flea

We did haircuts last night, and to my astonishment, Dillo wanted one. So snip snip, he went from this:


to this:


He had a crying meltdown at 9:45, ostensibly about the possibility that every grocery store would close and we wouldn't be able to get any food, but I think partly about the haircut. He says he wants a buzzed mohawk like Isaiah at school; if he really still wants that this weekend I think the neighbors have clippers we can borrow.

I am gonna try and get mine cut this noon, nothing dramatic, just an inch or so off and a cleanup so I look half decent for this wedding, while I dither.

mr. flea got new glasses last weekend. And he got a haircut, so naturally the kids wanted their hair cut too. Here's Dillo before:



Dillo wanted his hair out of his eyes in front, but refused to let me touch the sides and back. As a result, he looks like Prince Valiant now. In other Dillo news, we just got the letter confirming he's got a place in PreK at Chase, with Casper (it's not guaranteed, depending on demand, so I'm glad it worked out).



Casper wanted a trim all around, *except* her bangs, which are pretty long. Which is what she got. I think I didn't mention that she lost the other front tooth recently. She lost it at school, which was her goal, because when you lose a tooth at school they give you an adorable tiny plastic tooth-shaped box to take it home in.

I am debating what to do about my hair. I kind of want to grow it out into a bob, but we are embarking on summer, a time of humidity and pouffiness and sweat. Growing out my hair now seems like a bad idea. But I am tired of having it super-short. Wouldn't it be nice if we were like those dolls that you can adjust their hair length at will?

I am testing Neutrogena's Build a Tan lotion product. A patch test on my thigh on Sunday produced no rash. Unfortunately it also did not produce any discernible tan. I did my whole legs this morning, so we will see.

I want to buy tons of summer clothes (J. Jill is having lovely blueberry and lavender colors, just right for me), but between house repairs and car repairs and tooth repairs I don't feel like I can splurge. I don't really need anything, so will try to hang on for the inevitable clearance sales.

Still desperately want a staycation. I worked solidly on the house between dinner and bedtime last night and made very little dent. So frustrating to have the sink empty and clean and by the next morning it's full of dishes again.

I am in possession of both new shoes (Keen Portolas, in black) and a new haircut (super-short and razor cut.

Unfortunately neither of them is making me as happy as I had hoped. I think I had the Keens built up into some kind of life-changing shoe. They are comfortable, a little squishy after 4 years of wearing Dansko stapled clogs almost exclusively. But the heel rubs on my Achilles tendon a bit (another result of 4 years of clogs). They are pretty cute, and make my size 10s (I didn't need to go up a size) look short and round, which they are not. I'm just not IN LOOOVE.

The haircut was last night, and I think it needs to settle in. I played with gel last night and then showered to get excess hair off but didn't wash my hair, and then slept with it damp, so it's kind of poffy on top today. Also I think I am tending a little more towards the Lesbian Soccer Mom look today rather than the Goth Pixie. (Okay, I am never going to pull off pixie anything. But I am more severe than cute today.) And I feel very grey-haired at the moment. I really liked those ridiculously expensive blonde foils I got in Boston in March...

And, new person! My ex-coworker Emily and her husband James had their second child this morning, a girl named Rowan Margaret. Big sister is Elizabeth Pippa, and big sister is a mere 6 weeks older than the Dillo, which makes their kids 16.5 months apart. They did this on purpose. Pippa was one of those "sleeps through the night from 3 weeks" babies, which is I suspect what gave them the nerve to try this. Rowan had an unusual congenital birth defect that was diagnosed in utero, a cyst in the mouth, but they drained it at birth, and she needed neither a trach nor supplemental oxygen, just a tube to ensure her airway was clear, and they plan to remove this later today and hope that no further intervention will be needed. So, excellent news!

It's been a rather undistinguished spring for fashion - little in the way of trends or interesting/innovative dressing.

New things I have been seeing:
Black leggings, both ankle length and capri, especially paired with jeans miniskirts (mid-thigh or above, straight).
Jeans worn capri-length with a turned-up cuff of about 4 inches.
Little dainty spring dresses, often knit, generally very short and tight-bodiced, but somewhat fluttery and feminine.

Things said to be trendy that I am not seeing:
Skinny jeans. We are still heavily boot-cut.
80s style stuff in general. We have preppy-80s, but not Flashdance-80s.

Things I saw last year that I am not seeing much any more:
Knee-length shorts.
Knit gauchos.
80s-style hoop earrings.
Scuff-style sandals with sequins on the toes.

Things I saw last year that continue in force:
Ballet flats. In general they seem plainer now - more simple black leather, less tweed/sparkle.

Things that will never die:
Rainbow flipflops.
Uggs.
Shorts and sweatpants with things written on the butt.
Layered bras and tank tops with multi-colored straps on the shoulders.

I got my hair cut again last night (note to amych: Bobby has moved to Stage 1) and am wearing a camel knit sleeveless tank with a deep notch at the neck, a trumpet-shaped rayon skirt in camel with white polka dots, and black strappy Danskos. I should have worn a bright necklace, or lipstick; I need more color near the face, since the outfit basically matches my hair.

Hair notes: mine is coming out like wow. So annoying, especially in the shower. I cut Casper's on Monday night, a little shorter than I meant to, and it surely needs some cleanup. It's a long bob again now; I didn't touch the front. I haven't really had a chance to see my handiwork yet since she's been in a bunny hood and/or had bedhead ever since the cut.

Casper was an angel on Halloween: no fussing, no whining, no crying, no arguing. They did stuff at school, and parents came in for the after-nap party. There were 3 bunnies, 2 lions, Tinkerbell, Cinderella, Dora, assorted other princesses, a fireman, and a mean witch.

Then we hustled home, got the Dillo into his caterpillar suit (he kept trying to eat the edges of the hood and losing his face inside it.) Off to the park for the annual scary story and parade. All the neighborhood kids are getting so big! Except for the new ones I don't know yet. Best costumes - a zebra with great face paint, an emperor penguin with a plastic egg taped to her foot, beautiful fairies, biker chick 18 month old, a daddy in a big 'fro.

Then we hustled home again, and I forced Casper and mr. flea to eat dinner before heading out. I couldn't tell who was more excited as they set up the pumpkins with candles and started their glow sticks. They were gone a long time - the did our block, the short block of the biug cross street, and the next block, which had some very good pumpkins. Casper was unable to carry her (small plastic pumpkin) candy bag after a while, and netted 54 pieces of candy. mr. flea reported that in a darkish stretch between houses (which, note, we live in a dense urban neighborhood, with 50 foot wide lots) she said, "We are lost in the middle of the darkness" and sat down on a dark house's front steps. She was very good about sharing candy when she came home, and ate 2 lollipops and half a tiny bag of m and ms, then moved on to popcorn. Then went to bed with me and was chatty chatty chatty, so excited and happy. (Woke up crying for candy this morning, but that's another story...)