Rum Tum Tugger

My dad has always told Gabriella that she has Rum Tum Tugger hair. She had wild hair as a toddler and would wake up in the mornings and after naps with the most wonky hair you'd ever seen. When she was a little older he would tell her that she had beautiful strawberry blonde hair. And Gabs would always reply, "It's not strawberry blonde. It's blueberry blonde." Because, at the time, her favorite was Blueberry Muffin, not the more popular Strawberry Shortcake. It made my dad laugh every time. He continued to tease her about her "strawberry blonde" hair, because she was, and still is, so sure and adamant that her hair is not strawberry blonde.

I guess it has been awhile since the two of them had this little rehearsed conversation, because the other week we were talking to my parents on Skype for the first time, and the dialogue changed a bit. My dad told her once again that she had such beautiful strawberry blonde hair. Gabriella told him this time, "It's vanilla. Not strawberry." She must think my dad is crazy and unsure why he keeps telling her her hair is red like strawberry, when it's obviously blonde like vanilla.

She was born with curly locks of strawberry blonde hair. The nurses at the hospital told me that they were talking while she was in the nursery and had decided that she had arranged to go to a beauty salon to get highlights before she was born, because they had never seen so much light hair on a newborn. She could wear piggies in her hair just after her first birthday. She has received several, few inch, cuts, and still her hair is just like mine, grows like a weed and is super long. She never cries or complains when I comb it. And she always patiently waits for me to style it. She's an easy hair girl. No drama, for a change, in the hair department.

For months, really ever since Gwen got her hair "trim", she has been telling me that she has wanted to cut her hair. I couldn't bring myself to do it. You see, my hair is my security. I've had long hair most my life. And when I, irrationally, decided to cut my hair, I wished for my long hair back. I hate short hair on me. I don't look good with short hair. So, I've kept my hair long. And as I kept giving Gabriella excuse after excuse as to why we couldn't go get her hair cut, I realized, her long hair too, had become a security for me. I just couldn't bring myself to cut her gorgeous long hair. Her hair is part of who she is. And I couldn't cut it off.

Finally, over the Christmas break she asked again to cut her hair. I decided I needed to let go of my own personal insecurities and let the poor girl get her hair cut. That's what she wanted, and she's old enough to have her hair the way she wants it. So I told her we'd go.

I whisked her out of the tub before I lost my courage and we got ready to go. I snapped a few pictures for fear I'd loss all memory of her long hair and we set out to get it cut.

On the way, she announced she wanted it cut "all the way down to her neck." Her neck?!! I was not prepared for that dramatic of a change. I called Joe (who loves her long hair), my mom, and Bryn for reinforcement. I'm stupid I know, but I was nervous!

As soon as I told all of them where we were going, they all said the same thing. "You can't cut her long hair."

I KNOW!

But we were on our way and it was going to happen. So I told her we'd compromise and she could cut it to her shoulders. She was so giddy she could hardly sit still in the chair. I could hardly look.

I watched her pretty blonde locks fall to the floor and couldn't believe how much was being cut off. She was beaming and kept tossing her hair from side to side.

She looks cute. But different. And I'm glad her hair grows fast. Because I want it long again.

But not Gabs. She loves it. And shows everyone her hair cut.

So I guess I'm the only one with hair drama.