(Things that Made Me Happy this Week)
I love everything about my daughters’ hair.
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I love the way I didn’t realize they were born bald until I looked back on photographs.
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I love it in braids.
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I love it in curls.
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I love the way I can get an instant hit of baby by sniffing a bottle of Johnson and Johnson’s yellow shampoo.
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I love it in hats.
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I love it in crowns.
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I love the power I yield the moment I pick up the brush. “What’s that? You don’t want to listen? NO DETANGLER FOR YOU.”
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I love it when they “brush” it themselves and it looks like this:
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I love the box filled with colorful clippy goodness.
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And I love, more than anything else, this yellow barrette:
When ONE was little, I followed all the pediatrician-suggested rules, especially in terms of NOT putting anything in her hair. It was boring as sh*t. And ugly, because ONE had a mullet. But when TWO came along I was a different mom. More relaxed. Rebellious, even. The moment she showed the first signs of mullethood, I bought tiny barrettes and put them in her hair. For some reason, the way she looked in them touched my heart. I accidentally left one in her hair at the pediatrician’s office. I was read the riot act. I shrugged it off. I knew my kid. Of course she wouldn’t choke on it, she’d never take it out of her hair. ONE would’ve, sure.
But not my TWO. She never pulled the yellow barrette out of her hair.
Perhaps you’ve seen it before.
Which came from this:
The memory of the yellow barrettes always brings me back to a time in my life when I was supremely happy. My family was complete. I was getting to know my second daughter, and I loved everything about her. My heart was full.
And in the midst of a crazy, hectic week, I found the yellow barrette on my floor.
I have no idea how it got there, or where it was hiding before that. But I picked it up, turned it around in my hand, and smiled.
I’ll never lose it again.
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What makes you
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!!! = Intentional Happiness
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©2010 CEK. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Not fair. Just not fair. I wish our nifty plugin was working so I could post a picture of my boys’ hair. Shaved head, mass of curls, and Donald Trump do. NO braids. NO cute barrettes. NO de-tangler, even. Sigh.
Sarah´s last [type] ..enough
Excellent Post CK. Because of your post today, I will learn to appreciate putting barrettes in my little girl hair. It’s those ordinary moments that make us appreciate.
Rudri Patel´s last [type] ..I Am Staying Here Forever
Lovely! I’ve been AWOL from !!! which has sucked. But I’m going to have a post ready for you tomorrow, promise! And thank you SO MUCH for my stickers, I love them!!!
Hear Mum Roar´s last [type] ..Spending money wisely- buying in bulk
My pleasure! So glad they made it out to you. (!!!)
Thank you for leading me down memory lane to days filled with little Allie girl hair ornaments. It was always the white and red ones that did it for us. She wasn’t a ‘pink’ girl. She loved her bold colors back then and red was her favorite.
Yvonne Moss´s last [type] ..What not to Wear- even if it Matches
OK, that is the sweetest post.
As for you not noticing the baldness til later…I thought Poonch was the most beautiful baby in the world. (She was.) I thought she was perfect. (She was. Is.) I thought there was nothing anyone could find odd…until 3 years later, when I was looking back on her baby photos and noticed that she had old man hair. What?? Did someone mess with my pictures? Bald on top, dark hair on the sides. I never noticed that. But still, I love everything about her old man hair then, and her frizzy don’twannabecombed hair now.
Great post.
Gibby´s last [type] ..A Little Help From Our Friends
YES! ONE also sported the old man horseshoe, which really and truly lent itself to the most outrageous of mullets. I’m still very !!! that she grew out of it. (So hard to imagine why people cultivate those things on purpose.)
My daughter is still fighting me – she will have nothing on her hair. But I will keep trying. I’m a believer in pigtails, barrettes and hair bands – they’re just too cute on little girls.
Your girls do have gorgeous locks. I’m glad they’re so willing to “get their hair done”. Will you ask them to talk to my daughter please?
Justine´s last [type] ..Celebrating 100 with Seven
My husband does my daughter’s hair before school every morning. Thank God is is getting older and actually looks in the mirror when he’s done…and fixes it herself then.
Futureblackmail´s last [type] ..HIGH SCHOOL CONTRACT
Seriously, picturing Hottness with rubber bands in his mouth while brushing her hair is the cutest image ever. (Though I’m sure he pulls it off in the most manliest of ways.) !!!
I only have boys.
But one of them is trying really hard to be inducted into the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists.
