Hairy Hair Hair Hair

Ekemona has some wild and crazy hair! It is long, it is starting to curl, and in certain parts it looks like a toupee or Phantom of the Opera.... take your pick. Gian and I always disagree about how to style it. He brings the hair down in front of his face and I think it looks dorky, so I try to push it over to the side {which is our best option} and that too looks redonkulous! Ohh and might I add because of him rubbing his head on the car seat and crib, the back of his head gets all gnarly. So this hairy hair situation has officially become a nuisance.

On Saturday, we couldn't come to an agreement of how to style his hair... AGAIN. So I suggested, why don't we just cut it. It really was our only option. I thought about just pulling out the scissors in the junk drawer, but then I thought.... Wait this is his first hair cut, I want to make it special!

After convincing Gian that this was the best solution, we ran over to Cookie Cutters Kid Barber and told them our thoughts. Because of his helmet, his hair was not an even length all around... anywhere, so in order for it to blend he had to cut it shorter then we ever wanted, but it looks good and he looks like a little boy!!

Here he is getting his hurr did!

 Isn't this chair brilliant? It really has a horn too. I want one instead of a high chair!

 One last good look of that shag!

 First cut is the deepest... What?!?! Cheryl Crow's song is definitely relevant!!!

 I sorta wonder if we should have kept that top long. I think it looks pretty sweet!!

 He kinda looks like Ronny from Jersey Shore ahahhah Wouldn't you say? He just need to do a fist pump.

 It is all done!! Look at this little man, he looks like a big kid now. 

Please admire his perfectly round head!!! Thank you helmet for 

restoring the shape to when he was born... ahaha

I made sure to keep a locket of his hair for his baby book. I doubt he will care as much as I do, but I loved loved loved those baby locks so I wasn't about to let it all be swept away!

Rosette Headband

Rosettes are probably my most favorite thing on this earth! Here is an easy and fast way to make a rosette headband.

What you will need:
1.) Fabric Scissors
2.) One 1/2" thick strip of fabric 18" long
3.) One 1/2" thick strip of fabric 19" long
4.) One 1/2" thick strip fabric 20" long
5.) Hot glue gun and glue
6.) Thread and needle {optional} - make sure it is ready before you start working
7.) Headband {I like the ones at Michael's, Forever 21, and grocery stores  - usually sold in a set}
8.) Two small pieces of felt {approx. 2"x 2"}

Step One:

- Cute three pieces of fabric that are 1/2" thick. My smallest rosette was 18" long, medium rosette was 19" long, and the biggest rosette was 20" long.

- Once your pieces are cut, take your thumb and scratch at the fabric with your nail on the edges to create a distressed look. You can also tug a little bit on the threads of the fabric.

Step Two:

- Take your strip and start to twirl it around and around to give it a textured look. 

- When you are starting, it is bestto twirl the fabric tight to start the coil. 

- With your index finger and thumb, start making a coil-like shape while continue to twirl the fabric, making the next layer slightly under the row previously coiled. 

- Once you have created a few rows of the twirled coil fabric, on the back side of the rosette, place a small pearl of hot glue in between each row. You should not be able to see the hot glue from the front of the rosette. NEVER REMOVE YOUR THUMB AND FINGER, that is what holds the fabric rosette together until it is fully secure.

- Continue to twirl, coil, and hot glue on the back side of the rosette until you only have a small piece left.

Step Three:

- When you are running out of fabric, make one last twirl and then fold it behind the rosette and secure that piece with hot glue. Your rosette is complete.

- If your fabric coil comes loose, you can take the thread and needle and secure the loose pieces to another row.

- If it continues to unravel, it means you did not secure it enough with the hot glue. 

Step Four:

- Now all three of your rosettes should be complete and three different sizes.

- Arrange your rosettes in an order that you like.

- Once you have found the pattern you desire, place a drop of hot glue directly in the center of the biggest rosette and immediately place it onto the felt. Do the same for the medium size rosette, then again to the smallest rosette.

- If your felt is showing, you can trim the felt as needed. Do not cut away too much of the felt because it helps provide structure to the cluster. 

- Mark the headband on where you want to secure your cluster. 

- Once you have the position of where to glue the cluster of rosettes onto the head band, place a small amount of hot glue onto the felt, immediately place it onto the head band. Apply pressure.

