Are you a bow head mom?

I wanted a girl when I got pregnant (okay, okay...before I got pregnant...okay, yes, I admit I even borrowed a book all about how to have a girl...and yes, I prayed for a girl...(how shallow is that?) don't act like you didn't have a preference if you have more then one child now!)

I dreamed of dressing her up and pretending to put blush on her cheeks while I painted my face each morning. Oh and painting her nails (although I did paint the boys nails until Nate fussed at me)and buying the shoes (well borrowing...) to match all the outfits. But the hair. Now I just didn't think it would be such a big deal.

Having two boys I got to sit back in judgement of all those girl moms I was around and make fun of their little girl's bow heads. I just didn't get it. All the trouble they went through to fix the one year old's hair and stick that bow on with petroleum jelly then re-fix it and then re-fix it again. And when those moms came to get their pretty little girls from my Sunday School class or preschool class and fussed at me for losing their bows (you know how much that bow cost?) I scoffed! I even had one mom go out on the playground and search for her daughter's bow after church!

Now I got what I wanted. I have a girl and finally after two years I have a girl with hair...and a basket full of bows that have been given to me. What to do?

I tried the smaller ones. The less conspicuous ones. She was cute enough. But when I put a big one in, oh my, the reaction from these Southern women around me, "OH MY GOODNESS. She is just the cutest thing with that bow in her hair!" The bow did it for her.

But if you have read any posts about sister girl you will know that my sweet little angel of a daughter does not like things in her hair (or on her body - diaper included). So, I fruitlessly spend about 5 minutes wetting, brushing and fixing her hair into cute little pony tails with bows, etc. Then we get in the van...and drive all of 10 minutes..and you know what I see in the rear view mirror don't you?

She looks like a crazy child with hair going everywhere and she is CHEWING on the bows and pony tail holders and barrettes or she has thrown them clear across the van so I can't find them!

But you need to know something about me as well. I don't give up. (or rather should I say, I'm going to get what I want!) And so I rush and throw her hair up into a semi-pony tail and stick that bow back in after crawling all over the van to find it or fishing it out of her mouth and then throw her over my hip and run inside to show her off before she can de-bow herself again.

I know! I'm one of those moms now! I made fun of them and now I'm giving material for others to make fun of me but I JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF!!!!

But the big bow or the not big bow...that is my other point.

So, I've not been a real big bow kind of person. I was a ribbon girl mind you in Jr. High and High School (I was a cheerleader - come on - it's part of the job!) I truly think they are obnoxious and I just can't help that I was raised to laugh at big bow girls. Plus they do look a little silly when the bow weighs down the child's head don't they? Come on?

In preschool when I taught Creative Movement we would have these girls come in and they were so worried about their bows on their heads they wouldn't do flips on the floor unless I took their bows and put them in my hair until they were done having fun...then I would give their pretty little hair pieces back to them so they were once again complete for momma to see upon arrival.

I was shopping at a bow vendor at our school's fall festival this past Friday and checking out her huge selection of bows. So many colors and sizes and patterns I felt a little dizzy. But then a true talking Southern Woman came up beside me and said (imagine this in your best drawn out accent) "Ohhhhh...theeeese boooows RRRR just tooooo cuuuute. And theyyyyy RRRRR soooooo cheeeeeap." I asked her if she thought 'this one' was too big? She looked at me and smiled (knowing she was talking to an ignorant bow momma) and replied "Theeeeee biiiiiiigerrrrr the beeeeterrrr giiiirrrrrrl! Youuuu seeeeee thiiiiis smallllll booooow heeeere. (picking up a nice conservative size bow) I uuuuused to puuuut thaaaaat booooow ooooon myyyyyy baaaaaabyyyyyy's heeeeead"." We laughed and I bought two of the big bows feeling proud of myself.

Of course I have spent more time worrying over where that stupid bow is when Elizabeth tears it out of her hair and throws it somewhere b/c I spent all of $3.00 on the dumb thing.

But YALLLLLLL...SHEEEEE LOOOOOKS SOOOOOO CUUUUUTE INNNNN IIIIIIT! =)