formerly Diane's Addled Ramblings... the ramblings are still addled, just like before, and the URL is still the same...
it's just the title at the top of the page that's new

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Sugar and Spice...

I'm not a girly-girl. I never have been. I did play with dolls when I was little but I never did the whole ruffles and lace thing. I've never understood how some women can take 4 hours to get ready to go out, or those who can't even go to the grocery store without make-up. Pffftttt. I can get ready in 30 minutes, from shower to door... of course, it probably shows. I mean, I do wear make-up... but it's only in an effort to cover the flaws. And I don't mind getting dressed up every now and then... especially if there's a nice restaurant involved. And I do occasionally wear heels... but if I'm being really honest, that only came about when they started making jeans so damned long (I don't hem).

Anyway, as I say, I'm not a girly-girl.

I didn't expect to have a girly-girl either. When Ryan was a baby, I did dress her in pink... but mostly because she looked like a boy and her name is, well, Ryan. But those cutesy ruffly socks that most little girls can carry off? Nope. She looked retarded in them. I loved her in dresses, but never the fancy, flouncy ones. She never, ever played with dolls, preferring her stuffed animals, and given the choice between a tea party and climbing trees, the trees always won (still do, in fact).

But she's 10 now... in middle school. She's noticing boys (remember Kevin?). She's beginning to care what she looks like. Great. Today is picture day at school. And it seems the 'look' is incredibly important this year. The other day she told me she'd been 'browsing' on the online site for one of the department stores here and she found a to-die-for cute top in hot pink and just the right shade of brown (more mahogany than cherry, you know) to go with her gauchos and could we go get it and she'd even use her birthday money... breathe.

Lovely.

So we got it (with her money, as it cost more than most of my clothes and that just wasn't happening). And then? Last night she asked me if I'd curl her hair this morning.

Me.

Curl her hair.

Me... the very non-girly-girl who doesn't do curls. I do ponytails. And braids. And I can get tangles out like nobody's business. But curls? Crap.

But I tried. She's like me, though, and has more hair than any human has a right to and it's long and there's a lot of it and it's long. And there's a lot of it.

But I tried.

You know what she said when I was finished?

"It's OK, Mama. You're really good at lots of other stuff."

Sigh.

But my girly-girl sees my shortcomings and she loves me anyway. How lucky am I?

19 comments:

tryn2bgreen said...

You are very, very lucky!!! What a moment!!! ;-)

No girly-girl here. I remember trying for the life of me on a special night to try to take a little longer to get ready! For me this meant putting my mascara on extra, extra slow (I have NO IDEA what it is ladies actually do to take so long!)

Heather said...

Haha.. I've never been good at working a curling iron either!! God save me if I ever have a girly-girl.

Glad she sees past your "faults" though and loves you anyway!! I'm sure her picture will turn out adorable. :)

hooray said...

AWWWW! I love this story. And I can get ready from bed to car in 15 minutes flat. I put my make up on in the car and often drive with wet hair! Or I shower at night and blow it dry and then I push snooze for 15 hours before I can actually MAKE myself get up!

You're an awesome MOM!

At Target, they have those velcro type rollers with the metal inside. If you dry her hair and then put those in when her hair is still warm and spray each roller (after the hair is wrapped around it), then blow dry the rollers for a few minutes. Then let it cool. Then after about 10 minutes take them out, she'll be good to go! And she's got some natural wave, right? So, that should work! Just a thought!

Love ya!

me said...

Im a guy...i have you ALL beat........3 seconds from bed to car...and im good.....hehehee

Leilani Schuck Weatherington said...

I love this post. LOL big time. Definitely no girly-girl here. When I was pregnant I worried I would have a girl because I would not be a good role model. Lucky for my kid that it was a "he".

Rosaria Williams said...

This is precious: your self understanding, your daughter's forming self-image, her understanding of how we all have tangles and curls. Precious!

blognut said...

I'd say your very lucky indeed, my friend.

And I'm not sure I approve of this boy she's trying to impress.

Or that one.

Or that other one.

Has she already forgotten her engagement?

blognut said...

Oh, by the way? I do know the difference between 'your' and 'you're'. I also know when to use each one. I don't know what the hell just happened there, okay?

I hate looking like a moron.

Can we just forget about it?

Please?

I asked nicely.

Geez!

Michelle said...

Oh wow. That kid is priceless. And so are you :)

Sometimes Sophia said...

I could be your clone in lack of girliness. The only makeup I wear is lipstick!! But it's really neat that you and Ryan can share some girly moments. Precious they are. And maybe you should be boning up on how to French braid and other up-dos. Princess Leia had a good thing going. Best of luck.

~j said...

that's awesome...."...good at lots of other stuff"....love the offspring!

Amy McMean said...

LOL. ahh Ryan cracks me up. At least she had soemthing positive to say about you in the end.

Chris said...

My daughter just started high school, so believe me when I tell you . . . the fun is just beginning.

Jenera said...

You two are so funny. At least she didn't throw a teeny bopper meltdown over it.

I have had to help a few girls of some cousins get ready and I'm not cut out for it. It's not in me to be girly either.

Live More Now said...

Ahhh. Sweet.

But don't worry, it's just a phase. The part where she recognizes she's a girl, and the difference between boys and girls.

And then she'll get over it.

But I love that you tried to curl her hair. I bet she did, too.

Zuzana said...

Ah, I loved this post.;) How lucky you both are to have LOTS of hair.;)) My dream!
I am girly-girl Diane, so when Ryan gets girly-girls ideas, give her my email.;))
xoxo

Sherri Murphy said...

You've raised a great girl there. Even if she won't have the best hairdo in her pics- she'll know she has the best non-girly girl Momma who gave it all she had!

Kati said...

Anna is now washing her face at night for like 10 min. Where does that come from? I use a bar of ivory while in the shower - assuming I actually showered and didn't count my swim as a bath!!

SSP said...

i'm with you - bed to shower to car in under 30 minutes.....get Ryan some of those soft curlers - wrap damp hair loosely the night before, they stick with velcro and are totally easy to sleep in...wake up, rip em out and you got instant shirley temple AND no curling iron burns on your neck (or MY neck as the case may be)