- When the hot glue has cooled, you can cover your second piece of felt with hot glue. After, place it to the back side of the headband as if you are sandwiching the headband. Let it cool.

Step Five:

- It is ready to be worn!

I am linked with Sew Many Ways, Fingerprints on the Fridge, The Girl Creative, Keeping it Simple, Petite Hermine, I Heart Nap Time, Mad In Crafts, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Today's Creative Blog, Cherished Treasures, Under the Table and Dreaming

Happy Memorials Day!!! May we all remember 

those who have served, protected, and defended our country! 

They are our real life heroes!

APD

.::Growing Pains Series::.

This may be beyond boring, but I want to post this in case a parent Googles "Auditory Processing Disorder" or "Learning Disabilities." I hope that they will find some answers, or feel like they have someone to connect with. And for my selfish reasons, I hope to find someone else with APD.

Auditory Processing Disorder {APD} is a very complicated and complex issue that is only found in 5% of children. It is when the brain cannot fully cooperate with the ears when transmiting information correctly. The ear can hear every tune, pitch and sound, but the way the brain will absorb the information is different than the way the ear actually hears it. Something adversely affects the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds, most notably the sounds composing speech.

People who do have APD do not recognize a subtle difference between sounds in words, even if you pronounce it loud and clear. This is the flaw that causes the disorder in the audio process. Information is being lost from the connection of the ear to the brain. For example, I literally cannot hear the difference between Sidney and Cindy or shadow and shallow, or even detect a letter in a word like breakfast, I use to say breafest, or growing pains sounded exactly like groin pains.

If the auditory defects are not identified and managed early, it can cause speech and language delays along with academic delays. Don't you think that makes sense? It is like trying to learn things under water. It is muffled and sounds blend together. Have you tried to hear the difference between the letter A and the letter E under water? They sound exactly the same, but after much time you could train yourself and your brain how to acknowledge each noise, and how they are different. When your brain is young and still developing there are windows of opportunities to grasp knowledge, when you miss those windows, learning can become tedious and frustrating because your brain has already moved on. I believe this is why academic delays can become a challenge as well. The child now has to learn how they learn and retain all that information along with the lesson that was just taught. That is a lot of work for a young brain. Does anyone remember learning to read, or learning their alphabet? If the answer is no, I would suspect it is because you learned at the time that your brain was absorbent and susceptible to information. Mine was just starting to learn how to perceive noises and information instead of understanding instantly, and moving on to the next phase/lesson.

They actually do not know what causes APD... there is no answer. However, they do know that to communicate, it requires certain mental abilities such as attention and memory, which is exactly the two things I really struggle with. With that said, APD is hard to diagnose and can be misunderstood as a hearing problem, ADHD, ADD, or dyslexia - all of which I did get tested for and was not diagnosed with. I wonder if there will ever be a cause or reason for learning disabilities. I don't entertain that thought often because why do we need an answer? We are all born with traits and talents, gifts and abilities and maybe we need a part of our mind to work differently to be able to access those gifts. We need to be different and have different experiences. In my adult life, I have found that my APD is a blessing and I love who it has made me become. It is who I am, it is a part of me and it is what has sculpted me. How could you not love something that has served such great purpose?

I actually have never met anyone with APD, and one day I hope I do. At times it is painful to feel alone in the struggle. Maybe I will meet someone by having this series. 

I also hope that this will raise awareness around learning disabilities or delays. Getting your child evaluated has no negatives but has hundreds of benefits.  You will actually be benefiting your child tremendously. As a parent, I want to reassure you that there is no shame or embarrassment in choosing to get your child evaluated, and it doesn't reflect who you are or how you parent. You may ask your pediatrician or contact your local Early Intervention Programs for more information and/or diagnosis. 

Bloglift

How do you like our bloglift? I won a gift certificate to Designer Blogs on My Giveaway Today, and this is what they made me... You like it?!?!

The designer I worked with was Erin. She was so very helpful and patient and created this beautiful masterpiece. They offer tons of other accessories for blogs, so go check them out if you are needing something to spice up your blog! Thank you again Erin, for all of your help! You are great!

What Could Be Better Than...

...THE FREAKING iPAD 2?!?!?!?

Nothing that is what!

Gian's parents gave him one for graduation, and this thing is a real beaut!! It is the closest thing to perfect I have ever seen!

