BABY, I'VE GOT A NEW DO!

SNIP SNIP
Even though I'm not doing a chronological week on my blog, I generally don't put the last things first. Until now. Because this is the biggest news of my week.

My hair, lately, has just been AWFUL. It's gotten too long, so the curls are straggly. Also, everything has been just one big frizz. And don't get me started on the gray. I was starting to look like the witch at the beginning of Into the Woods. I'm pretty sure it didn't help me in my bio pic

Ugh! Is it any wonder I hate having my picture taken?

and video for VIPKid because I just look old and tired. Not fun and enthusiastic, which is what I need to be.

But Uncle Sam came through with a tax return, I consulted with a sister in my Branch who works at a snazzy salon in town, and I made an appointment for Friday morning. Cut...and color. No beating around the bush here...I need help. This is a business expense and a necessity.

Ten o'clock and 2 hours later, I not only looked better, I felt better. She cut it shorter in the back, with the front longer and framing my face. The color is a dark brown with a little red in it. I told her I needed to look not so tired and white. I needed warming up, especially since I have bright lighting when I teach online. She straightened it for me so I could see the color better.

There's that hairband. I swear it's my hair crutch!

It looks good straightened, but in all honesty, I'm too lazy to do it much. Or ever.

My kids, especially Analiese, liked it right away

New cut doesn't mean new personality. Goofs!

. Definitely younger looking. Ken knew he'd have to accept it no matter what, so has been supportive. I know he doesn't like me coloring my hair, but had to admit it made me look livelier.

PH - MY HAIR
I was born a bald baby: no hair. Mom had to glue bows onto my head with Karo syrup - this was before those cute headbands - so people would identify me as a girl. Not that it always worked.

That's me. The bald baby girl.

Mom was not expert in hair fashion. As my hair grew out, it was long and somewhat straight (I had a little wave).

Who's that cutie?

Mom could put it in a pony tail or two and sometimes even put curlers on the ends so they would be curly. But we were not into braiding or other fancy things. I do remember her having an old See's box full of ponytail holders (remember the glass balls?) and plastic barrettes.

As I grew older, it grew longer and - not being much of a groomer - would hang lank and scraggly down my back.

School pics. Gotta love 'em.

It got to be fairly long by the time I was in Jr. High and High School. I just couldn't figure out what to do with it. The story of my life.

But things changed my Senior year. First, there were Senior pictures and those were nicer than your generic school pics; we had to go to a special photography studio. Second, things were changing in my life (senior year, no scoliosis brace, upcoming college) and I wanted to change, too. So I got a haircut.

Not just any haircut. I got a perm! Now I know what you're thinking: would you give Tigger a pogo stick? But that was the rage in the 80's: layers, wings (think Farah Fawcette) and perms. I went to school looking, well, like a poodle. It was big, puffy and curly. Crazy, over the top.

Sorry it's blurry. But it was all the rage!

Come college time, I just bobbed it. I'd gone to a cosmetology school and they'd recommended a bob at chin-level for my facial shape, so I did it. And kept doing it. It was easy and maintained fairly well. A round brush and a hair dryer or a curling iron pretty much did the trick. This lasted me through college, my mission, and the first couple of years of my marriage.

Our engagement photo. Isn't he handsome?

But something happened after I had a baby or two. My hair CHANGED. I'd always had a little wave in it, courtesy of my father (you'd never know, he buzzes his head). However, baby hormones gripped me in unexpected ways. My hair began to curl. No sweet waves, but tight, often frizzy, all over curls. Holy moley!

Rings of curls at Analiese's 4th birthday!

It's been such a struggle, trying to figure out what to do with it. I won't spend a lot of time on it (remember the non-groomer) because I figure I have other things that I should or rather be doing. Most days its wash-and-wear. Fluff it up with my fingers and go and hope for the best. I use a lot of headbands, mainly to tame the mane and keep it out of my face.

GRANDMOTHER PRACTICE
For three days this week, I was able to babysit a 2-month-old baby girl in the afternoon.

