Hair, braces, a Michael photo shoot, and homeschool tests

 Totally random :)  This is Elizabeth!  She is our little butterfly......fluttering everywhere.....

 This is a twist gathering hair as you go.....

 Which looks like this. 

 Oh Joanna.....well I have learned I can not do anything exciting with her hair.  Just puffs for this girl....

 Because if it isn't "out" for her to play with she will pull it out!  So oh well it is simple and it works. 

 This is a fun pattern- 3 "rows" on each side of the head....make "blocks" and make a pattern.  You can do this with 4-5 "blocks as well or just 2 and criss cross. 

 Awww.....Pretty biased that she is VERY GORGEOUS ;)

 Then I usually twist at the ends like this, or leave as "puffs", or braid, whatever strikes your fancy.  :)

 This is my version of "fake cornrows.  he he he....it is just literally twisting the hair in a line.  That's it!  Easy!

 Abigail- pretty sure daddy needs big artillery to chase the boys away.....she is sooo BEAUTIFUL!  :)

 These are the steps for the above. 

 just part the hair in the row, comb/brush through, then twist away....note to self you have to make sure you are twisting the same way for both sides, or at least make a pattern.  ;)

 I ended in a "puff" or ponytail. 

 Voila!

 And this is my oldest's real hair length- yep!!!  I know I will get comments, but her hair has never been cut since she was around 18 months!  She is now 12 1/2!  She does has one small patch of some "breakage" at the front of her head, but really her hair has done sooo very well!!!!  :)  Whew!!! 

All of the above hairstyles (except Joanna's bunches because she plays with them of course) actually last a week or more!  Depending on if my girls remember to wear their hair caps, and how small your "rows" or "sections" are.  They all take about 15min- 30 min DONE!  So I know people ask me all the time what do you do to their hair- do you do it every day- UMMM....NO WAY!!!  Unless Abigail wants to wear it down- which is GORGEOUS!  Then I do have to do a quick comb through every day.  I will post more styles as I do them if I do different ones and remember to take a picture.  ;) 

Lately I have gotten in the habit of "redoing" hair on Sunday afternoon before church (we go in the afternoon/evening time), but sometimes I will stagger hair time so I only do one girl a day.  Either way there are tons of styles that don't take long that last at least a week or so. 

 So Michael got his very own pair of "boots" (braces).  They help "break" the tone caused by the cebral palsey as well as keep his feet in the right position for standing up since he is now pulling up on his own.  He doesn't wear them all the time, but for now at least an hour- 2 hours a day.  He does really well and only fusses as I am putting them on. 

 Can't see that well but he has "space" boots- the look like outer space.....with stars and planets. 

 Here is the front- with the spaceship strap too :)

 Awww....Michael modeling for you, but he looks shy....

 Aw mom......not another picture........

 Ok this is boring I am going to get into something........oh the stack of papers on mommy's desk- that looks like fun. 

 Ok ok.....another picture for my fans.  Look I am sitting on the edge all by myself.....

 Ok mom....I want down to crawl around.....

 MOM!  I am serious!  Let me down!  HE IS SHOWING EMOTIONS PEOPLE THIS IS AWESOME- and even when he is mad at you he is still sooo CUTE!

 Man.....mommy didn't listen to me.  The others said this would happen.  They said, "Michael you are number 9 and you will be gushed over, but mommy will make you work.  Just face it and get over it."  They were right!

 OK this is my last pose!

 OK one more because this is my cute sister and I and well we are the most adorable twins ever!  CHEESE!!!!

 Look I can hang on and get down.  Wanna see.....(ok folks at this time I know he can get down by himself, but I am not about to let him fall doing it.....so I did put the camera down to make sure he wouldn't fall on his face)  :)

This picture is for "K" because you rock and I know this picture would make you laugh!!!!  LOVE YOU!!!!!


OK so we have been busy around here this week!  Yesterday and today was testing day in the Wright home for homeschooling.  Some states, like Louisiana don't require anything :) just a letter stating you are homeschooling and how many students you have.  Some require A LOT like PA I believe has crazy laws.  Most have somewhere in between where you test or do a profile that has to be reviewed once a year. 

Our tester was AWESOME!!!!!  Christian lady who loves homeschooling and did it herself!  She was so great with our kiddos and all our "special issues" ;) he he he.....  Only the oldest 6 have to test right now so we did 3 tests each day and I had wonderful friends help look after the other kiddos so we had a quieter house to test in.  They all did so very well and I am so very proud.  Come to think of it, really it just reaffirmed me in teaching.

I think before this I was still leery on how good of a teacher I am.  You know self doubt can creep in easily!  What I have to say to anyone thinking about or already doing home school.  God created us to be a family.  Yes there are people who don't or can't teach their own children and that is fine!!!  Not worried, but if you are feeling a nudge or did feel and now you are worried.  Don't be.  I was pretty much right on where I thought my kids would be!  That reminds me that although my children struggle in areas that some of my other children don't struggle in, that is not my fault.

Did you hear that?  Your children were created by THE ALMIGHTY PERFECTLY!!!  If they struggle it is not your fault!!!!  It happens.  Can you help them?  Sometimes, but not always.  Sometimes you can do all you can to help them.  You can study research, buy more curricula, and pull your hair out and the only thing that changes is you are now bald.  FOR REAL! 

Sometimes just when you thought all hope was lost and your child would never learn such and such......they do it!  And you jump for joy and start singing SCREAMING PRAISES TO JESUS!!!  I know!  That was/is me! 

So just a pick me up from me to all of you wonderful moms out there.  I am NOT perfect!  I totally make huge mistakes all the time.  I try and try again.  Sometimes I fail, sometimes I fail miserably, sometimes God moves those mountains, and sometimes I have to move and get out of the way for HIM!  I pray this encourages each of you homeschooling mommas and public schoolers!  YOU ALL ROCK!!!  :)