Tag: hair

Uncle Buddy Hair

Nephew wants to be like Uncle.

December 9, 2022

Uncle Buddy Hair

Lucas has had some interesting hair escapades.  Like the one week when Louis played “gel up the boys hair” with Isaac, Lucas, and JJ.  

There was the first time I gave him a “big boy” haircut like Daddy’s when he discovered the do-everything-like-Daddy mode. 

Over Thanksgiving this year, my brother came down.  Instead of his always-growing-out hair that he only cut for donating, my little brother was sporting a military crew almost shaved cut.  Lucas loved it.  Lucas spent most of the time trying to climb on Buddy, so it really was only a little surprise when I came home to Lucas without any hair.

Louis had been trimming his & Lucas said, “Dad, I want an Uncle Buddy Haircut!” 

Uncle Buddy is on the far left
Lucas with his smile face

Mom would have tried to talk him out of total shaved, but Daddy was like, “oh yeah!” and buzz clippers made very short work of Lucas’ hair – that he had been “growing out” the last time we did haircuts.

Lucas seems to like it.  One of the afterschool friends pets his head and says “good dog” – but Lucas just barks and laughs.  Louis said, “maybe I should have left a little hair,” but it grows back.  

The girls and Louis called him Aang (from the Last Airbender series) and I’ve got to laugh because there is a bit of a resemblance when he’s goofing off…

At least we are facing a Florida winter!  I tease him that beanies will be his best friend! 

Thank you for reading!

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

God Knows You

This week in Sunday School, our children are focusing on “God Speaks.” One of the wonder truths in our curriculum is basically that God knows you! God knows every person, He knit them together (No one is an accident!), He knows everything about their hearts, minds, and souls (Every single hair is numbered!), and He loves each of us just as we are (All of God’s Creation is beautiful!). …and enter a favorite story that taught me about that truth…

November 7, 2022

God Knows You


This week in Sunday School, our children are focusing on “God Speaks.”  One of the wonder truths in our curriculum is basically that God knows you!  God knows every person, He knit them together (No one is an accident!), He knows everything about their hearts, minds, and souls (Every single hair is numbered!), and He loves each of us just as we are (All of God’s Creation is beautiful!).  

This love is perfect and unconditional.  

One of the stories that hit my heart as a child was that of a little Irish girl who prayed every day for blue eyes.  Her family had blue eyes and she wanted lovely blue eyes!  She considered her brown eyes dull and plain.  This story caught my 5-year-old heart because I had blue eyes and loved the way God made me, but I thought the most beautiful eyes in the world were those that looked like warm chocolate drops – honey brown.  Though I’d never prayed for different eyes, hair, or other features, I understood thinking that a feature of my body was plain and thinking someone else had the most beautiful.

Every night she would pray for blue eyes and when she looked in the mirror she would be sad because she still had brown eyes.  Her mother told her that God had a plan for her lovely brown eyes.  One day the girl grew up.  She decided to be a missionary and was sent to India.  

The people of India distrusted the white-skinned, blue-and-green eyed people who spoke of only one God who loved.  The unknowns often scare people.  The young woman’s missionary group wanted to enter a temple in India to find out if the horrible stories of little girls being sold to the temples was true.  But they were never allowed in; even when they tried to disguise themselves – always their bright blue or green eyes gave them away as strangers.  

But this young missionary had brown eyes!  She dyed her skin with coffee, dyed her hair to be dark brown, and dressed as the local people.  They let her into the temple!  Her brown eyes did the trick!  There she prayed “thank you, God, for making my beautiful brown eyes!” 

This young woman was Amy Carmichael, later known by the temple slave girls as “Amma” or Mother.  Her lifelong ministry, the rescue of thousands of young girls, would never have been possible had she had blue eyes!  God knew what plans he had for her.  

Just as God knew Amy and the plans He had for her, He knows the plans He has for you, for me.  

I am a planner; I always have a range of plans for the day, the week, the year, twenty years, etc, but I’ve learned that God knows me better than I know myself and though I may make and try to follow my plans, I always have to leave room for God to change them!  

Just a wonderful thought to think upon this week ~ God knows you.  God loves you!  What does it take from you?  You just have to choose to follow Him.  (My Daddy used to say, “and that’s the simple to confound the wise.”) 

Thank you for Reading!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

“I Broke My Leg” – and other shenanigains

“I Broke My Leg” – and other shenanigains

September 30, 2022 (timewarp from August 30, 2022)

To say that our home is never dull is a severe understatement; something funny, outrageous, interesting, or unbelievable is happening all day every day and if it appears to be calm, someone will make something happen!

At our gym over the last week, one of the coaches injured her leg. Theadora saw her with her leg all wrapped and she was hobbling. Thea wasn’t wanting to help clean up the next day and threw herself dramatically on the couch with paper wrapped around her leg fastened with a hairtie and wailed, “I broke my leg like Coach Courtney!” (Coach Coutney’s leg wasn’t broken. Looking at Thea’s tongue, you’d think she’s playing dead.)

