Hair drama.

I'm not one of those organized bloggers who will conveniently link you to the previous entries relating to the current one - but if I were, you would find at least two in the last three years relating the tale of the lack of tail (pony, that is) in Addie's hair. Little girls having trouble growing their hair out is not something new or entirely isolated to our little family - this I know. Lots of little girls love their cute, little bobs and detest the time and effort it takes to keep long manes under control. Not *my* little girl, however. She dreams of having long, flowing locks of yellow (aka blond) hair to toss out the window to prince charming and to tumble romantically down her back.

So, what's the problem, right?

Genetics, for one. She was born to a mother who was follicularly challenged as an infant. She also has several cousins on her father's side (so I have been told) who had a hard time filling in those bald spots as children. In my (and my nieces') defense - things got better with age.

Summer 2006. Sullivan was born this summer and during my fabulous frumpy postpartum lay-in, the kids enjoyed day after day of swimming in Grandma's perfectly chlorinated pool. Its basically all we did for a solid two months. Addie's hair periodically had a little green tinge to it, but overall I thought we came through the other end of swim season relatively unscathed. We returned back to Mexico. I pulled her 'almost through the wispy stage of babyhood' hair into a pathetic excuse for a ponytail one day for preschool. Later that afternoon, I found the entire ponytail (detached from head) lying on the sofa cushion. She didn't cut her hair (this time). The thing seriously broke off. Chin-length bob #1 - with the fun addition of a few areas of inch-long fringe at the crown of her head. Whatchagonnado?

Fast forward through 2 years of really slow-growing progress and lots of repeated chin-length bobs as we tried to even out the hair.

Summer 2008. Her cute little yellow-haired head is finally starting to look like the average 2-year-old's head (she was almost 5). Its filling in, getting thicker, etc. Apparently Dora was looking a little shaggy and safety scissors were just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, it wasn't only Dora's brown, nylon hair I found lying in clumps all over the carpet in the playroom at my mom's house. It also happened to be mixed with bunches of golden, shiny, yell - OH MY GOSH, SHE DID NOT! Unfortunately, the hack job led to a shorter than chin-length style. (Refer to family pictures from 2008).

So, we spent the last year letting her hair do its thing. I was so surprised to find that it was growing quickly, and thickening up nicely, and actually starting to look like hair that could maybe, potentially, possibly, theoretically turn into hair that actually looked cute and long and a squint-your-eyes resemblance of something that other little 5-year-olds enjoyed.

I can totally see why it happened. The bottle has been sitting on the counter next to the refrigerator since school started. I actually hate the stuff and the way it makes my skin feel. But its handy enough to a quick fix. Plus, it was on the lists for school supplies that the kids needed and relatively cheap, so I bought a few extra. This is why it was really no surprise to come home on Saturday to a funny smell in the family room. I only noticed Addie's head peek out from behind the arm chair because I paused in the room long enough to ponder the scent. Even after I spotted her behind there, I almost walked away. It was only this sudden 'aha' thought that washed over me that made me turn back around to investigate. Even then, I didn't think it was all that big of a deal. I mean - how much damage can a head doused in hand sanitizer really inflict? Nothing was stained. The carpet was clear. Even her clothes seemed to be free of it. Basically, it was just her hair.

My mom took the kids to her house for the night and assures me she put her right into the bath for a shampoo and condition and that her hair was in great shape the last time she checked.

Sunday morning, Ashley took Addie to her house to get ready for church. (I'm not lazy, I swear. I was so sick in bed.) Rumor has it that she used the flat iron on her ends just enough to curl them up. I saw Adeline Sunday after church and she looked completely normal.

Monday morning when the kids woke up to get dressed, her hair was packed into strange dreadlock-type clumps. What the world? As I tried to pull the clumps apart, the hair was literally breaking off in my hands (more on one side than the other - mostly just the bottom 3 inches or so of her hair but some of it was breaking off much higher.) On a Monday morning, 15 minutes before they have to leave for school, there was really nothing to be done. I combed as little as possible and pulled it into a little knot at the back of her head and sent her on her way. After school Mallory cut it all off for me. Even with the cut, it is still all thin and awkward under her right ear.

I realize this has been a super long post to basically say "Addie ruined her hair again and has once again received the chin-length bob."

Good thing she rocks it.