New 'Do

This is a terrible picture, but of the 47 I've taken of myself
since I changed my hair, this is the best one.

I've mentioned before that I dislike change, except when it comes to my hair and the weather. Almost exactly a year ago I cut off nine or so inches of my hair, but since then it's grown quite a few inches and I was itching to do something else drastic.  Since my hair wasn't yet long enough to cut off and donate, I dyed it dark brown.

I don't usually tell anyone in my family that I'm planning to change my hair; instead, I like to catch Tom and the kids off guard and surprise them. I see everyone off in the morning, head to the salon, and then look forward to their reactions when I pick the kids up from school and Tom comes home from work.

Hallie was first. When I walked into her classroom she glanced at my face, smiled, and yelled, "my mommy's here!" But when Hallie's eyes drifted beyond my face...her jaw literally dropped. She stood up slowly and cautiously made her way across the classroom to where I was standing. I knelt down so that we were face-to-face, and she ran her hands through my hair and gently touched my cheeks. Finally she breathed a sigh of relief, her smile returned, and she exclaimed, "it IS my mommy! She just has different hair!"

Will was second. Hallie and I walked to pick him up, and he emerged from the school building, just as he always does, carrying his backpack, lunchbox, jacket, and lots of projects he'd created during the week. He handed them all off to me, gave me a hug, and started telling me about his day. When we were almost home I finally asked him, "Will, do you notice anything different about me?" He stopped, looked me up and down, and said, "no, I don't think so." "Really?" I replied. "Nothing different about my hair?" After another solid look, he guessed, "Well, maybe it's shinier?" Good try, buddy.

Will didn't notice a thing and Hallie thought I was a different person.  Typical male/female reactions, right?