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On teeth and tonsils…

This July has been quite eventful for Wells Wilder. He lost his first tooth…

It had been loose for a while, and we really dreaded pulling it. Barf. Thankfully, it fell out in his sleep. And praise and glory to the Lord that he didn’t swallow it. He came downstairs with it in this little tooth holder someone gave me at his baby shower. Guess he was tired of seeing it empty on his dresser.

The whole thing disgusted poor G. UNTIL the tooth fairy came…

And then he realized nearly every tooth in his mouth was loose…

He has a pointy “shark tooth”… he said he would need extra cash for it.

Side note. We adopted a little boy named Abdias in Bolivia through Compassion International. When I told the boys, Wells asked when we were going to pick him up. I explained that we were sending him money so he could have more food and clothes. I also told them that Abdias would be super happy to get an ear of corn to eat (unlike the two of them). Graham snuck out and came back with a hand full of change. He said he wanted to send it to Abdias. I almost ugly cried.

Later, we went upstairs and Wells’ piggy bank was on the floor with change everywhere. We all looked at Graham and he was like, “What? I didn’t want Abdias to have to eat disgusting corn.” At least it was for a good cause. And I will be sure to remind Robin Hood to send his shark tooth money to Bolivia.

Earlier this week, Wells had to have his tonsils and adenoids removed. He was super brave about the whole thing. Probably because he was looking forward to the $30 worth of popsicles and ice cream he talked us into.

In the waiting room at 6 a.m. Graham was more worried than Wells. Or maybe he was sleepy. Or maybe he just wanted the iPad.

Wells only got upset when they told him to put on the hospital gown. I don’t blame him. Those things are inappropriate. Before they took him to the operating room, the nurse gave him something to make him sleepy. While they were wheeling him back, she asked if he had ever been on a bed with wheels. He responded that he had never been crazy enough to break himself. Then he threw a couple of deuces in the air and passed out.

Sweet boy did just fine. The first 24 hours after surgery were a breeze. He slept a lot and said that his throat didn’t hurt. When the nurse called to follow up, she asked how he was doing. I responded, “He seems to be okay and it worries me.” She put me on hold and checked the “crazy mom” box in his file. She explained that the worst was yet to come.

So now we sit and eat ice cream, play legos and take bubble baths. And hope that he doesn’t lose any more of his head in July. Or that I don’t lose mine.

I don’t remember Legos being this hard.

wowie

July 26, 2013

baby g, family, sick day, Wells
friday four

I had intended to post about our beach vacation today (you know, the one from early JUNE), but it just isn’t going to happen. There are so many pictures that I may never get through them. I know y’all are (not) sitting on the edge of your porch swings waiting for it. Maybe next week. Maybe early December. I don’t like to put myself under too much pressure.

Stuff I am digging this week…

1. Toasted Coconut Almonds

Y’all. These are so good. If you like coconut and you like almonds, try them. If you like wearing your skinny jeans, don’t try them. I ate the entire can.

2. Birthday Happy

I found these gold and cork Pinch Minimergency kits at J. Crew. They have various things we are always looking for like bandaids, clear nail polish, dental floss, wine and so on. Well maybe not wine, but only because it wouldn’t fit. I think it would be perfect to keep a kit (or wine) in your desk or car. Or both. I paired it with a three pack of mini notebooks from Target. They have gold foil on the cover and include New York, Paris and Rome. I also found this navy and gold binder at Target.

I am sure it is intended for fifth graders. I bought two.

3. Hydrangeas

If you don’t have hydrangeas planted in your yard, I highly recommend them. They are easy to grow and the flowers are beautiful. I like to see them growing outside, but love to cut them and bring them inside. They last for several days and are so easy to arrange. And by arrange, I mean throw in a mason jar.

4. Reader’s Digest “Letter”

I love this G I found for Graham’s room. It is cut from an old Reader’s Digest. I found it at Interiors Market a month or so ago. In case you are wondering, those are my cowboy boots from when I was a boot scootin’ baby. I was really into line dancing.

