After some deep reflection, I have embraced my side swept bangs and have perhaps even grown to like them. I think the initial problem was they were styled a little too poufy, which made me look like Debbie Gibson in her “Shake Your Love” video.
However, with some strategic product application along with some serious straight ironing, I believe it’s all going to work out. Truth be told, they’ll be perfect in about two weeks barring anymore unfortunate encounters with hairspray and curling irons.
Fortunately we had a completely non-eventful weekend which allowed me plenty of time to study my bangs in the mirror from various angles. It is this kind of commitment to excellence that keeps me on top of my beauty game.
The highlight of the weekend was taking Caroline with Mimi and Bops to the carnival portion of the rodeo. In the past we have always avoided the carnival because I have a fear of the various houses of mirrors and that I might eat my body weight in funnel cakes. But this year, I felt like it was time to expand Caroline’s horizons to include that piece of Americana known as Carny Folk.
On a side note, I offer this public service announcement. The rodeo smells exceptionally foul by the second week.
We started off on the carousel and a ride with little ladybug cars that went around in circles. As Caroline went around and around in that little ladybug, I could practically see the bubble forming over her head saying “THIS IS LAME”. There were no squeals of delight, only her craning her neck to see if there was something better.
As I unloaded her from the bug, she looked up at the HUGE Ferris wheel and said, “I want to ride that”. I explained that it was very big and very high off the ground. She replied, “I KNOW THAT”. I attempted to distract her by pointing out a little rollercoaster that looked like a caterpillar, but what she saw was that huge Viking boat swing thing that swings back and forth to the point of almost going upside down.
“OH I WANT TO RIDE THAT.”
I launched into a lengthy lecture about physics and aerodynamics and gravity that basically consisted of this phrase, “It is going to make your tummy feel very funny”.
“I KNOW THAT.”
So, we got on and she loved every minute of it. She laughed, screamed, and the minute it was over begged to ride it again. But either the funnel cakes or the laws of physics had made my tummy feel funny so we headed over to the HUGE Ferris wheel instead. And when our car stopped at the very top while they loaded and unloaded other cars, I had to beg her to please be still and quit looking around because her mama has turned into a big chicken and I felt like I might pass out.
My child is fearless and I am so proud.
I think the thing that got to me was watching her ride so many of the rides by herself. She’d wait in line, hand them her ticket and hop on. She climbed the enormous stairs up to the Super Slide carrying her little burlap sack and she looked so big. I don’t know when that happened.
For some reason, there in the midst of the turkey legs and the foot long corny dogs, it dawned on me that she is really not a baby anymore. She’s a little girl. A little girl that is growing more independent by the day.
It makes me happy and sad all at the same time, which I guess is part of the laws of physics and aerodynamics of motherhood. It makes my tummy feel a little funny.
And I think each day that I couldn’t love her more, then the next day comes and I do.