Hair Donation #2

February 28, 2009, I donated 8" of hair to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths Program. They make real hair wigs and give them---free of charge---to children with cancer.  My understanding is that it costs around $4,000 to manufacture each wig and that it requires 6 donations to make just one.  After Andrew was born, I was busy (or so I thought!) and managed to find myself months overdue on a hair cut.  Since it was already much longer than I preferred, I thought I may as well go for it! 

Done!

There you go!

Not the most flattering picture here, but this shot in Vegas about 3-4 weeks later is the only one I can put my fingers on at the moment.  Not sure what happened to any pics the night of the big chop!  Maybe it was THAT bad and I deleted them! 

Too bad you can't do something about a gummy smile like you can hair that's too long!  Vegas didn't care:)

I can't recall exactly when, but sometime after Margaret was born, I decided to go for it again.  After all, my hair becomes a disaster after child birth, so why not make it even crazier?!? It falls out for years, but then grows back erratically---in different directions, different textures, corkscrew wavy, and grey. It's nothing pleasant - only unpredictable.  Plus, donating is something I can do to contribute and give back when life is otherwise too hectic for much else.  It doesn't require childcare or a check...just lots of patience. 

March 16, 2012, I decided to go for 10". Whoa! It was LOOONG!

Happy to get Andrew's stamp of approval over dinner when I got home:) 

The best mail I've received all year - about 6 weeks after, I received confirmation that my 10" locks were successfully received and accepted for use in a real-hair wig for a cancer patient. I love how they phrase it....“Thank you for giving so selflessly to women who are faced with hair loss from cancer treatment. Your healthy ponytail will help give self confidence back to a special woman who is battling cancer so that she can fight the disease with a little more dignity….your donation will be joined with five others and transformed into a high quality, real-hair wig…”

Margaret's PRECIOUS St. Patty's Day dress from Steve and Clare is thrown in because it was just TOO cute!

 

 

4th Birthday Eve...Guitar Night!

Andrew's big birthday present was "My First Trampoline". Only because his good buddy, Cohen, has had it so long did I feel comfortable with the investment. The irony is, our previous home owners had a trampoline they were willing to leave us.  But that one was the killer kind you think of that we all grew up with...12' wide, dozens of exposed & rusty coils, 4' off the ground without netting---you remember!  This one is great - perfect for a couple of small kiddos.  It felt like Christmas Eve putting it all together, but we managed late night Friday so that we could test it before Sunday's party. 

The big trampoline reveal!

The first jump

On the eve of his birthday, Andrew FINALLY showed interest in his Christmas present...his first guitar!  He started practicing during naptime and decided to grant us a concert....

"Cover your ears a little bit because here comes the biggest music of all!"

Daddy's Show

Look at those dance moves!

Our budding rock star

Don't laugh at Mommy

Lord, help me on beautiful days!

Just a brief snip-it of Andrew's natural energy when it's beautiful outside... and so I pray, "Lord, help me be patient on beautiful days and know what to do with this 'thing', which I no longer believe is just a boy."

Andrew Post-Nap Ritual

Hide 'n Seek has provided our family hours of entertainment the last 6 months or so. Even Margaret is quietly in on the action. In fact, she has started playing in the playroom closet on her own initiative. She'll tuck herself away, carefully pull the doors closed on herself so as not to smash her fingers, and will stand there alone, silent in the dark FOREVER until we play along singing, "Where's Margaret? Where could she be?" She makes us call out several times before she'll gently push open the door to reveal herself. The proudest giggle you've ever heard ensures, followed by countless rounds of the game.

Andrew enjoys Hide 'n Seek so much that he's taken to playing daily in his bed after nap. We’re not sure what the addition of “Woof, Woof” is meant to signify, but why not go with it?! This particular day shown below, Andrew provided us instructions on how he
believes that he and Margaret will not only share a room some day, but his
bed! will share his bed when Margaret grows up.

TRIM TO VIDEO TO INSERT

"My Classmates"

Andrew’s wonderful teachers this year, Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Buford, made the most precious book for the kids’ first day of school. They put together an alphabetical book with pictures of each child and their name. It was fun to see how proud Andrew was as he worked through it at the beginning of the year. Now, it's entertaining to hear him go through it and tell stories about each of his classmates. Oh, what I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall!!!

Giggle, Woof Woof, "Where's Margaret?"

Assuming the position to be tickled and play “Where’s Margaret?”....

"The Binky Game"

“The Binky Game” has become a favorite lately. Though she has never taken a binky a day in her life and lives by the comfort of her left thumb, Margaret now thinks that chewing on a binky is the single most entertaining and soothing thing she can do. So, as parents of toddlers often do, we’ve made a game of it. Icing on the cake? Andrew LOVES to run the game, too!