Hair!

She walked into the classroom with her hair in two braids that had been loosely plaited by her second grader sister. They were really cute but very, very loose. I could tell they were about to fall out at any minute. She fought them all morning trying to keep them "in". My hands that had carried me through mothering two daughters began to itch. My brain was shouting "Go help that child for Heaven's sake." When I couldn't resist any longer, I asked her, "Do you want me to fix your braids?"

"SURE!"

So, I got busy on that little head of hair. I didn't have a comb but I did the best I could to make the center part straight by using the tip of a pen. Instead of regular braids, I threw in a little French! Oh, and a ribbon from my cupboard.

My feelings that came to me really surprised me. I missed my little daughters who used to LET me do their hair. I missed the morning struggles to "look beautiful" each day. I just missed my little time spent as a single mother with two small children.

Melissa. Erika. PLEASE let me do your hair this week when you come over for Sunday Dinner! Please?

Please?

PART TWO! (or, maybe since they are "French Braids" I should say: PART DEUX!)

In the middle of doing Chloe's braids (in my own little world of nostalgia) I noticed other little girls watching me longingly. Uh oh! Had I created a beast? I did some very quick thinking then said:

"Guess what? Do you see what I'm doing? This is going to be one of our new rewards. If I draw your name from the tickets you earn, you can choose to have me do your hair!"

..."ooooooo, ahhhhhh" was the reply.

"I'll even do yours Anthony!" (Budump Bump!)

He didn't really go for that one.

Great idea, right? I'm kind of excited about it. (We'll see how I feel in a couple of weeks! :) )

BUT...

not before I did ONE more:

Which she promptly told me were "too high!" And, "I want them to look like an Irish girl."

WHAT? What does an Irish girl's hair look like?

So I fixed it with a set of regular braids, that she totally loved. "Well, THAT'S more like it!"

(yes, she seriously said that!)

My little Cybil and I are best of friends now. I hear "I love you Mrs. Anderson" every.single.day! And I love and adore her as well. (more about the transformation at a later time...right now I just have to bask in the sweet joy of her transformation)

I LOVE this picture. I told her I wanted to take a picture from the side. So, she only smiled on that side.