Penny's daily shots

If you ever visit during our morning routine, you'll experience screams, shrieks and possibly tears. Every morning it sounds like Penelope is at the doctor's office. And for what reason? Because Chris and I are trying to put her hair up in a ponytail. She hates it. I barely even comb any more. I try to be really gentle, but it is hard when she throws herself all over the place. It is true teamwork. She sits on my lap while Chris sings songs, reads books, and pretty much just tries to hold her still, while I rush to get as much hair as I can and twist the elastic band around it.

Here's a picture of how long her hair is now. Sort of has a mullet when it is wet.

This is how she looks after a bath. Already falling into her eyes Then this is what it looks like the next morning.

Sure, I could just let her go through the day like a shaggy dog, but she often has a runny nose, which means her hair gets stuck on her boogers at the bottom of her nose. So every time I ask her to wipe her nose, I first have to unstick a curtain of hair and deal with booger tangles. Please tell me I'm not the only mom that experiences this...

So her day to day style is this samari-like ponytail.

Up until a few weeks ago, if she felt her hair in a ponytail she reached up and pulled the elastic band out. Since this hairstyle really doesn't move she doesn't notice it so it stays in place. Forget barrettes too. She pulls those right out also.

I was never one of those girls who spent hours doing my barbie's hair, unless dyeing it with Kool-Aid counts. I hated sleepovers where the main activity was learning to french braid. Never had the patience. Now every morning as I try to do a ponytail on a screaming baby it really makes me wish I had paid attention all those years ago. Last weekend when we were at the Children's Museum I saw these two toddlers with zig zag parts and beautiful perfect pigtails. My jaw dropped. This is what Penelope looked like:

She could win "crazy hair day" every day!

Here's sort of the ironic thing. Growing up I hated looking at my little kid pics because I had the worst hair cut and my sister had these beautiful long red curls. My mom always said "You hated having your hair combed and would scream at every tangle so it was a practical haircut. Plus, you looked cute"

Penelope--You are warned. Look at the pictures of your mommy and rethink that morning tantrum.

I have to say I do see some logic in this bowl haircut. No hair to get caught in boogers, and I still had crazy bed head on Easter morning, but it looked cute rather than "Child raised by wolves" look. I have a feeling Penny will hate looking at all these pictures of her with crazy ponytails sticking out of her head so I'm not sure there really is a good solution. I'm going to wait it out and hope that soon she will like having her hair brushed. I guess we could get it cut, but it is a heck of a haircut to grow out when she decides she wants long hair and no bangs...I've got the pictures to prove it.