Stand By Me

I know there are a lot of women out there who just LOVE their hairdresser, but my feelings for my stylist run deeper than the shampoo bowl.  I met Eraka…or should I say, “Hairaka” as Natalie calls her, when Noah was a preschooler and Natalie just a baby.  I was juggling work while managing Noah’s therapies and seizures along with Natalie’s growing eczema and ongoing sleep issues.  The last time I had given myself permission to enjoy a haircut was when I donated my hair to Locks of Love.  However, as I listened to woman after woman in our MOPS group not only rave about their new styles, but recount how much fun they had while in her hands – I thought, I want some of that.  When she enters a room, Eraka is a hard person to miss as she seems to radiate positive energy.  Her ready smile and infectious laughter is rivaled only by her willingness to give hugs to anyone in need of one.

During that first cut, I learned that while we look and carry ourselves very different on the outside, inside we share a lot of the same struggles and dreams.  Today, five years later, our friendship has grown beyond the commonalities of motherhood.  She’s my party-decorating-partner-in-crime, and like me, believes no social gathering is really good, unless costumes are involved.  Whenever I spend time with her, I always return home walking a little taller...more so than can be explained by hairspray alone.

(L-R) Barb, Eraka, me and Nancy at my surprise 40th - Eraka chose a cougar theme.

On 4^th of July, she messaged me to say she and the kids were having a lemonade stand and were going to donate all the profits to  Action for Autism St. Louis– an organization near and dear to our family’s heart as their support has helped us maintain Noah’s academic and social skills through his participation at Camp Happy Day.

Her kids were so enthusiastic and thought of everything...even name tags.  Below are the commercials they created and Eraka posted on her Facebook page to entice customers.

If you are in need of a new 'do.  Visit "Eraka Scissorhands" at Trim - A Hair Salon in Kirkwood, MO.
And, if you'd like to buy a "virtual cup" of lemonade. It will fill up your heart without affecting your waistband one bit.  Click here and type lemonade in the comments section.  

4th of July Fun

Early this morning Steve took Natalie out to the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area on her very first...and quite possibly last, blackberry-picking adventure.  If you've never picked berries, then you can't really appreciate why they cost so much in the grocery store. Basically, if the chiggers and ticks don't get you -- the thorns will!

About five minutes after they arrived, I received a call from Steve saying, "We need bigger buckets!"  This was surprising to me as we have had so little rain.

While on the phone I could hear the pride and joy in his voice as he shared, "Well, she's an interesting picker...she puts one berry in her bucket and then the next three go in her mouth."

I figured they'd be gone for a couple of hours or at least until they had buckets brimming, however, I received another call about 15 minutes later...this time the call came from Natalie herself.

"Maaahmmm, there are forns," she sniffled.

Needless to say, the thorn in her finger cut their berry-picking trip short.  She LOVES venturing into the woods with her Dad -- whether fishing or hunting for mushrooms, but when she hurts, she just wants her Mama.  And, I'm glad.

By 9:30 a.m., the tears and forn in her finger were gone.  Both she and Steve had been de-ticked (we found two crawling on their clothes!) and had showered so as to be ready to attend our community's 4th of July parade in the triple digit heat.  We go every year and the kids always look forward to scurrying around for candy and beads that get tossed out to the crowd.  And, I'd be lying if I said Steve and I didn't spend a lot of time laughing and placing bets on who would be the next unlucky person to step into one of the road apples left behind by the crew from Green Acres Ranch. Good times!

So bright...gotta wear shades

Greater St. Louis Ghostbusters...I had no idea

An awesome rendition of downtown Webster created by Webster Groves Art & Air

The End...or so to speak.