transformations ...

so last week, I took my shaggy haired boys in for haircuts!!!

I have a real love/hate relationships with hair cuts ...

I love how refreshing it is to see my beautiful sons' faces and eyes!

but I sort of end up missing their shaggy locks, too!

here's Jericho - before:

and Jericho - after:

I really like how it looks when it's styled, when it's just washed and dries-

and he doesn't want to stop long enough for me to style it - it's just ok!

what a smile, what a boy!!!

and here's Liam - before:

and Liam - after:

what a silly face - that boy is just like his daddy!!!

so, yes, I finally did it - finally had the courage to get him an actually "short"

haircut!  I thought it looked adorable all slicked to the side ...

however, the lady cut it so that it HAS to be like that - or it's all long

on one side and short on the other ... hmmm!

so I'm gonna have to have that all fixed!

he is perfectly happy with it, I'm sad a little bit about it - 

but I think only because daddy didn't like it,

so now I feel bad!

oh well, can't put it back now ... and he is nearly 7, after all ...

he needs to look like a little boy!!!

(but I do miss that long hair, it's always been his look, so 

I totally understand what daddy is saying)

he's so funny!!!

in other news, I think I finally finished up the Christmas shopping!

(aside from "teacher" gifts, it's weird that there's still so many -

even though I'm homeschooling two kids - but they have their enrichment

classes teachers and their ES, so that's five right there!  then Zoey

has her lead teacher and "helper" and speech therapist,

as well as two bus drivers!  I'm not even doing anything for

Annicka's teachers and I still have 10 "teacher" gifts - lol)

I'm not gonna lie - the last two days were a bit stressful with all my looking

online and figuring out just what to get!  it's super fun that the kids'

grandparents and aunt and uncle send me money to do some shopping ...

but they didn't have hardly anything on their wish lists,

so I had to really get creative in deciding on gifts!

in the end, though, I stuck to my plan and did the "three gifts" 

from us (mom & dad): a want, a need, and something to read!

then a "Santa" gift!

 (which was set by a per child budget - so for the boys it's an individual gift as well as a shared gift) 

and a sibling gift 

(this year I assigned each child a sibling to buy for, so everyone still has cool stuff and not just dollar store junk)

then all sorts of goodies from Grandma, Nana & Grandaddy, Auntie Layla,

Uncle Kris, and cousins Dominic, Katie, and Willow!

I may have decided to pull way back this year,

 but they are certainly still plenty spoiled by family!!!  :)

so, that's the update for us ...

I hope & pray everyone is having a wonderful Christmas season ...

making lots of memories and spending time with loved ones!!