The black hair from my Bellatrix getup is washing out slowly as indicated by a subtle gray stream of water down the drain every time I shower. As many of you know, I quit using shampoo on my hair in 2003 after learning how bad soaps are for curly and severely dry hair. (And to answer your questions: No. I’ve never had oily hair. Not before I quit using shampoo or since.) So, since I do want the color to fade out eventually, I’m using a very mild baby shampoo on my hair periodically. I think using baby shampoo makes my curls more frizzy but I guess that’s a sacrifice I’ll have to make so that the hair dye will eventually prove the “temporary” label on the box justified. However, I am enjoying the dark hair while I have it. I mean, why not?
I’m wearing a dress with leggings in that picture and NikkiZ about died when she found out I was planning on wearing a dress to Thanksgiving dinner. “A DRESS? I didn’t know you had any dresses!” Well, I didn’t. I bought this one to go with the black hair. And I wore it with leggings so I felt less in fear of flashing all of MrZ’s extended family.
Here are some other pictures from the trip. The pictures always sum up the adventures better than my words do, anyway.

Man. These guys are cute.
They were both very tired from traveling and I thought they were almost going to doze off in the front yard while I took this picture.
Because no picture is complete without Wes making a whacked-out face in it.
The sun was forming rainbows through my camera lens the first evening in Slidell. I definitely approve of this effect.
Our Thanksgiving was great. I didn’t take any pictures of the crazy amount of food because I was too busy eating it. I did run Thanksgiving morning, though. On my own. In a strange neighborhood. I was kinda proud of that. Although I’m pretty sure that 30-minute run didn’t counteract the 14 pieces of various pies I ate after dinner. At least I tried. Update from 2021: UGGGGG. There Kim of yesteryear goes again, creating a weird reward system relationship with food.
We made it home without too treacherous of a time in the car and now I’m doing the ritualistic 14 loads of laundry post-travel. Why is it, no matter how short our trip, we always end up with an entire week’s worth of dirty clothes when we get home? Do we pick up castaways while we’re gone? Do our close mutate along the highway? We were gone barely 48 hours yet there are no less than 6 loads of laundry being dealt with today. Obviously my belly wasn’t the only thing expanding under the weight of tryptophan.
It’s funny that you bought that dress specifically to go with your black hair! It would look great with your red hair, too. I do love the black, though – especially since it was for Bellatrix!
Haha who knew that tryptophan had the power to make laundry expand, eh? I knew there had to be SOME explanation!
Also, I <3 the sun flare on the pic of Nikki. It totally suits her dreaminess 🙂
I gotta say, dig the black hair!
I love the dress! I’ve been looking for something similar – where did you get it?
Stopping by for the first time in awhile and wow, how your kids have grown! They’re still gorgeous as are you(even w/o all that blond hair…).
beautiful photos – I love that rainbow flare!
since we are living similar lives, my youngest also has a penquin vest and my oldest got overly excited when I wore a ‘princess’ dress to thanksgiving. I”m so boootiful! but I need princess shoes now.
I tried to do all the laundry before we left and still ended up with a huge amount. After two days. I like your theory!
I’m always astounded at the sheer amount of laundry I do, especially for a family that never seems to have anything to wear. I am the opposite with travel, though….I always seem to leave something behind wherever I go.
Where did you get that dress??? I LOVE IT!!
Wow..your new hair and lightning blue dress looked great ^^ loved Nikki’s rainbow photo ~~ and congrats on being so brave in running in a new neighbourhood =D xx