Then there’s the day we were racing around trying to get ready and Lucas was super happy about a hand-me-down shirt from the girls’ most recent purge. “Look, mom!” He proudly puffs out his chest, “I have a gymnastics meet shirt with a boy on it!” Jillian couldn’t donate that one! Lucas wore it to his Thursday night classes.

Then there are crazy hair days seconds before we leave for church (fortunately, Dad talked him out of wearing this creation to kid’s church). He made “hair” in kid’s church the week before and had saved it. (The beads are threaded on pipe cleaners – I believe they were studying Samson, maybe?)

Then there are those who randomly leave selfies on my phone for everyone’s future entertainment… (yes, they were warned – if it’s on my phone, I can use it!)

Kimberly and Thea
Jaquline
Jaquline

Honestly, the one of Thea and Kimberly I love! – It’s from March when they wandered around and Kimberly took lots of pictures.

In our house, we never do dull. There is always something – or someone – a bit crazy, wild, and fun where our hearts live.

Hope this post made you smile!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Boy Hair Day

March 20, 2022 (Timewarp story from February 21, 2022)

Boy Hair Day

Every so often, Lucas decides that when Daddy gets a haircut, Lucas will also get a haircut! This day was one of those days. Lucas’ hair was long enough for a ponytail. Louis says, “hey, want a big boy haircut again?”

Lucas says, “no,” as he runs his fingers in his hair. His brother cousins are visiting and Isaac laughs as Lucas’ fingers catch a tangle. “Maybe.” Lucas shrugs.

Maybe turns into all three boys watching Louis’ hair get trimmed. Then Lucas says, “I want Dad’s haircut!”

He is soooo much more wiggly at 6 than he was at 3!

Louis gels his hair up in the style he wanted. He gels Isaac and JJ’s hair too.

And Lucas’ hair…

The evening turns into boy hair play day! Cute pictures following…

I love when the brother-cousins get to hang out and do goofy stuff that makes lots of fun memories!

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

Electric Season

Energy resonates in the clear skies of the seasons changing to autumn.

October 31, 2018

Electric Season

It’s officially autumn.

To me, it never seems like autumn until the sky goes that gorgeous “sky blue,” gentle cooler breezes tousle our hair, and there is a crisp energizing feel in the air.

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During these days, I remember the exhilaration I felt as a child when they first approached.

Our first “autumn” day we’d race outside, full of a new form of energy that totally required an outdoor escape.  If there was a swingset in the yard, (sometimes just a rope with a stick at the bottom) we were trying to touch the sky with our feet!  On our bikes, (we called them horses, since we loved horses but never had a real one) we would ride round and round the house, singing Sunday School songs at the top of our lungs.  If I ever had to describe the feeling in one word, it would be “freedom.”

Today the gorgeous electric blue sky makes me think about how God arranges things in seasons in our lives.  Sometimes, when a new season comes, it brings the exhilaration of freedom.  I’ve felt it before and not understood why.

Life seems to say, “you are trapped more than before, why are you happy?”

But my heart answers with a song called “Happy” because one verse basically says: bring it on, I’m happy and nothing can change that!

I imagine myself telling life that sometimes.

Because I have my root of happiness in Jesus, His joy is my strength, and even if life wants to throw stuff at me and claim I’m worse off in this new season than I was before (usually it’s that I can’t see the positive just yet), I know God has me in His hands – and I choose to be filled with that freedom exhilaration that comes with this new season!

Whatever God has for us, I sense the excitement, and I choose to focus on joy!  Let this next season begin!

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

Birthday Dolls

A childhood collection becomes a family tradition.

October 20, 2018

Birthday Dolls

Do you have something unique that you do and sometimes you laugh at yourself and think, “this is so silly!” but your family wouldn’t stop it because it means something to them?

For us, one of these “silly family traditions” that I accidently created is the Birthday Dolls.

We have a display of “Growing Up Girls” birthday dolls that represent each of the children’s ages.

Currently it looks like this:

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Christina (15), Rebeccah (13), Kimberly (11), Jaquline (8), Jillian (6), Lucas (3), and Anastasia (5).

It started with my collection of age-dolls from when an aunt and cousin bought the first three each of my first three birthdays.  I loved them and once I was old enough to make money babysitting and mowing grass, I started collecting the rest of the blonde ones.

Fast forward to when I have two young girls and we didn’t have much display space so Louis suggested I just leave a few out.  I left Christina and Rebeccah’s ages.  When Kimberly was born, we added the baby one.  This became a tradition from then on.

Through twenty-odd years many have broken (by little siblings and my children! Super glue is a porcelain doll’s best friend) a few shattered irreparably, and since my girls are mostly brunettes, any replacements we tried to find with brunette hair.  When Anastasia was about 2, she wanted to add her “age” to the dolls – so we added her age doll.  Lucas came along and I discovered the same company made “Growing Up Boys” age dolls so we started collecting those as well!

