The Dora 'Do

Our morning routine around the Bryson household goes something like this: Dad gets up insanely early to go bike riding, Mom grudgingly gets up with enough time to do all she needs to, Garrett gets up too early for his own good, and Paige sleeps until someone wakes her up and then comes out of her room usually wearing a "stink face". Let's just say that in our family of early risers, she is the black sheep. Garrett wakes up at 5:30 ready to play, jump on the bed, and run around. It's too bad Paige is little, because she needs a cup of coffee to get her ready for the day!

After breakfast and wrangling the kiddos into their school clothes, I always leave my least favorite chore for last...combing Paige's hair. I LOVE her long hair, and I so much enjoy braiding it, putting it into ponytails, and occasionally curling it into beautiful, long waves. Her hair is thick but very fine, which translates into just one word: Tangles! Recently I have grown weary of the scene which takes place daily in our bathroom:

Me: How do you want your hair today?

Paige: (excitedly) Ponytails!! Two! With PINK bands!

Me: OK, let's just brush it out first....

Paige: No! NO! NOOOOOOOOO!!! (accompanied by frantic hand motions which usually further tangle her hair)

Me: I'm being gentle. Just be still and it will be easier! -Cue loud and intense crying

Needless to say, I was tired of leaving the house every morning with a little girl who was really angry with me. So, I took the plunge and decided to cut her hair. (Sob!) She was very excited about the whole thing, even after I explained that she wouldn't be able to wear her pink ponytails anymore. (She really loves her pink ponytails, just not the process of making them!) She decided she wanted her hair to look like Dora the Explorer, so we visited the kiddie cut salon and came out looking like this:

It actually looks even cuter than this -this picture was taken after a 5 hour nap! (You read correctly, five whole hours! WOW! -Of course, that was after a night interrupted by her throwing up, so it doesn't really count) Anyway, I love it! I wish I had done it months ago! Yes, I'll miss her sweet ponytails, but it is so much easier, and it looks much more styled this way! We'll see how getting ready tomorrow morning goes. Maybe I'll get her a cup of coffee to help....