And now it's too long.

Kaylen has been working hard to grow her hair long. Looking back through pictures since the end of kindergarten, you can see her progress. It's been quite the experience. I look back at photos from two years ago and think "Wow! Her hair was sooooo short!"

While I did enjoy it being short, I've also learned to like it long. It's kind of fun to braid and brush.

Lately though, it has been knotting up in the back. It takes work, patience and some times tears to get the knots out.

Last night she returned from Dakota's and apparently there had been quite the dramatic scene with her crying and screaming. She yelled "I want my hair cut short!"

Well ok then. I told her we would make an appointment to see Jody, my stylist. She couldn't stop talking about it so I finally said "how much shorter would you like it?" She indicated with her fingers about three inches. Cool. I could do that.

I told her I could do it and she ran into the bathroom to wait. I showed her a couple times how much I was planning to cut. She agreed and out came the scissors.

When I was done she looked in the mirror and was SO happy! She danced around with glee, went out and showed Stephanie and came back with an ear to ear grin. She thanked me over and over and over.

Today when I arrived at her classroom to work, I watched as she came in from recess. She was touching her hair and flipping it around. Clearly she is enjoying her shorter, but not too short, hair.

She is so darn cute. :)

11 Year Old Photos

That's my boy.  :)

Happy Birthday, Kelton!  My life has never ever been the same since the day you entered it - and I am so grateful for the miracle that is YOU! 

I love you!

Kelton James 11 Years Old

Kelton turned 11 years old on Sunday.

Craziness.
That is pure craziness.

I honestly have no idea how the years went by that quickly. I can clearly remember laying on the living room floor with him when he was five months old as we listened to the school bus stop and pick up the very noisy group of elementary school kids from the day care next door. I remember looking at my baby and singing him some crazy made up song but part of the words were telling him that one day he would grow up and go to school but that it was years and years and years away. It felt like it would be FOREVER before it would be time to send him to kindergarten.

And now....now in a few months time I will be sending him to middle school. I'm not ready. He is ready. But I am so not ready.

This year, for the first time ever, Kelton had a friends birthday party. All friends, all crazy, all noisy three hour party. They had a blast and I am really glad Stephanie talked me into doing it. There were seven other kids plus our three running around.

They played video games, made dance videos, popped a zillion balloons, watched a movie, snacked on chips, ate pizza, had cake and ice cream, and made root beer floats. It was a crazy wild time and I, for one, was exhausted at the end. But the look on my baby boy"s face said it all - it was worth my every whacked out anxiety ridden moment of planning, getting ready for, and hosting. He was walking on a cloud for hours and honestly, I think he still is.