I always check resale and thrift shops for any ones I don’t have (right now, boys from 7 up).

Just a cute little story about how a collection became a family tradition. (Yes, they have already planned that I’ll have to buy more of those to display my grandchildren’s ages someday.)

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

Oceans of Praise

One night of de-stressing by taking the kids to experience the beauty of the moonlit beach!

September 26, 2018

Oceans of Praise

It was a long, tired, stressful day.  It was the kind of day when as I’m driving home, the “Mandisa Fun” Pandora station (Christian Rock with catchy tunes and uplifting lyrics) was blaring out the speakers, windows down, and I’m trying to drum the day out of my head.

It was also nearing the full moon.  There were very few clouds, a refreshing warm-cool wind (I knew this would be “blustery” at the beach), and it was 86 degrees at almost 7:30pm.

I decided we’d go to the beach.

I got home to find Eddie and Louis watching football – only into the first quarter.  They do so little father-and-son stuff because Louis is always busy that I announced, “I’m headed to the beach,” knowing that would be cool for them to have father-and-son time.

“You’re taking the kids to go shark fishing?” Louis laughed.  “It’ll be dark by the time you get there.”

“No, we’re going to walk along the shore and play in the shallows,” I smiled, “don’t worry, they’ll all be back in one piece.  There’s a beautiful moon out and it looks amazing.”

Lucas almost stayed to watch football, but then realized all of the girls, including Anastasia, were going with Mommy, and this meant Mommy would be gone a long time.

We showed up to see this:

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And this:

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And that:

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God had an amazing light show for us!  It was so bright they could see to build a tribal village with walls, huts, and fields.

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Rebeccah took most of the pictures and her selfie:

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She tried to get pictures of us, but really we look like black blobs amid the darkness.

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This one was a little better:

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We raced up and down the shoreline.  The water and wind was warm, so Anastasia lay down in the surf to get covered in water.  Jillian, Jaquline, Kimberly, and Lucas followed her.  Each was completely soaked in the first fifteen minutes.  I think it took Rebeccah a half-hour before she let her hair get wet.  Our long walk ended up being over two and a half miles!  (1.3 miles one way, 1.3 miles back.)  We sang praise songs because the majesty of the night looked like it was praising God.

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We had to leave when Becca texted saying she was almost done with work.  Anastasia was giddy at the prospect of “beating Mommy home” so we trouped back to the van, cleaned up at Aunt Becca’s, and spent a few minutes after Becca got home chatting before my crew made our way home.  (Sister time for us Mommies!)

Thank you, Jesus, for a wonderful, exhilarating night.

And yes, my devious plan worked… all of them got back on their good sleep schedule.

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

 

 

Hair Day

June 14, 2017

Hair Day

Yesterday was a misty day with the sun desperately attempting to peek through, but the clouds kept winning.  Louis decided it was time for a haircut.  We usually cut hair outside so I trimmed his hair while Kimberly watched.  Kimberly wanted to know how it was done.  Lucas was outside too, occasionally peeking at us from his mud-pie play spot.

When I finished with Louis’ hair, Lucas ran up to the stool, climbed up and gave me the biggest pleading grin, “my Daddy hair, please Mommy?”

Well, I had to smile.  Lucas just turned two years old two weeks ago.  He’s embarking on this “like Daddy” stage.  “Big boy panties like Daddy,” (I’m trying to get him to say “pants” but with six females in the house constantly saying “panties” it may be a while.) “me drive my car like Daddy,” (Grandma surprised him with a motorized ride-on car, and you should have seen his amazed face!) “me Daddy food,” (means he wants whatever Daddy is eating) and anything else that he sees Daddy do, he wants to do.

I LOVE his baby curls!  Lucas’ hair is dirty blonde and naturally curly.  I combed it a bit, wondering if I really was ready to do his first haircut.  His hair was between four and seven inches long!  It was so thick and curled into perfect ringlets!  He repeated with excited eyes, “me Daddy hair, please, Mommy!”

So yes, he got a “big boy” haircut.  He giggled when I took a picture to show him his hair.  He ran to my bedroom to the mirror and touched his reflection, “me Daddy hair!”  He danced around waiting for Daddy to get out of the shower to show him.

Kimberly thought this was the perfect opportunity to do her “Nancy Drew” haircut – I keep asking her, is she sure? But since “you have the scissors and I really want Nancy Drew hair” we did that too.  Add Rebeccah’s trim.  Rebeccah has beautiful thick brown hair and usually decides to cut it short in the summer.

It usually takes me a few days (or sometimes weeks!) to get used to the kids’ new haircuts, but they are so happy with them.  Lucas got up from his nap to run in the bathroom, potty, and climb up on the counter to touch his reflection and giggle – the entire house heard him shout: “Me Daddy hair!”

Thanks for reading!

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

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