Cutting thru one layer at a time

I don’t know about you but I get the same amount of anxiety if I go to the gym or the hair salon. You see perfect bodies when you walk into the gym and you see the most amazing hair in the salon. When you go to the gym you are the master of your fate with the Stairmaster, with the salon you are at the mercy of the stylist. You take a deep breath and you hope to some degree in this instance, they can read your mind. For that brief moment in time when you are unsure if you accurately articulated what you wanted your hair to look like. You hope they are on the same page and see the visual of what you really hope to achieve while sitting with anticipation in the chair. The time has come as they blanket you with the apron and tell you to relax. Deep breath here goes….

For me I can never achieve both a great cut and color, I either love the cut or I am dissatisfied with the color or vice versa. My hair has been a hot a mess for the past three years. I wanted a new style and color, however my hair was so damaged and fried

(Because I was playing hairdresser and using boxed dye to lighten and darken my hair) that I didn’t know what would happen if I attempted to color it again myself.

My friend Christopher who is a hair stylist took on my challenge of “operation hopeless hair”. He didn’t even blink when he did a consultation to look at the damage and to evaluate what needed to be done. He asked what I envisioned my to look like and took notes. Christopher than explained what he would do and the techniques and treatments he would like to do to fix my hair. My hair was in bad shape but it wasn’t anything that Christopher hasn’t seen before. He was very assuring and positive.

When I went to the salon it had a very nice atmosphere and it didn’t hurt that it was located in Laguna Beach. In-between treatments, toning, dying, and conditioning I would sit on patio and breath in the sweet smell of the ocean breeze. It took nearly 4 ½ hours to fix what I did to my hair. It was worth every minute. I was pleased with the highlights, as they are so very subtle. Christopher has been doing hair for over 17 years and you can tell. He took a comb and took very thin strands of hair to highlight, that was a bit time consuming but he is a perfectionist and the end results are amazing. My hair is healthy again with the treatments, and the TLC that went into this process. For once It was achieved, absolutely loving both the cut and color. We ended up cutting roughly 5 ½ inches off of hair and it looks fantastic with the highlights and layers.

What I like about Christopher is that he listens to you and offers his suggestions. I have gone to places where they hear what you say and do what they want. For me in this moment of time, I was actually on the same page as my stylist and he could see what I envisioned my hair to look like.

"There's real poetry in the real world, Science is the poetry of reality" ~ Richard Dawkins

I'm bacccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk at school this week my break is over and its been intense one hour and a half in and I'm already overwhelmed. We  read our books prior to meeting and had some homework to look over prior to class. I got out at 10:30 and I head back in 20 min for another 2 1/2 hours of labs. I have more science classes to take in order to obtain my goal and work in my profession! My professor showed us this clip in class today and also stated we would be viewing life differently after taking this class. The video is worth taking a look at it. I was fascinated by it.  I look forward to the journey and the 12 plus hours a week of homework and studying. Cross your fingers for me!

The Diary of a single mom

Today my patience was tested by my 7 year old. We both ended up in tears today and we both expressed how we wanted to run away. Crazy to think that you can love something so much that can dive you absolutely insane from time to time. Sure I know I could have handled the situation better, and I shouldn't have had to count to 3, 100 times to get him to do a single task. It then came down to both of us brow beating and how he needed to obey when I told him to do something, and my son saying how I needed to relax and not pressure him when he didn't answer the first 5 times to do something, and to be softer when asking.

I was running on a short fuse today. Sure I have read books on child raising and how they should obey, how you should discipline.... but people have an off day right? Or is it just me? I must be doing this all wrong? Have you ever felt that way, that other mom's have it together and their children never act up and they obey all the time and they must have everything under control? I felt like Mommy Dearest today, due to yelling and giving in to my frustration with my child. I had to remind myself that there is no debate with a 7 year old.

We ended up praying about what happened earlier in the day and it involved both of us asking God to forgive us.  My son for not obeying and how he should obey his parents and for his mother to be softer when she speaks.

We had a discussion about Grace and we both  forgave each-other. We talked about having an off day and how we both could have shown a little more grace to one another. Then I got to thinking, did I contradict myself? Saying I should have shown Grace to my son for not obeying when I asked him to do something the first time?  Oh no, the whole message got convoluted I didn't clearly explain what I was trying to convey. I didn't express that I was talking about grace and forgiveness for my tone. He still was in the wrong for not obeying and listening and really I shouldn't have had to count to any number. Than again if I am given grace shouldn't I be able to do the same? AGH!!!!!

My pumped up kicks....