The Mother´s last [type] ..The Generation Gap
Having just seen the wonder that is ck’s hair, first-hand, I know where those glorious locks come from. !!!
Seriously, can you come do the Minxes’ hair? Because I got NO hair skillz, girl. Zero. Point. Zero.
I’m so happy you found the barrette!
TheKitchenWitch´s last [type] ..Sexified Zucchini
Thank you, TKW!!!
(We have to find a way to get together, minus the craziness of a conference.)
Thank goodnes I was never told about the “no barrette rule.” I would have been fired long ago. My daughter wore bows and barrettes from the time she was an infant (born with a full head of hair that never went away) well into elementary school and I would never have been able to stop her. Yes. She’s that stubborn and I don’t know where she gets it. Ahhh – and you touched on one of my guilty pleasures. The yellow (and it can only be yellow) Johnson’s Baby Shampoo smell. I keep a bottle under my sink for that very purpose – sniffing. My boys, now, wouldn’t be caught dead using “baby” shampoo. But that smell? Lowers my blood pressure every time!
Jane´s last [type] ..Wrinkled Boobs- Lucky Charms Cakes And Helping You To Spell Flummoxed – Guess I’m Just A Wealth Of Information
Yes, only the Yellow will do. (!!!)
How beautiful. I will never forget when my daughter was little how beautiful her hair was. It started out blonde and wavy. and well, now it is purple- black and wild crazy to go with her tats.
But I will never forget, the “little girl” hair. : )
soccermom´s last [type] ..Wordless DAY- Sportsman and Soccermom Over the years
I always wondered how you came up with your logo. I should have known it was a real-life moment! What beautiful hair on the both of them. Though I have seen it only in photos, I agree with the KitchenWitch…they got their beautiful hair from you. And, they’ll thank you for it one day. Every time somebody tells me I have beautiful hair, I give my mom and her genes the credit!
Thank you, Lillie. I never even thought of them thanking me for their hair one day. When I think of “one day” it always winds up getting stuck in my fears for their teenage years. It’s nice to have a little positivity tucked away instead. (!!!)
I found in my grandmothers things after she passed away, a tiny yellow butterfly barrett. it was mine, I loved it, I was 2 yrs old. I remember it becuase I was able to put it in my hair myself. I lived next door to my grandmother almost my whole life. she raised me. I am her, now. I am sure she felt the same way looking at that little yellow butterfly barrett.
thanks for writing this. I wonder what will make me teary over my little boy.
Babs -thank you so much for sharing this beautiful story. It is so visceral and yet cinematic at the same time. It feels like a small part of an intricate story. If you haven’t already, I hope you write about it someday.
Everytime I come here I smile and I feel love. And I love this post, though I am slightly jealous that I don’t have any female locks to care for in my home. And I refuse to let my husband have my 18mo hair cut, for fear that this is the last baby hair I will ever enjoy. It’s softness, it’s wispyness, it’s scent. So evocative!
Christine LaRocque´s last [type] ..Crossroads
I felt the same way when we cut 6 inches of TWO’s baby hair this summer. I watched it fall. It was so light it kind of drifted into the next room. I’m glad she’s my last baby, but still, sweeping up moments like that make me bittersweet.
I don’t get to use barrettes…boys…but I !!! when I watch Luc run and his hair flaps like a vidal sassoon commercial :) and I !!! everytime someone comments on how LONG Julian’s hair is…did I tell you he’s gonna be Elvis for Halloween!
Ha! I love it. We’ll have to pass on our barrettes to Julian the next time we come home. :)
Two is too adorable in her barrette. I have two girls, but few barrette experiences. Here’s why:
I stopped my car in four lanes of traffic one morning because I was certain The Belle was choking on a barrette. I pulled her out of the car and turned her upside down while every driver behind me waited quietly and no one honked because this is the Deep South and that would be rude. And when The Belle started crying, I put her back in her car seat, where — of course!!! — I immediately spotted the barrette she had pulled from her hair. And ever since, we have become devotees of the obscenely large Southern hairbow. I feel like I am accessorizing a poodle every time I put one on her head, but I’m pretty sure she won’t eat it.
Love what you’re doing with the !!!.
Country-Fried Mama´s last [type] ..Art project for kids- complete with central air conditioning
Reading this made me hold my breath. I would’ve done the same thing, probably including the obscenely large Southern hairbow. That would’ve freaked me out.
(PS: If you ever feel the impulse to do a little !!! let me know and I’ll send you some tags.)