She's a foster baby to a couple in our Branch and will be going to a special DHS daycare after she has her 8-week shots. But in the meantime, the Mom's job has her going to the schools and being with the kids in the afternoons for programs: no place for a baby. That's where I came in.

Oh, she's a tiny thing! A pretty one, too, with big dark eyes and lots of dark hair. She's got her own funny quirks and issues. One, she sucks wrong; she gulps in too much air while eating. This makes for lots of burps and gas and she gets very squirmy and uncomfortable. We had to hold her facing away from us so our hands could press up against her little tummy to try and work out the bubbles.

Cute baby, frizzled gray old lady in the back.

I did a bunch of tummy massaging and leg bending to try and help. Often, she wouldn't sleep lying down because of it and I ended up hold her - away from me - on my knee with her folded over my arm sleeping.

Another funny thing is she does not like any pee in her diaper. I mean like two drops. She pees a teeny bit and immediately wants you to change her. She goes through a lot of diapers! I examined her skin; she doesn't have a rash or any irritation. I guess she doesn't like the feeling. But she does love being changed! She coos and grins and kicks when you have her lying down. So cute and funny!

Poor thing had a cold on top of all this. I could feel the rumbling in her chest when I held her. I suggested a vaporizer to Foster Mom and talking to the doctor when they went on Friday. It made feeding and sleeping all the more difficult.

Ken actually held her a few times for me the first day, because sometimes a girl's gotta go. Analiese did the other two days when needed.

We kind of switched off between baby holding and dinner making. But Thursday, Analiese had dinner making on her own, because the baby had fallen asleep lying face-down on my lap (belly against my leg so I could jiggle it). She stayed that way for nearly two hours, sound asleep. With all her problems lately, I didn't want to put her down: she needed to nap. But, oh, did my tush and legs get stiff. Foster Mom came a little late and I was dying to move!

I also baby-sat a 5 yo-boy on Saturday while his dad went to a Stake Priesthood meeting with my husband and another brother. Not as adorable as the baby...that can't be helped. But I took him to Braum's (his choice) for a cheeseburger after we dropped Analiese off at work and we went home to (try to) put his toy from the lunch together. I also brought out a cookie sheet and some magnetic animals I use for my VIPKid lessons and let him play with them. He learned how magnets work: not on wood or furniture, but on metal like the cookie sheet or the front door! You always get an education at my house! LOL!

The kids think it's funny to tell me that they will have their kids one day call me Meemaw. I think this is HORRIBLE. I decided with the baby this week: I shall be Grammy. Like the award. Granny's too harsh, Grammy sounds lovable and fun. I also threatened my children: If they train their kids to say the other, I will gift their children roadkill. When they call me Grammy, it will be cookies and games and books and all sorts of fun. We'll see who gets called what, then!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR
It's the year of the pig. Trust me, I know. It's all over VIPKid. But it means that bookings are at their lowest. So I haven't taught any this week. I have taken workshops: two from my two favorite workshop teachers. One is a gal from Georgia who has the greatest facial expressions and she just cracks me up. Believe it or not, she made a discussion on grammar sound interesting! I wish she'd been my grammar professor in college!

The second was at 9:30 p.m. Friday with another favorite, an American living in Thailand (hence, the time). He was doing a special workshop - for Chinese NY only - on using Improvisational techniques (think "Who's Line is it Anyway?") in the class. It focused a lot on listening, using sounds and gestures to help make word associations (and fun!), and learning to be flexible because you cannot plan 100% for what is going to happen! We played some really fun games. He's been a TV personality as well as teaching in Thailand and knows acting. Funny thing was, he could tell I knew a thing or two as well. He had 75 people in the workshop and picked me out of the group. He wanted to know how much improv I used in my classes. I said this was just the way I was: a ham. Still, it was a little flattering. I sure enjoyed the workshop, though, and came away with some games and tricks for not just VIPKid, but even Seminary and home!