One late afternoon, I went to pick up Katie from Prime-time, an after school program sponsored by the YMCA. When I walked into the school cafeteria, I noticed that she had a long ponytail smack-dab in the middle of her forehead. It took me off guard a little...this certainly wasn't a normal hairstyle for her.
Damyankee: Well, that's new...
Katie: uh huh.
Damyankee: ah. looks good.
I have learned, over these years, that you must pick your battles. Hair...is not worth battling over. If she wants to walk around looking like a unicorn...so be it. I figure that either she will start a new fashion trend or kids would call her unicorn-doody-head and she will find a new style.
This is not my first go-round with Katie and her hair. When she was in first grade (her first foray into Mississippi public education) she came home one day and asked if she could wear her hair like some other girls in her class. She said it looked cool!
Damyankee:What kind of style would that be?
Katie:"Well, they have all these braids all over their head, and a big barrette at the end with dingle balls. I want some dingle balls mommy!"
Damyankee:What kind of style would that be?
Katie:"Well, they have all these braids all over their head, and a big barrette at the end with dingle balls. I want some dingle balls mommy!"
Damyankee:I am pretty sure they aren't called dingle balls Kate. Anyway, that's beside the point. I don't think I can braid your hair like that, it's just too fine. It won't hold.
Katie: Sobbing...But I waaaaaaaaaaaant it.
I went on to explain that her hair was different than some of the girls in her class. That her friends hair had more texture (with a short course on what texture meant) and that it was easier to braid hair when it had more texture. Katie seemed pacified and I thought nothing more of it.
....Until .....
I went to pick her up the next day from school. She had *50* little braids sticking up all over her head with multicolored barrettes (some with dingle balls) on the ends. Apparently, one of her little classmates had given her a makeover during recess.
Fortunately, she didn't wear it like that again because she said it HURT to have all those braids put in and she didn't like getting her hair yanked on. She said that her little friend must be a lot tougher than she is to have that done everyday! Indeed.
Three years later...having picked up the Uni-Pony Kid from school, we go home to start working on dinner, doing homework, etc. She stays suspiciously quiet throughout the evening. I knew something wasn't right, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. Hmmm...
I went to pick her up the next day from school. She had *50* little braids sticking up all over her head with multicolored barrettes (some with dingle balls) on the ends. Apparently, one of her little classmates had given her a makeover during recess.
Fortunately, she didn't wear it like that again because she said it HURT to have all those braids put in and she didn't like getting her hair yanked on. She said that her little friend must be a lot tougher than she is to have that done everyday! Indeed.
Three years later...having picked up the Uni-Pony Kid from school, we go home to start working on dinner, doing homework, etc. She stays suspiciously quiet throughout the evening. I knew something wasn't right, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. Hmmm...
Eventually, she gets ready for bed, which includes a shower first. I was at my desk working on something when she comes out of the bathroom wearing a towel on her head. She stares at me for a few minutes...and then just starts to WAIL. Big huge crocodile tears... (what in the world??)
Damyankee: Oh my gosh Katie...what's wrong?
Katie: (sobbing)...I don't want to tell you...you're gonna be maaaaad....
*sigh*...those 4 words have the power to clinch a butt tight enough to flatten a nickel...
*sigh*...those 4 words have the power to clinch a butt tight enough to flatten a nickel...
Damyankee: Well, I promise I won't get mad. I'm sure it isn't as bad as you think. (parenting mistake #5,227 here. Never ever promise you won't get mad. You should say you won't get AS mad...that way you aren't lying.)
She takes the towel off of her head...and my eyes bulged. I would give *anything* for a poker face sometimes.
Damyankee: WHAT DID YOU DO??? (editors note: I feel certain that I didn't say it quite that nicely)
Katie: (still sobbing) It was an acccc..ci...denttttt....
Damyankee: WHAT??? That's no accident!
Apparently, her sister had dared her to cut her hair...with poultry scissors. She started off just cutting a snippet of bangs to her nose. But, she figured that I would notice that right off since we had been painfully growing out her bangs for the last year. So, she just cut them to the scalp....and then went back a little further to make it look "more natural".
Damyankee: Katie...you have school pictures in just a few weeks!!
It's gonna grow mom! You said you wouldn't be mad!
Damyankee: Ok...I am not mad...(gritting my teeth)...I am upset.
They did grow back...not before pictures were taken, but she sported a nice comb-over that year. She then moved on to the flat-top growing through the comb-over until such time that she could plaster it with enough hair spray to get them to lay down flat. It wasn't her best hair year.
I haven't told her all my stories, but I am sure one day she will find out all of the "mistakes" that I made too....and still make.
They did grow back...not before pictures were taken, but she sported a nice comb-over that year. She then moved on to the flat-top growing through the comb-over until such time that she could plaster it with enough hair spray to get them to lay down flat. It wasn't her best hair year.
I haven't told her all my stories, but I am sure one day she will find out all of the "mistakes" that I made too....and still make.
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