ten on ten: August

Finding much life and beauty among the ordinary things of our day

Linking up here:

Oasis

What do you think of when you hear the word oasis?  

The Mr. and I were in a small group at church and the facilitator asked...
"Is your home an oasis?" 

I smiled and I may have laughed.  Images of our home and life with our children [9, 5, and 2 year old] flashed through my mind.  I'd use various words to describe our home but "oasis" doesn't come to mind.  

Life is messy [literally, get out the disinfectant, I'll spare you the details].  It's noisy.  It's moving fast.  [I tend to like quiet.]  Most of the time it feels like I'm not up for this.  

I want our home to be an oasis.  A place that "provides refuge, relief and pleasant change from what is difficult".

I hope in the midst of...

walking on Legos,
cleaning up my son's concoction of "hosta leaf soup" [from the bathroom sink],
treating rashes and bee stings,
wiping noses and booties,
wondering why the kids seem to destroy so many things,
reminding to be kind [don't hit and don't growl].  And that's just the kids!


...[in the midst of] all this life, I hope our home is an oasis.  

I recently read this... "Peace: not the absence of noise, trouble or hard work but to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."  

I love it.  I need it.  I also need a full night's sleep because tomorrow we're going to do it all again and our children will go, go, go....until they crash at the end of the day.  

Every night before I go to bed, I "tuck them in".  It's a sweet routine that reminds me how thankful I am for these three amazing children.
  

Jude's imagination never ends.  

Grace nurtures Addie and it is beautiful to see.  

Goodnight!

Kate 

Light On

Remember the thrift store lamp I wrote about here?  It's gone white.  My husband thinks it looks like a giant chess piece.  

You know how one thing leads to another?  Well, while I was at it I decided to paint [have my husband paint] the other  lamp white to bring them together in unity.

For a before paint job photo, I found two baby dolls tucked in the lampshade.  Not sure who put them there but it wasn't me.  Creative.

And to bring the lamps together in further unity I headed over to Target for two white drum shades.  

Time=minimal.

Thrifted lamps= The top one was $3.50 and the bottom one I've had for years [paid $2.50].

Paint=on hand.

Shades=about 15 bucks x2.

I like it.  Thinking about what else I can paint white...

 

~Kate 

Linking up with Simple Design.

Addie's [African] Hair Care

I feel like Addie was seriously ripped off when it comes to a mother and her hair care.  I'm learning.  Prior to her coming home it was cut short.  Then once she got home it started falling out and I wondered if it was due to how I was caring for it?  The doctor seemed to think it was due to malnutrition.  Well, the hair...it's been growing!

What I've learned...

1. I was washing it too much [and the shampoo was too harsh] so I cut that down to once a week and used an organic shampoo [Shea Moisture Organic Baby Wash & Shampoo, which is without sulfates & parabens].  
2. Her hair is very thirsty.  I used organic coconut oil as conditioner by liquefying it and spraying it on her hair after her bath.  Recently I added Shea Moisture Hold & Shine Moisture Mist and would spray on in the morning before styling.  
3. On styling, up to this point I have mastered the "puffs".  Which on a good day look something like this...

But let's be real, a lot of days, it looks more like this...

Lately I've been on a hunt for the best hair products for her so I put the question out to other adoptive parents in our Ethiopian travel group.  Teach me.  Tell me.  Help me!  I got lots of great input and bought this new product, Aubrey Organics Moisturizing Conditioner, which I've been leaving in Addie's hair instead of washing it out [more great advice from another mom]. The earlier mentioned products didn't seem to be moisture intensive enough on their own. 

This week I tried a new style.  The "twists".  She was happy to let me twist it while she was in the tub. 

Oh, my goodness, I think it is just the cutest on her.  Maybe this is a bit more as her beautiful African hair should be?  And that makes me happy. 

~Kate