Our Cannon Beach Trip

Our trip to Cannon Beach was really fun. And the weather? Way better than we expected! It was sunny and warm much of the time.

The Sandcastle Contest was fun to watch. They started around 8am and the judges started judging around mid-afternoon. The skill-level ran the gamut; from super complicated, to just a some kids doing a simplistic giant turtle. Here are some photos:











We ate at our favorite brekkie place, Pig n Pancake. THE best pancakes I have ever had, love them. We ate at a couple of places where Gabe did well and didn't start getting antsy until the end of the meals.

We didn't do much playing on the beach. While the weather was nice, once you actually get on the beach near the water, it gets rather cold and very breezy. We didn't want sand flying into Gabe's eyes, so we just walked around on the beach. Gabe also sat in a toddler swing for the first time. He really enjoyed that. To the point where when it was time to go, he did not like that one bit! Here are some photos:













The drive there and back was lovely. Gabe slept during both drives, and it helped that the distance was only an hour and 20 minutes.

Here is a pic of Haystack Rock:



My allergies have been acting up BIG time since I got back from Cannon. I thought I was coming down with something, but it seems to be that my sinuses are being irritated by something. Uhg. I hope that I feel better soon.

Cannon Beach, Straws and Hair Obsessions

We are preparing to go to Cannon Beach, Or this weekend. The last time we went there was last year, in April, several weeks before Gabe was born. We called it our "babymoon". CB is only an hour and a half from where we live, so it will be a shorter drive than when we went to Yachats.

Primarily, we are going to the beach to observe the annual Sandcastle Contest that is held there every June. Should be fun. Not sure how the weather is going to be. I checked and it's supposed to be in the high 60s. Hope there is no rain! We'll take lots of pics and post them here.


Also, I taught Gabriel how to drink from a straw. When we first got this sippy cup several weeks ago, he didn't seem to know what to do with it! But yesterday, I offered it to him again with some juice/water mix and he just did it. So I guess I didn't really teach him, per se, I guess it was good timing!


For the last several weeks, I have been totally obsessed with my hair. I do my hair myself and I'm down to 2 hours in twisting time, and about an hour to dry the roots under a capped dryer, then the rest of the day for the actual locks to dry. That's the best I can hope for, but I'm getting tired of it. Not only am I getting tired of doing my dreadlocks, I am tired of having them on my head.

Back when I started locking in 2004, I was tired of combing my hair so I figured I'll just stop, hehe. That's essentially what locking is, not combing your hair anytime in the near future. However, now I am at the point where I miss combing my hair. And I miss the ease of a short style.

So I have made the decision to say good-bye to my locks. The next time I wash my hair, I am going to cut the locked parts off and start fresh. I've asked my mother to do the deed for me when she and William come for a visit in early August. I don't think she likes the idea of me cutting them, but she is willing to cut them.

But before the big cut, I needed to refresh myself on how to care for my hair without dreadlocks. I haven't had my hair straightened since 1999. Before locking, the only time I did my own hair was a brief time in 2002; before and after that, I went to salons that specialized in natural hair care.

But as I researched, I realized that I, and possibly my hair stylists, weren't really taking care of my hair very well. My hair is thick, course and gets tangled easily; I think I have a mostly 4A hair type with like one patch of 3C in the back of my head. When I did my own hair, I washed it and sprayed it liberally with detangler, while combing it out, and then two-strand twisted it. I see now that the detangler was way to wimpy because it hurt to comb.

My stylists did one better; my hair got washed, but she twisted my hair with a gel that was mostly coconut oil, which gave it some much needed moisture. That was the only time my hair got any moisture (besides the water from the wash) and it probably was not enough for my hair. It still hurt to comb.

What was missing from my routines was a really, really, really good moisturizing session.

Basically, figuring out the right amount of moisture is the difference between hair like mine feeling soft, having sheen and easy combing or it feeling like a Brilo pad and crying while combing. I know now that if my hair feels even remotely like a Brilo pad, I am doing something wrong. Very wrong.

So here is what I think I need to do every 7-10 days:

1. Wash my hair once with a sulfate-free shampoo
2. Do a second wash with a light conditioner (co-washing)
3. Do a Deep condition
4. Use a thick, residue-free leave-in condition to comb and detangle my hair.
5. Let it air dry
6. Protein conditioner every few months
7. Daily moisturizer (jojoba or coconut oil mixed with water maybe?)

Ha! We'll see how it goes. I'll post my first dreadlock-free pic when the time comes!

Brewster Baby Salon

We tried some new hair products on Gabriel. The brand is called It's a Curl for babies. We got Peek-A-Boo Tearless Shampoo, Patty Cake Conditioner, and Ring Around the Curlies Leave In Cre'me.

Gabe's hair has changed a lot since he was born. He had really straight hair, then it slowly started kinking up, then went through that phase where some of it falls out, then grows back in. Then it became really obvious that he needed a major conditioning ritual after getting it washed and on a daily basis. Sometimes his hair looks dry. And after shampooing, it looks great, but by the next day, dry again. I had to remind myself that curly hair needs moisture, period. And the curlier it is, the more moisture it needs.

Like for instance my own hair; I have dreadlocks now, I obviously do not comb my hair, so I don't have to be as militant with the moisture. But once I cut them (and I think I will by the end of the year), I need to have a totally different hair care system in place that includes LOTS of conditioner. I found this great website called biracialhair.org and its run by a woman who is biracial that had to battle her hair for years until she learned how to properly care for curly hair. The result is that she has long, healthy hair now. Proper care means not treating your curly hair like it's straight hair; one mistake black folks make is combing their hair when it's dry (in it's unprocessed state). BIG mistake. This harms your hair and makes you feel like it's too hard to manage. Your hair needs to be wet and lathered with conditioner while combing and it will be much, much easier to comb, and getting that much needed moisture.

So here are a few pics after Gabriel's salon appointment, ha ha.

Loving Day

Check out my new post on Loving Day here. Thanks!

Singing Happy Birthday: Video

Happy Birthday Gabriel!

Today Gabriel is one year old. I can't believe how fast it all has gone. This time last year, I was going to hospital wondering if I were actually in labor, and indeed I was! He was born at 2pm. It's been a awesome year, and we're looking forward to the coming year. Right now, Gabe is walking around his Play center while holding on to it. I imagine he'll be walking within several weeks.

We had a small birthday party for him on Sunday. Here are some photos. Enjoy!


Gabe with Dad.



Blowing out the candles.



Close-up of Gabe's cake, from the Bakery Bar.



The goodies and decor.



Approaching the cake cautiously...



Not liking it too much!


Playing with some new toys.

Interview with Heidi Durrow

I just completed posting an interview I did with writer Heidi Durrow. She is a biracial writer who lives in L.A., but is from Portland. Click here. Thanks!!!