I love the picture!
Jen
Another Strange Incident http://jendryburgh.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/another-strange-incident/
I’m SO jealous of the hair!!! :) Paige, who turned two today, still has no hair…
Your girls are adorable.
(have I mentioned it was good to meet you? So good, if only briefly…)
Corinne´s last [type] ..Enjoying the passage of time
Sweetest. Post. Ever.
Love.
Kimberly´s last [type] ..We Make Our Hearts Big
Love this post, but hate doing my daughter’s big frizzy head of hair. However, I just realized I could put conditioner in it (and actually found conditioner for kids) … life is so much better.
You need a frame for that barrette!
Kelly´s last [type] ..Bella in love Giveaway!
I have always loved that picture, nice to know the story (and the color) behind the barrette. There was a brief stage where Elliot would let me put her hair in pigtails or a ponytail but it didn’t last long. It was freaking adorable though, now I have to settle for Graham’s pigtails (which are equally as cute).
Casey´s last [type] ..Random Thursday Thoughts – The Madness That Is BlogHer
Oh, clippy goodness indeed! My daughter’s been into hats practically since birth, now she’s branched out into tiaras (no comment), and I’m hopeful clips are next. I mean, she test-drives them on her brother, and surely she’ll see how cute he looks?
And yellow is my favorite color. I love that tiny yellow clip and all that it symbolizes for you.
Stacia´s last [type] ..Eat- Blog- Love
I love this post, ck! I so enjoy seeing what my sister does to my nieces’ hair on a daily basis. Those girls have every conceivable barrette, ribbon, bow, and ponytail holder known to man. They rock their pigtail braids, fake french braids or their gorgeous curls like nobody’s business. I, sadly, have three boys. Given my own inability to do anything with my own hair, I think crew cuts rule!
Maria´s last [type] ..!!! Intentional Happiness for the week of August 13- 2010
Is it wrong that I want to ( I haven’t) put a barette into my youngests beautiful blond curly soft hair? Being that he is a boy and all…. :)
!!! I’d probably be tempted to try the same thing.
That was the cutest story!
Keyona´s last [type] ..Because I Saw A Picture of Myself
Love this :-). Have been reminiscing myself on my own blog lately. Summer must do that to us…..
It is so much fun to have little girls. Mine enjoy having their hair done, especially the older one. When she was 6, she donated 10+ inches of hair to Locks of Love. That experience was faintly devastating to me. Now that her hair is finally reaching the middle of her back again, she wants to cut it short. Oh the sorrow I feel at that thought. It’s not even my hair, but I love to see her still looking like a little girl.
Mrs.Mayhem´s last [type] ..A Good Enough Mother and the Mid-Motherhood Crisis
The ONE reason I am jealous I have boys… awe, the beautiful long locks of hair…ponies and barrettes.
Yay for your yellow barrette!!!
Dawn @ What’s Around the Next Bend?´s last [type] ..My sons perspective
That was a really lovely post – touching and a bit tugging-on-the-heartstringy. As the mother of two boys, you might think I’d be sad about not having a particular sweet barrette for long curly hair. But you’d be wrong: Max LOVES to take my hair clips and stick them all over his head. Ummm. We don’t leave the house like this, but I get a private giggle out of it.
And that photo that turned into your icon? Absolutely precious ;)
WarsawMommy´s last [type] ..Brothers
This gave me chills!!!
Such a sweet story, and the picture of the girls in matching outfits, holding hands…oh, my heart. My girls are 14 and 11 now, so “matchy-matchy” has been taboo for a while, but those were such dear moments. (P.S. — I’m a yellow bottle sniffer, too. Perhaps a support group is necessary?)
I love seeing the original photo.
I want a little girl!!!!! I have a boy. A very boys boy. No cute anything.
I can’t believe I haven’t commented on this yet. First, I love the matching outfits. I’m trying not to do this so much. But I love it. Second, I love the braid! I just braided my two-year-old’s hair and it was so long! It curls, so it was surprising to see how long it was. Then I got it cut – for the second time in her two years – because it was starting to look mullet-ish. I didn’t cry this time. Third, I LOVED the back story on the barrette and how you got your logo. So.freaking.awesome. Oh, and I almost forgot – the Johnson’s yellow baby wash. Yep, I could sniff their heads all day long after a bath. And your girls do have beautiful hair.
onthenightyouwereborn´s last [type] ..!!!
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