Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Wordless Wednesday


























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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

One Starry Night

I finally uploaded about ten million pictures from last fall through the present. This one in particular caught my eye. We went to the Festival of Lights parade in what is about to be our new town in December. It's small-town America at its best. Little faces line the streets, waiting to see Santa and the dancing glow fairies, sipping hot chocolate, and slurping candy canes with glow sticks around their necks. Parents snuggle with the their babies and worry about the cold while watching the nostalgic display of a sweet and innocent community.




Cousins. Mothers. Sisters. Daughters. 

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Success. Beautiful, Glittery Success.

I never knew that getting a kids' hair cut was so complicated. Honestly, I thought that stopping by a place just for kids on say, a Monday afternoon, would be perfectly doable. You'd think I would have learned my lesson, but I figured that if Monday was an "Industry Day" off for stylists (and toy stores?), that Wednesday morning would be perfect. Silly me. We drove downtown again to this really great looking place. Very modern and hip and kid friendly. The stylist looked like someone you'd find in a high-end salon/spa and it was all very happenin in a toddler dance club kind of way. So wouldn't you know that they didn't have room for walk-ins? Yeah, apparently the kids haircut world is a fierce one and nothing can be taken for granted here.

So again (AGAIN) we called another place. It is a very old place (Justin got his first hair cut there) in a funky part of town. I knew it would be crusty and stale but also knew that this, our second attempt at a haircut for this child, had to happen. Had. To. And guess what? They had an appointment exactly 25 minutes later, which was exactly the amount of time we needed to get there.

My expectations did not disappoint. Crusty. Complete with wood paneling! Ha. It’s probably exactly as Justin left it. And you know what? Amelia loved it!

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And the sweet woman there gave Amelia the complete treatment!

Before. Scraggly Baby.

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She was a little nervous about the whole shampoo thing, but I think she was a little excited too.

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The shampoo smelled like chocolate!

It was really weird to see her looking so grown up in the ‘salon.’

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Until you look at the chair she’s in.

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After the cut, she even got her hair blow-dried and styled. I’ve never seen her hair look so beautiful.

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And then she got a ribbon and some ‘fairy dust’ in her hair too. She even got to pick the color.

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As much as I steer clear of the over-the-top girly stuff, she was tickled with the bow and looked absolutely adorable.

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After!DSCN2833 

They gave us a certificate with the before/after shots, the date, and a locket of her hair. So sweet.

And then off to lunch with Mama to complete the adventure.

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She walked into the restaurant saying, “I am soooo pretty.”

You have no idea, Angel.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The Hair Cut That Wasn’t

It’s time for Amelia to get her first hair cut. Her hair is long and getting stringy and uneven. It needs some shape and style to go with the amazing color and texture she has. Seriously, nothing garners more attention on that child than her hair.

So we planned our day around a trip to a kids’ hair place. Printed a coupon, packed the camera and everything. Considering we’re not feeling great and it was Monday of a busy week, this plan was a big deal. We drove to East Sac to a place I’d found online. True to downtown, we had to drive around the place a couple times, park in a back alley, and walk half a block. All the while, Amelia saying, “Are we there Mama? Is this the Hair Cut Shop?”

 

Get to the place . . . closed. Well shit. Now what? “It’s closed Mama? But my hair is too long and it needs to get cut. I thought we were going to the Hair Cut Shop. Is this the Hair Cut Shop??”

 

I look up the only other kids place I know, which is closer to home but now across town from our current location. Thank heavens for the iPhone, because it turns out that the other place was CLOSED too. Shit shit.

 

Frantic google search of kids hair cuts yielded a positive review of a salon across from the university, a couple miles from where we were. Okay, I thought. A salon might be a little pricey, but at least she’d get a good cut—one worthy of the babychild’s amazing hair.  Back in the car and off to the next destination.

The “salon” I’d found online consisted of one guy, who was shaving a man’s neck when we walked in. I asked if they had anyone who could give her a hair cut. He looked disgusted, pointed at Amelia with his scissors and said, “HER?! You just want her bangs cut? Just straight cut?!” Um, not quite ‘first hair cut’ enough. Nevermind.

 

We walked out defeated and with the constant buzzing of “Am I getting my hair cut today? I need a hair cut? Any other Hair Cut Shops, mama?” We saw one more salon a few doors down, walked to the door. Closed. Seriously.

I finally spotted a learning toy shop that looked cool. Sweet, I thought. No hair cut, but at least something to do after all this driving and anticipation. Guess what? The toy shop was fucking closed too! It was like being in the Twilight Zone in a weird town where Mondays don’t exist.

 

Thank heaven for the tiny cafe we found in the same strip mall. “Wanna treat, Love?” To which, me sweet-spirited kid replied, “Yeaaaahhhhh.”

So there was no hair cut. Her hair is still stringy and long and shapeless. No fabulous “after” pics.

But it wasn’t a total loss. 

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What hair cut?

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*See the subtle shine on her cheeks? That’s dried snot.  Allergies suck. *

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Health Report 2011

Went to the doctor again yesterday. Yes, as in Saturday. It was the fourth time I’ve been to the doctor in the last month, not including prenatal appointments and the third time I was there for my own illness (once was for Amelia). Turns out that I caught a cold in November that turned into a sinus infection that went untreated for too long. Almost three months later, I’ve still got an infection—one that has attacked my throat and lungs too. Got my third round of antibiotics yesterday with the promise of my doctor that I should be 100% by the time they’re gone (two weeks).  He also gave me a breathing test and an inhaler.

Ironically, he asked me how the pregnancy is going other than being sick. My answer? I have no idea! I’ve been ill for so long that it’s all just blended together. I’ve been more miserable than I could really explain and blaming it all on just the . . . misery. I figured that I was just sick of pregnancy, stuffy from the baby and feeling crappy because there’s a whole human inside my uterus.  Truth be told, I left the doctor’s office thrilled at the diagnosis and more thrilled at the prognosis—normal in two weeks. Sick for three months, but not forever. And if that is actually true, it might actually also be TRUE that this could be a fairly reasonable pregnancy so far. If none of this is the baby’s fault, well, I’d be feeling great if I was *just* pregnant. Can you imagine?

I really can’t. Yet.

On another note, Amelia has allergies something terrible. The poor thing isn’t even three years old and already a sufferer of basically non-treatable awfulness. Her little nose is a faucet, eyes red and puffy, and head stoned by Benadryl. It’s a terrible thing, my poor Bug. “Mama, I feel sick.” I called the Advice Nurse today to see if there are any remedies I can carry out at home. I know about the BRAT diet for puking and the steam treatment for colds but nothing for allergies. And guess what the sweet nurse (who I’ve talked to many times since A was born) had in her bag of tricks?

Nothing. Oh except recommending that we go to the doctor in the next few days (AGAIN!).

The ill health continues in our house. And when health and breathing are difficult, you learn that nothing else really matters. Everything else goes on pause, you return to basics, and tend to each other.

And sometimes the basics are the only things worth worrying about.

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Sick Bug’s self portrait.