, human, squirrel, Amazon delivery van or yard crew anywhere in a one hundred mile vicinity, but…I guess it’s progress that after she stops barking her head off, she curls up again?





Or finds a random sunbeam to partake in all the vitamin D…

To be clear: this girl is still SO high-maintenance and indulged (read: spoiled) that she…

Won’t stars her mornings without180 devoted minutes of “scratchies” and snuggles (I kid, but not much) before she’ll even exit her sleeping cage and grace us with her presence…

Requires both a morning and evening walk to maintain peak hip performance and mental health…

Prefers intense, loving eye contact, compliments and the skin-to-skin embrace of her mother, 24/7…

Won’t retire for the evening without a little growl of impatience over the fact that we still haven’t caved and begun allowing her to sleep on our bed (ain’t gonna happen), but if she must be in her crate, the cozy blanket better be in place…

Oh, and treats should he endless and without merit..,just because she’s so, dang cute.

I truly have NO idea what we did before this pup of ours graced our home and invaded our hearts.

We had a lot more money, time and energy to devote to other pursuits, but…just look at this face and tell me she isn’t worth every bit of trouble:

SO grateful our girl, now at a year and a half old, is becoming a teeny tiny bit more manageable, and here’s to even bigger strides in the six months to come! (Like with her maniacal behavior on walks, for the LOVE.)



Happy Getting-Back-Into-The-Groove Monday, peeps!

Chaperoning a field trip mañana!

Over and out.