I mean seriously, this thing is out of this world! Just look at it in all it's glory!

It has been so much fun because we can do FaceTime with Gian's parents and last night they were able to see Eke crawl... and my best friend Elyse was able to finally meet him. I love this thing!

In the wise words of Kip Dynamite, "Yes, I love technology, but not as much as you, you see... but I still love technology, alllways and forever... always and forever..."

What Dreams May Come

.::Growing Pains Series::.

I was about 8 years old when I fully started to comprehend how behind I really was for my grade. I began to understand the pain of struggling and how much work I still had ahead just to stay caught up with other kids in my class. I remember, several nights I would pray and ask Heavenly Father to help me to read, that I would be able to break through this wall.

The frustration was so thick; it was like a clogged drain. I couldn't even put my feelings into words. One day while my mom was working with me on my reading, I just broke in half. I melted away into my own tears. I remember not understanding what all these letters were trying to tell me, to me they just danced across the page without purpose or order. That was the hardest I remember crying. My mom asked me to draw what I was feeling since I couldn't put words to my thoughts. I drew myself in front of a book with steam coming out of my ears. Reading made my blood boil.

As I got ready for bed that night, it seemed like my emotions diminished completely. I was back to my happy, playful self where the real world and imagination seemed to be in the same realm. 

When I awoke the next morning, I remember a vivid dream I had the night before. The dream was so enhanced with rich colors and textures, and the noises literally rang like a clear bell. 

It began with the world coming to an end. There were rainbows around the entire earth making the design of an element sign. I wasn't sure what to do, I saw a group of children {of all different diversities} my age saying they knew the way to safety. I decided to follow them, I being the slowest and the very last of all of them. We crossed over a rushing river and had to use stepping stones to make our way across. The journey to safety seemed centuries away, I was exhausted. We then were in a rain forest with exotic flowers, trees, and animals. There was a part on the path that had a giant log that was covered in moss that reached far above my head and it was blocking the path. It was too slick to throw my body over, and the lush was too thick to go around. Everyone had already passed me by, there was no one to help me over, no one to hear me scream. "I can't do it... I can't make it over this hump!!" With fear and frustration, I held my face in my hands and just cried. I knew the importance of the urgency to make it to this "safe place" and I believed I was stuck permanently. 

Out of no where, while in a pool of my tears, I heared a voice say, "I can help you!" Through tear-filled eyes, I argued with this voice explaining, "There is no way you can help me, I am stuck here all by myself and I can't do it!" I knew that the slippery log would betray my feet, and the height was far too high for anyone to help. Like a rush of wind, I again heared a soft and loving voice say, "I can help you. Take my hand!" I looked up, trying to find the voice. I do not see a person, but a man's hand reaching out to take me home. It was a hand that I had recognized, something I had seen before. It was strong and solid; there was no doubt or fear in that man's hand and I could feel the promise he was extending! Matching the voice to the hand, I was excited to know I was going to be OK. Anxiously, I took his hand and he lifted and pulled me up over the giant log. I was there!!! I was with everyone else. I was in a "safe place" that was so beautiful, a place that your imagination couldn't even begin to paint. It has so many amazing details. 

I stood there with all the other children, taking in the gorgeous scenery. I remember rejoicing with everyone and they were happy I was there with them. There was a sense of peace and relief that assured us we were safe and sound and had nothing to every worry about.

Being 8 years old, I knew that this dream was significant. I knew it had great meaning to me and that I would hold on to that memory for the rest of my life. At the time, I remember thinking, "This dream had to do with my learning disability. I will be OK one day, I will get it! There are people around me who are here to help, and I know that God knows all that I am feeling. If I would allow it, I could lean on Heavenly Father and he could literally lift me up."

Now, 16 years later I feel much more emotional about this memory. To me it was a very spiritual experience and I treasure the meaning it has. I still think of this memory during other trying times and it seems to comfort me the same way as it did that one day when I was 8. 

Some time after my dream, I came across this photo. It has always stayed in my memory because it resembled my dream very closely. This painting is called "Be Not Afraid" by Greg Olsen.

Writer's Block

I have nothing to write about... not a thing. So maybe you can just enjoy these photos of Ekemona. These photos are of him at 6 months, which were taken about 4 weeks ago {By the way he is 7 months old now}.

