Just What You Needed for Your Wednesday, an Entire Post on Hair.

As most of you might be aware, I am really only capable of 2 hairstyles: down and straight, or down and not straight.  I am not stylistically skilled enough to master more than that.  And obviously I am using 'master' loosely.  This applies to Ann as well.  She has 'out of her eyes' and 'out of her food' as her two styles (she is like a basset hound.  Their ears are always getting in their food and it gets quite sticky and smelly).  I am in need of a third style as the heat and her sweaty little head have been creating this post-nap look lately:

Which leaves it as a rat's nest.  Made of straw.  And full of rat droppings.  So I went back to practicing my french braiding.  A regular braid won't work because she has so many face framing layers.  She's very stylish that way.  Sometimes people compliment her cut and ask if I did it.  It just randomly grew that way but sometimes I say yes anyways.  Her (alliteration alert!) Farrah Fawcett feathers fall out in a regular braid, but french braids require a finger dexterity I don't possess.  A teacher friend (see insert: while I don't have any good photos, I do have a strange text/photo messaging exchange) recently put on a french braid clinic for me. 

We were at a science department meeting off campus.  She wanted us to bring her back Dairy Queen.

We were ignoring her.

I was very busy.

She bought her own.  And as a disclaimer, even though it looks like we aren't working very hard during school hours, we do deserve all of your tax money that we are asking for in our union negotiations.  Try not to dwell on the fact that sports was playing in the background of my meeting either.

Though she looks demanding and Dairy Queen focused, she's actually quite good at hair.  We had a model and I even made that model jerk randomly to simulate toddler squirming (disclaimer 2: this hair clinic was on our lunch hour, and not your tax dollars at work).  Unfortunately I still couldn't replicate the look. 

I recently discovered that it helps if hair is dirty, and it has rocked my world.  This was one of my first attempts back in July.  It was pre-dirty-hair game-changer and so it took me half an hour to do the one side:

Nailed it!

So I ran out of steam for the other:

FAIL.

She looked strange but I had put in so much effort I refused to take it out.  Maybe this is why we weren't a hit at kindergym?  Poor girl, will this be typical of her whole life?  Will she be the kid with one arm missing off a cable-knit sweater?  Probably.  Perhaps one day she'll only get highlights on half her head.  Anyways, since I now have to braid it before bed and nap, I am getting much better, and I can add some flair to it:

In case you can't see it, I added an extra elastic and made it half ponytail.  I'm very talented.

 In fact, yesterday afternoon I was rushing and her braid started on the left side and snaked across her head to the right.  I can imagine this is actually a very trendy and sought-after style, so I am clearly getting better than I thought.

This project has come at a good time.  As I hurl myself into fall productivity, my plan is to master more aspects of homemakery (homemaking?).  This means perfecting new meals, de-cluttering my home into an efficient and organised space, and incorporating exciting toddler activities into our day.    It means a company-ready home MID-WEEK.  Family updates to our nearest and dearest in the mail.   With photos!  Seasonal decorating, perhaps!  Ooh- seasonal cookies!    I get excited about the possibilities.
 
I try to keep it in perspective though.  Remember that this was my plan for the past summer as well, so I've got to keep my (and Adrian's) expectations realistic.

And besides, the fall tv season starts soon.  That's always fun too.