flashes of brilliance (or sparkle, as the case may be)

This weekend, The Mama got her hair done. Finally. I’ve been rocking the same look for nearly two years, and the time had come. Now, we’re not talking about a little trim here. No, this was a major change: bangs. And it looks damn good, if I do say so myself.

The Kidling was less than convinced. When she first saw me, she smiled in greeting before her face fell. “I liked you better without those,” she informed me.

“You’ll get used to them,” I replied. The look in her eyes told me that was not likely.

Later, I told The Kidling we looked alike now, since we both had fringe on our foreheads. Clearly I was reaching, but I thought–perhaps–making the fringe seem more familiar might lead to less animosity. Right?

We walked to a mirror and studied our reflections. A moment passed before I noticed, “You can see my gray hairs now!”

“That’s too bad,” The Kidling responded.

“Oh no,” I corrected, “I like them. They’re sparkly!”

The Kidling shook her head, “The older you get, the less you’ll like them.”

How does this chiłd know everything?

 

 

direction

Another gorgeous September Iowa day, another dinner enjoyed out-of-doors. This time, our backyard was the venue and the fare, though tasty, didn’t hold a candle to the one consumed Wednesday.

Now typically Alice shows her appreciation of a beautiful day by mirroring what she has seen The Mama do time and time again. Expected, right? That’s what children do, right? Well, of course, but it is particularly adorable when said child:

1. Speaks in a scratchy contralto;
2. (and a borderline speech impediment);
3. Sighs appropriately; and
4. Is Alice.

In other words, when we step outside on a beautiful day, The Kidling can often be heard saying, “(sigh) What a lovely day!” or “(sigh) It’s so nice to be outside on such a goooorgeous day!” or “Let’s eat outside!” So though she may not be one for sharing, she does do gratitude well. And, you know, everything else.

Just saying.

So where was I? Oh, yes, a beautiful evening in Iowa. The Kidling suggested eating outdoors, and The Parents willingly obliged. Whist eating our dinner, Alice spotted an airplane overhead (as opposed to underfoot? I could probably save my readers a lot of hassle if I didn’t feel the need to state the obvious and use excessive quantities of adjectives, adverbs, and qualifiers). Following the plane and its contrails with her little kidling eyes, Alice observed, “Look! It’s heading for your hair salon!”

Of course it is, dear. That entire airplane full of folks is in dire need of haircuts, pinch braids, and dreadlocks.