On Christmas Eve eve, Kate had a hankering to have her hair cut. I’ve been waiting for this hankering for over a year.
Kate’s long, flowing golden locks are lovely when washed and combed and coiffed. The problem is, she doesn’t like to be coiffed. She tears out the elastics right after school and prefers the bohemian look all day. I call it her homeless look. Is it so wrong for me to want her to look cared for? When her hair is not in braids, in pigtails or something, it unfurls down into her food and the ends get all sticky. (She’s yet to master the art of tucking her hair behind her ears.) And by the end of the day, she looks like an unkempt Barbie doll discovered at the bottom of the toy box: beautiful, but ratty.
So when she said, “Mom, I want to cut my hair.” I perked right up.
“How short?”
“To about here.” She touched her shoulders.
Even though I am not a trained professional, I grabbed my best sewing scissors and told her,
“Let’s do it!”
Fifteen minutes later, she had an adorable, uneven bob. She loved it. She kept spinning around in the mirror, admiring her new “salon hair.” Then she wanted to try out all of her new hairdo possibilities.
“How will pigtails look now? Ponytail? Braids?”
We got out the rubber bands and parted and styled. She glowed the entire time.
The next morning I had to take her to a true professional to even things out. Normally we would do battle over what is considered an appropriate outfit for going out. (She thinks pajama bottoms and summer clothes are fine choices.) But her new hair has her feeling very together. She came out of her room looking like a girl in a fall catalog. Finally, the matching clothes I purchased for her worn together!! It’s been a few days now, and her wardrobe choices are still consistent with her cute new cut.Very with-it. It’s amazing what a new fresh look can do!
As we made the drive to visit Grandma’s house yesterday she asked, “Do you think they’ll recognize me?”
I daresay they will.
Jams and Pickles 