Hair-brained Endeavors

I've had a few hair mishaps in my life. 

First, there was the cream cheese brownie incident. 

As a young teenager I volunteered to make brownies for a church potluck.  I started whipping the cream cheese, egg, and sugar with a hand held mixer.  Suddenly, my long hair got tangled in the beaters!  The mixer came all the way to my scalp before I was able to turn it off!

 I didn't have more cream cheese and I just couldn't let those brownies go to waste.  After untangling myself, I picked out every last hair and cooked them up.  I recall getting several comments about my tasty brownies.  Looking back, my judgment may have been a bit lacking.

Then, there was that really windy day in the early 90s.  I hopped into the front seat of my parent's Honda Accord.   As I shut the door, a nice tuft of my wind-blown hair got caught!  The automatic seat belt whipped around so quickly I didn't have time to think.  My sorry uprooted hair was left dangling.  I haven't seen many of those automatic seat belts lately. 

Yesterday marked yet another incident.  I had a ball to attend.  The prince would be choosing his princess and I wanted to look extra fancy.  My 5-year-old stylist went to work.  I knew of her talent so I wasn't paying much attention. 

It was a beautiful creation...until I tried to get it out!  My daughter had put about 8 small hair elastics in my hair.  Five of them were irreversibly stuck!  I asked Evie to help save my head. 

She was successful and showed me her results with a giggle--one elastic, with a good sized tuft of hair!   The giggler was promptly fired.

After much of my own pulling and yanking I am now a little lighter, but thankfully, elastic free.

Grumpy Grateful Mom Goal of the Week: I will schedule some hair safety training for my giggler before the next princess ball. 

Dance Competition Hair Debacle

Some moms are cut out for the big leagues.  I am not.

I took my daughter (now 7) out of gymnastics and put her in dance this year.  It seemed like a great choice.  The studio was in my neighborhood and the price was not too pricey.

She had her first of two yearly competitions this weekend.  Much to my detail incompetent dismay, the directions for hair styling were quite specific, but, apparently, not specific enough.  Here is a small portion:

Please put bangs in a front small poof, with crossed bobby pins to secure it.  My daughter does not have bangs, so I just thought I would put all her hair back in the required pony tail and skip the poof. We attempted the poofless style at dress rehearsal.  I was then sent a charming email informing me, "it is not a matter of short or long bangs, all girls need to have 100% matching hairstyles." Whoops.

My daughter's hair (post-poof)

Then, the directions precisely stated, rhinestone ponytail holder is required to be worn over hair elastic, at all performances.  How was I to know I needed to pre-order the ponytail holder.  I just assumed it came with the costume.

When my daughter mentioned that everyone got a holder, except her, I inquired about it.  I was then told I should have noticed the rhinestone holder in the order form they sent home (that I threw away) and now needed to look for one myself.  It's possible I was just a bit unhelpfully snappy back.

After calling and searching online for close to an hour, I finally found an exact match.  The price was $16 for 1 holder, but only $4, per holder, if I bought 12.  That's right.  I   I bought 12.  Guess what all of my daughter's friends will be getting for their birthdays?  A cheap purse with a lovely rhinestone ponytail holder.

Finally, as if to foil me again, an additional detail was added.  My daughter brought home a sparkly hair flower the week before the competition.  We were also given a checkoff list, specifically reminding us to remember all hair accessories.  I was focused.  I had the hairspray, gel, bobby pins, elastics, and I brought 3 rhinestone ponytail holders, just in case.  But, sadly, when it was time to preform, the flower was still at my house. I will not go into the aftermath of this mistake, as it would be too traumatic to recount.

Maybe I should put my daughter in something that is easier for me, knitting perhaps.

Grumpy Mom Goal of the Day:  I will try to have a better attitude about the details of dance.

Three Simple Joys of My Life

#1 Does anyone else know what I'm talking about?  I'm sitting in my living room right now--my six year old daughter is fixing my hair.  OK, she is not the most gentle and my hair looks like a bird's nest when she is done, but I love it!  I love anyone above two fixing my hair for that matter.  I wonder if all of those celebrities get tired of someone fixing their hair EVERYDAY!  I can only dream of how marvelous that would be.  For now, I will just enjoy the time with my six year old.

#2 This one might seem a little weird, but I am absolutely fascinated to watch people wrap presents. I could watch for hours--really.  Let me first say,  I don't like to wrap presents myself, and when I do, it is usually a rushed and sloppy job.   So, let me clarify, I don't like to watch people wrap presents like I wrap presents, I like watching those really meticulous people who fold every crease just perfect and use just the right amount of tape.  Amazing!  Is that learned or does it come naturally?  Oh, the mysteries!


#3 Now here's something any mom could appreciate.  I love early morning alone time in my bedroom.  I can't say this happens regularly, but I have a really wonderful husband that made this magic time happen just this morning.  He watches all the kids (who wake up at the crack of dawn!)  and I lay in my bed, sometimes sleeping, or meditating or praying, just having some minutes of complete peace, comfort, and contemplation.  Ahhhh...

Grateful Mom Goal of the Day: Take a few minutes for meditation.

As for me: Reward my husband with a shoulder massage.