too much

wednesday i spent 40 minutes on someone else's hair. & i'm not a stylist or a beautician. *sigh* adeline has too much hair. she was born with this mop of long, long hair. she had her first hair cut at FOUR MONTHS! & we're not talking a trim here...it was a real cut with nearly an inch taken off b/c she kept making a rat's nest every time she slept or laid down. & being 4 months old, she laid down every 3 hours, right? anyway. i think we posted a video of her first hair cut--maybe. i know we made one. 

yes, anyway. amelia also has this crazy amount of hair, although her hair didn't grow as fast during the first 6 months. so basically what we're left with is little girls who have too much hair for their wee size. really, is a 3 1/2 year old supposed to have hair nearly down to her waist?! we often get many ooh's, ahh's, compliments, nice comments, & smiles directed towards their hair. but every once in awhile i get the sympathetic look from another mom, a look that says my kid has a mop of hair too, i feel for you. it's a moment exchanged between two folks who have spent more time on their kid's hair than their own.

somehow adeline has connected with her long hair. i guess when she's always had hair folks ogle over that becomes part of her charm, in a way. ?? i dunno. but she will not let us get her hair cut. when i mention it, be assured, she will cry. not just a whimper of protest but the kind of cry that starts with a loud yelp, then an 5 or 10 or 15 (depending on how tired she is) second intake of breathe followed by a loud howling sob that will continue for 5 or 10 or 15 minutes. she will grab her hair & hold it, protecting it from the mean parents who just said maybe we should get your hair trimmed soon! that's all it takes for the sobbing hair monster child to emerge.

so the other day when i spent10 minutes brushing her hair in the morning (folks, i'm not even counting in the minutes i spend actually putting her hair up or braiding it) i was a bit peeved b/c i don't even get 10 minutes to do my own hair! life is so unfair, right? *smile* so that night i started to brush her hair out before bed (which helps the morning rats nest be a bit less nesty) & it was totally tangled. it appeared something was in it: a mixture of sugary stickiness, glue, sand, & dirt. really, just the combination of things a preschooler comes in contact with. it took me THIRTY MINUTES to brush it out, spraying detangler & water the entire time. she was crying in pain, holding onto her little bear for comfort.

then i said it WE ARE GETTING YOUR HAIR CUT! which of course was followed by the howling cry. unfortuneately, i was brushing her hair so long that i stood there listening to the entire sob story from her & was still standing there brushing the damn tangles out when she collected her wits & stopped crying. then we could talk logically about it. i could also use my manipulative parenting tactics! *wink* you know: that girl in your class has such a cute short hair cut! mommy has short hair! dora has short hair! we won't spend so much time brushing your hair! YOU GET A SUCKER AFTER THE HAIR CUT IS OVER! 

the last line got her. she's in. i have approximately 2 days to complete this task before she bucks. i'm going to make an appointment right after i finish this post.

don't worry all who love adeline's long, luscious hair. it is beautiful, i know. but you are not the one brushing it out for 40 minutes a day. it is just not right for a 3 1/2 year old to have so much hair. i mean, kids her age don't really have the concept of don't get such & such in my hair. she doesn't care if glue or gum or whatever comes in contact & starts to dread her hair within minutes. so, in a few years, when she's old enough to understand basic long hair care, she can have the same long, luscious beautiful hair. until then--it will be shorter. not sure how short. i'm into the really short hair cut, but no bangs. don't worry grandparents, i will take a picture or maybe even save a lock of the hair for you. i do think this means we will have a continuous hair appointment for her instead of twice a year like we do now. so unless i take some hair cutting classes--very much not likely as i am highly dangerous with scissors & hair (or scissors & anything for that matter!)--we will be spending $18 every 6 or 7 weeks. she'll be getting her hair done more often than i am! ugh.

*sigh* it's just too much hair for a little girl. too, too much. & i was just getting the hang of french braids!

now, should we go ahead & cut amelia's hair short as well? i mean, she already has hair past her shoulders...but it has this cute curl to it right now. i think we'll wait on her hair.

did i really just write such a long post about hair?