I thought I would be counting the days, minutes, seconds of each moment that I haven't smoked. It hasn't been like that. Surprisingly I am at peace with this and feel confident that I will overcome this hurdle. Now the bathroom scale is another issue. I have been eating more carrots than bugs bunny and drinking plenty of water however I am seeing a massive slight increase of weight which is making me kind of upset. A friend of mine told me to start running and that is where I will see the weight slip off. An ex smoker who is a runner? This is insane! I am willing to bet money that the contestants on the biggest loser could out run me at this particular point in my life. SO to be clear,  I gave up smoking to collapse a lung or two by attempting to run? For the record I use to make fun of people who would run for fun, who does that run for fun thing???? The only times you would catch me running, A shoe sale, a dog chasing me, The obvious ..... My children, and when I was younger ~ Halloween, I wanted to get to as many houses as I could in the time frame my parents allotted. I was faster than Flo Jo on that night.

With that, I am really excited about my new Kicks 

 


this was a belated Christmas present from my family. I was so excited, because I got this great deal. In addition to getting $10 off I was able to get a % off as well. YEAH for coupons combined with sales, I was able to get the shoes for $40.  Its something to look forward too, when I actually gain the courage to attempt running for fun.  My other shoes have been worn to the sole, literally.

To add a little incentive  I plan on tying meat to my ankle and running around my neighborhood. This will cause my heart rate to go up and the flight instinct to kick in as I run away from the dogs "The Cujo's" 

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.....Run or bust! More like the latter with me

Once upon a time......

   Today as I was walking with a bunch of girlfriends, one of my friends talked about how she is in a book club and how much fun it is. That sparked my interest and I wanted to start my own book club for my friends locally and afar. As I was trying to figure out what book to recommend, I remembered my English Professor recommended reading The Last Lecture. My friend and Professor both said it was a brilliant book and worthy of a read.

For those locally we could meet up at a venue (Details to follow later), for my "Bookies" afar we could have a discussion on my blog?!?!?!?!  I am going to start reading The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. My goal is to have the book finished and discussion ready by Feb 25th, that is 7 weeks from now. I am not sure about you but that works for my busy schedule. Being a single mom, going to school part time, sports, church, and all that other good stuff.... It allows me to have some breathing room.

Please let me know if you are interested.  Happy Reading!!!!!!!

Yo Momma Momma

I have had two plus weeks off of school and during that time I have been a full time mommy with no school or distractions. It started off with baking cookies, wrapping presents, sleeping in with PJ's until noon, breakfast for dinners and anything my munchkins really wanted to do. Well my littlest one fell in love with a show called Yo Gabba Gabba! The man in the orange hat looks psychotic, I get he is trying to be animated but it was a little scary for my taste. However after watching over 15 hours of Yo Gabba Gabba I am hooked, our whole family is. We even sing the jingles, " I like bugs, I like bugs."  "Its almost time to go, its almost to go!"  The cue to watch the show is when my kids scream, "Yo Momma Momma!" I know its that time to put on Yo Gabba Gabba.

My littlest one jumps up off his chair and shakes with his diaper and claps his hands with the beat it is absolutely too cute for words.The first week I did have nightmares of the man in the orange hat with his eyes... now its just funny to watch. I can't believe kids are not afraid of him!!!! I mean if I looked at my kids like that and turned my head as I smiled they would hit me, scream, or cry and tell me to stop it. Not for the man in the orange hat. They love him!!!


Don't get me wrong I appreciate his enthusiasm but its kind of weird... Or perhaps it is just me. My boys are already begging me to have my son's 2nd birthday be a Yo Gabba Gabba theme. Hmm! You can watch here, tell me what you think of the man in the orange hat.

I'm coming out.....

 I am a closet smoker. Only certain people know I am a smoker because I am ashamed and embarrassed by it. You all know now and I exposed myself for a reason, to keep myself accountable because I am ashamed of my habit. I took up this habit again and it was really bad while going back to school, this was my release of all the tension. My reward to myself when I would get home and the kids were sleeping. I would go in the laundry room which was outside and reward myself with smoking. OH the irony here.

As the months crept up on me, I realized this time I am using to get away and relax is really doing just that. Taking my life and images of gasping for air as I lay on my deathbed and my children surrounding me. Asking, "Mommy did you get your reward, did you get what you wanted some quite time?" Chills run up my spine. I mean how selfish am I really? I would die for my children, not in spite of them. My children are all that I have and every time I light up, its less time I will have with them.

It also came down to asking myself do I really take life for granted? I say I don't but what am I really saying by smoking, not being active, not eating the best I should, What about not being in the word, softening my heart, really loving my neighbor and respecting myself? I had to ask myself what that looked like. Not what I thought it looked like but actually doing it.

My new years resolution is with God and making peace with myself. Giving up smoking, reading the bible in a year, ridding myself of just the nastiness that we as humans can consume over the years. Being a better person. I will admit that quitting smoking has been hard to be a better person so early in the game as the withdrawals make me cranky. To get over it I realize that God is in control and I found an awesome website that showed me what I have to look forward to, as if my children weren't enough......