I am linking up with A. Liz Adventures’ 5 on Friday again this week. I might as well go ahead change it to friday FIVE.

5. Tomato Tart

I finally made the first tomato tart of the season, and it was long overdue. So easy and SO delicious. Recipe here. I omitted the greek seasoning this time, and it was just as good.

Happy Friday. Try to stay cool this weekend. But not this cool…

wowie

July 19, 2013

friday 4, products, recipes, yum
friday four {the big hair edition}

A lot of people ask me about my big hair. And by a lot, I mean like two. Maybe three. Anyway, I thought I would devote this Friday Four to my favorite hair tricks and products. Some of this you’ve seen here before, but I think it is worth repeating. If you don’t like southern bouffant, pageant hair, you should probably just skip to the last paragraph.

1. wash it

Duh, right? But, the trick is finding the right combo, and then switching up every two to three times you wash your hair. These are my favorite combos.

Bumble and Bumble Quenching Shampoo and Moroccan Oil Intense Hydrating Mask

Bumble and Bumble Creme De Coco Shampoo (smells so, so good) and Bumble Super Rich or Surf Cream Conditioner

My hair is on the dry side and color treated (I know you are SHOCKED), so these are all super hydrating. If your hair is thin or lacks volume, I highly recommend trying a volumizing shampoo and conditioner. I wish I could use them, but I wouldn’t be able to fit through the door frame.

2. condition it

I know we all think the way we do things is the “right” way, but if you put conditioner on your roots, you are sabotaging your own head. Don’t do it. Conditioner on the scalp weighs down hair and makes it oily, so only apply it from the ears down. Let it sit for a minute, and then rinse with cold water. Something about cold water closes the hair cuticle blah, blah, blah. And I mean COLD. Like turn off the hot, completely cold. I have been doing this for 17 years, and I have only had pneumonia once.

3. blow it

Before drying your hair, use a detangler and comb through with a wide tooth comb. I use Bumble and Bumble Prep. After combing, set your hairdryer on the highest heat and air setting. The trick is to flip your hair over and dry from underneath. When you get a little of the moisture out, add Morrocan Oil (only ears down) and a volumizer to the roots. I make sure mine is 90% dry before I flip it back over. When the head rush goes away, I use a paddle or round brush to smooth it out. The last step is hitting it with the cool air setting on your hairdryer.

4. curl it

I love my Sultra Bombshell curling wand. It is so fast, and the curls really last. Like for days. It takes me about 5 minutes to curl my hair, but it is hard to explain the process. I would do one of those hair tutorial things on YouTube, but y’all would make fun of my accent. Of course, a regular curling iron or hot rollers would work too. After you curl it, make sure to set it with lots of hairspray. I like Elnett (get fragrance free because the other smells like a dirty pilgrim) and Bumble and Bumble Classic. No, I am not paid by Bumble and Bumble. If they did, I would use the money to buy stock in their hairspray.

This is not a very good shot of the finished product. But, considering 110% humidity and a seven year old photographer, it will do. Plus you get to see my handcuff pose. WHY DO I ALWAYS DO THAT?

Since I am linking up with April (who has beautiful, big hair) from A. Liz Adventures’ Five on Friday, my number one hair trick…

5. spray it

I know y’all read all that and thought, HIGH MAINTENANCE. But considering I only wash and style my hair a couple of times a week, it really isn’t that bad. On the off days, I use dry shampoo. It gives your hair instant volume. I like Pssssst and Batiste. They are both available at drugstores and Ulta. If you have never used dry shampoo, please try it. I promise you will like it.

Thanks for all the sweet comments on the blog birthday post. I went back to make sure I didn’t title the giveaway, “Sucking Up for Seahorses.” Seriously, y’all are just too sweet. I appreciate (and am surprised) that anyone other than my mom actually reads my ramblings. I will draw on Monday, so there is still time to enter. NO COMPLIMENTS NECESSARY TO WIN.

Now get to work on that hair and have a great weekend!

wowie

July 12, 2013

friday 4, products