Are you bored yet? Sorry to overload you with my pride and joy ahhaha.

Growing Pains

I would like to introduce you to a new series I will be doing on my blog called Growing Pains, where I will share my experiences, memories, and stories of my learning disability and my childhood. Since I received so much good feedback on a previous post, I thought I would continue to share more and to keep it organized by making it it's own series.

The reason I feel it is important to keep sharing my stories is to relate and connect to anyone who is or has gone through the same thing or something similar. I hope that my stories will enlighten knowledge around all kinds of people and that there is no such thing as "abnormal" that we are in fact all normal, just different variations. I mean, if people didn't like spunk then M&M's would not offer different colors in each bag you buy, right?!?

I hope you enjoy reading these segments and can get a real sense of what it is like to be inside my head.

Feel free to see the new tab above for more information.

I Did It!

I did it... I changed my baby's name on our blog. He will now be known on this blog by his middle name, which is Ekemona.

The reason? Well, it was just one of those thoughts that was echoing in my head, so I thought I would make the change since I was fighting with myself for so long. I just feel the need to protect his identity. Does that sound funny? I don't know why that thought kept popping up in my head, but it did, so to clear my conscious I went with it, and I did it... I made the change. I went through every post and edited it to Eke or MoMo or Ekemona. We edited any comments that had his first name {because that would defeat the whole purpose...} so you may find that your comment has been removed but your name is still there. Any new comments that are left with his first name will receive the same message.

I plan on doing this will my other children. I like what my friend Janssen said, she mentioned how her children one day may want to blog, but their name has already been out in the internet world without their consent. For all I know, I may have a very shy, private child who would have wished the same thing. I just want it to be their decision, and protect them the best I can.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

And the winners are...

Eric and Hilary

and Magical Madi

Congratulations you two!! The first to email me at Haolepinos{@}gmail{.}com will be able to choose the item they want. Thank you to everyone who entered. 

I Heart You Headband

I have all of this felt fabric, so I thought I would find ways to put it to use. So there may be other felt projects soon to come ahhaha.

Hearts are my favorite shape in the whole wide world, so I thought I would make something that had to do with hearts.

What you will need:
1.) Scissors
2.) Felt {multiple colors or the same}
3.) Heart shape cookie cutter
4.) Head band
5.) Hot glue gun
6.) Tule (3"x2")
7.) Peacock feathers
8.) Empty cereal box/card board

Step 1:

• Take the cookie cutter and trace it onto the card board/cereal box and cut out.

• Take the heart-shaped cardboard pattern and cut out 4 heart-shaped felt pieces. I like to use multiple colors.

• Choose one heart to be this biggest one. Take the other three and make them smaller. I didn't want all of my hearts to be the same size.
• To make the hearts smaller, fold the heart in half, down the middle.
• Take your scissors to the fold and cut what will look like a silhouette of an ice cream cone.
• The smaller the "ice cream cone" the smaller the heart will be.

Step 2:

• On the bottom of the peacock feather gently pull 5 strips of feather down the quill. 

• Fuse the feathers together by placing a pearl of hot glue at the bottom of the feather clusters.

• Once the glue has dried, trim the ends of the feather for a clean straight end.

Step 3:

• Take the rectangle piece of tule and twist and manipulate it to make an asymmetrical shape.

• Once you have the ideal shape, place a decent amount of hot glue at the bottom to secure the shape. Let dry completely.

Step 4:

• Arrange the hearts to your liking.

• Hot glue the three smallest hearts to one another. Do not hot glue to the bigger heart.

• Place the feathers and tule in a place you like, then secure the placement with a dab of hot glue on the biggest size heart.

• Hot glue the cluster of hearts on top of the tule and feathers to hide the glue.
• Find a place you would like the hearts to sit on the head band, and mark with a pin or sharpie.
• Take a piece of fabric from one of the scrap hearts and use to protect the back side of the head band {see photo below}.
• Hot glue the heart onto the head band while it is also secured to the spare piece of felt.

• Wear it with whatever you like and enjoy!

Sorry for the ghetto photo!!! I actually can't stand this one... but it works, right?!?

I am linked to: Sew Many Ways, Fingerprints on Refrigerator, Miss Crafty Pants, Mad in Crafts, The Girl Creative, Just a Girl, Today's Creative Blog, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, My Girlish Whims