Only Sparklers!

I heard something on the radio today that made me laugh out loud.  England burned our fair capital 200 years ago in the War of 1812, and the British embassy in D.C. decided to celebrate our much-improved relations by commemorating the event with . . . a barbecue.  On their Twitter account, they posted a picture of the dessert: a cake with a miniature White House and the caption . . .

"Commemorating the 200th anniversary of burning the White House.  Only sparklers this time!"

I thought the idea was hilarious, but apparently some of my countrymen were less than amused.  The embassy diplomatically tweeted an apology a few hours later.

Sorry!

Mom Fail: I didn't remember to take pictures of the big kids on their first day of school.  I was probably too busy rushing out the door with them to get to school on time.

They've enjoyed their first days of school, but on Saturday it still feels like summer time.  Joy went swimming, then she and Daniel played a game of . . .

Sorry!

Mama the Hairdresser

I've been cutting Daniel's hair for a few years now, but I've never quite had the nerve to cut the girls' hair.  Boy cuts are pretty straightforward, but girl cuts require a little more know-how and finesse.

Still, desperate times call for desperate measures.  The friend from church who used to cut Joy's hair moved away in spring, and I dreaded the thought of taking all four kids to a salon, so today I grabbed some scissors, turned on one of Joy's favorite movies, and prayed for help.  I've watched people cut her hair enough that I figured I could manage on my own, but it's wise to hedge that kind of bet.

The haircut took two or three times as long as I'd expected, but I think it turned out pretty well.  I'll probably even do it again in a few months when she needs a trim.  The only trouble is that I can't remember which way I angled the scissors to get things to look right.  I may have to consult my friend YouTube before my next attempt.