My One Beauty

Inspired by Sally's experience finding a wig that made her feel like herself and Catie's experiences with the kids at St. Judes, I decided I wanted to cut off my hair and donate it to Locks of Love.  I went to their website and read that donations must be at least 10 inches long and in a ponytail.  I measured my hair and found I barely had 10 inches in a ponytail.  I knew this was something I wanted to do but was nervous about having my hair shorter than it's ever been.  I think it's because at some point in my thirty years of life I got it into my head that my hair was my one beauty.

I have five sisters who are all very pretty.  My dad used to frequently brag that there wasn't "a bowzer in the bunch."  Whenever he did, I always felt people were staring at me thinking, "Except that giant redhead with the huge glasses and bad skin.  Where the heck'd she come from?"  The only thing people ever complimented me on when I was younger was my red hair.  I realized I wasn't going to get anywhere with my looks, so I'd better develop a personality.

When I started acting, every director and costumer I worked with insisted that I never cut my hair.  When I'd tell friends I wanted to cut my hair, they would give me a sing-songy,  "Ooooooohhkayyyyyy"   I even had a hair stylist refuse to cut it short.  What I heard them all saying was "Your hair is your one beauty and if you cut it off then people will see what you really look like and nobody wants that."  I always admired my friends with short hair. 

Well I did it anyway.  I cut my hair and here's what I know now: while my hair is certainly one of my better features, it's not my one beauty.  Short hair is fun and it makes me feel sassy.  It makes me look older, but in a good way.  Jeff will still love me with short hair.  People will still compliment me on my red hair, even if it's short.  It's not me.  It's a part of me.  Without it, I would still be me.

I imagine I must seem like a complete wimp to Sally and Catie.  It is, after all, just hair.  I like that Sally said that losing her hair was a good thing because it meant that she was on the road to healing.  I will also admit that I never noticed what an amazing smile Catie has until she lost her hair.  I wish them both well and hope that they know how beautiful they are to me.

Where's Mitch?

That's the question I answered every ten minutes this past week.  Jeff's cousin Mitch came to St. Louis for a couple of med school interviews and he stayed with us. 

This picture is not posed.  This is exactly how much personal space the kids gave him while he was here.  (He's creating our Monster Mash video in this picture.  Thanks, man!)  It was so fun having him here for Halloween weekend.  Yesterday Chloe was eating lunch and I heard her whisper to her sandwich, "Me and Mitch are best friends forever."

(Photo by Mitch's BFF Chloe)

Trick or Treat

Kids make so many things better. Halloween is definitely one of those things for me.

Anakin Skywalker (The Clone War years)

Our kids have been waiting for this day all year.  Harrison couldn't decide which of the many Star Wars characters he wanted to be.  He finally decided on non-evil Anakin Skywalker. 

That mask kind of freaks me out.  He had a costume parade at his school which was fun.  (That's a lie.  It started a half hour late and his class was the last to come through the gym.  While the other classes would walk through slowly and pause for pictures, his class came running through so fast I was only able to take two blurry pictures.  Stupid costume parade.)

One of the Halloween traditions in the area is that when you go to someone's house trick-or-treating sometimes they'll ask you to tell them a joke.  Here's Harrison's:

H: Knock!  Knock!

P: Who's there?

H: Justin.

P: Justin who?

H: Justin time for candy!

Chloe has worn her fairy costume approximately 4,789,432,637,219 times since I made it.  As her wardrobe supervisor, I find that very satisfying.

Chloe had two trick-or-treating jokes.  Here's the first:

C: Knock!  Knock!

P: Who's there?

C: Boo!

P: Boo who?

C: Don't cry little baby.

This next one she made up herself:

C: Why did the cat cross the road?

P: Why?

C: Because it had to go potty.

Harrison froze at one house and couldn't think of his own joke, so he told Chloe's cat joke.  He got a confused look.  Rough crowd.

Miles is a chest x-ray.  At least, he would have been if someone who happens to be a radiologist had agreed to wear a white coat and take a picture with the little baby. 

This is how much fun Halloween is if you can't eat candy.

Happy Halloween!

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Falling

Things I've fallen for in the past few weeks:

Dates with Harrison: I needed some quality time with Harrison so we went out last Saturday and saw Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs in 3D.  (May I just say that 3D movies are pretty freakin' awesome?)  I told him that when he's 16 he can start dating other girls.  He said, "You mean, until I'm 16 I can only date my mom?"  It sounds weird when you put it that way.

My Delicious Baby: Newborn babies=precious.  Six-Nine month babies=so cute!  Two-Six month babies=Meh.  Miles has passed through the awkward baby phase and is most edible.

Mad Men: Every time I watch this show I think "Hmm.  Nothing is really happening."  (Except Sunday's episode.  Holy cow!)  Then I spend the rest of the week thinking about it.  Curse you, Mad Men!

Tivo: While I'm on the subject of t.v., I'd just like to thank Tivo for allowing me to watch the first five minutes and the last five minutes of the wedding episode of The Office over and over and over again.

Chloe Lovin' Her Halloween Costume: Saturday I made the mistake of telling her she could wear her costume.  I didn't realize it was in the laundry.  Jeff suggested that perhaps she could "wear normal clothes for a change."  She decided to take a stand and remain in her underwear for a couple of hours instead.

Fall in Missouri: It's very similar to Fall in North Carolina so it feels like home.  Not that Utah doesn't have Fall.  (They do have Fall, but they are lacking in biscuits.)  There just aren't as many trees there, so it's not as spectacular.  So, thanks for the Fall, Missouri.  It's super.

Cooking: Between being pregnant, children who prefer all food in nugget form, and a husband who was rarely home for dinner I kind of gave up on cooking last year.  We mostly ate frozen, canned, and boxed food.  (I declare this a trial period for food storage living.)  I joined a cooking club here and my desire to make fresh food as been renewed.  Thanks Cooking Club.  My family thanks you, too.

My Darling Husband:  His abliity to read people clearly is a gift I covet.  I'm not the most rational, productive, attractive, considerate woman in the world, but he sure makes me feel like I am.  Love feelings.