Beauty Shop 101

So it's been forever since I blogged...one, because I've been working like a dog and two, well, because I've been working like a dog. I was just thinking that I haven't put anything exciting on here for quite some time and then Alison pulls one of her crazy stunts that is just a "must-blog" moment. I know, I know, leave it to Alison...but we'll get to that in just a minute. First here's a little recap:

Shockingly it has been a pretty uneventful January in our home. Of course, that might be because we have been too busy to get into any trouble. Between Brownies, two dance classes, Destination Imagination rehearsal, CCD and youth choir, we are constantly on the go. I'm sure a lot of you can relate and I'm told it only gets worse as the kids get older. Yikes!! Pretty soon I'll be putting an ad in the paper for a taxi service just to get the girls where they have to be (for now, however, a BIG THANK YOU to my fabulous mother and mother-in-law for helping us get through January without forgetting an appointment or leaving anyone stranded!!). Scott and I always said we would not "schedule" our kids for activities every night, but somehow it just happened. I'm so weak when it comes to whining begging daughters....

Anyway, last weekend was the first Saturday I haven't had to work in 2009, so I spent the entire day with the girls. We went to story time at Barnes & Noble and met our friends Ian and Zoe there. They are the daughter and son of my second cousin and now co-worker, Claudia. It was great fun and there were lots of hot-cocoa-and-whipped-cream smiles from the bunch!!

Sammi, Zoe, Alison and Maddie

Scott spent the Saturday taking his mom to the airport - she's off to Florida until the end of the month to see Bob and spend her "BIG" birthday in some warm weather. Then Scott traveled on to Detroit to see his Grandpa in the nursing home. It was a hard day for Scott; I know you can mentally prepare for such a visit, but when you get there and see your loved one, it just tears your heart out. Thankfully his Grandpa was in good spirits and knew who Scott was. Grandpa doesn't remember all the details of our lives, but he surely remembers the grandson that he helped get through law school. Scott lived there his first year at Detroit College of Law (now Michigan State Law School) and part of his second year when we were first married. I think they loved having him in their home just as much as Scott loved being there. The end of March will mark Grandpa's 90th birthday and we are all looking forward to spending time with him.

So the Sewick's enter February thinking, whew, January flew by and we are already well into the "busy season" hustle and bustle. So far so good...no serious complaining from the girls...no real illness coming through the house...we are cruising right along....

Until this week.

The girls have suddenly all fallen ill. Sammi has a high fever combined with a head cold. Madison sounds like she is a six-pack-a-day-smoker with a nasty, raspy cough. Alison is just a bit under the weather with a runny nose, etc. So today, I am spending time as pharmacist / reader of the stories / nose-blower / waitress / maid / snuggle partner - keeping my oldest two girls curled up in bed so they can get better. Meanwhile, Alison is enjoying time with her Grandma Kemp, shopping for snacks and party goods for her preschool Valentine's Day party tomorrow.

Ah, yes, Alison. My dear, sweet, darling daughter. I do love that child more than words. She makes me laugh each and every day with her funny sayings and her mannerisms. She's just such a crazy little thing. But there is a side of her that makes me just go blow-my-top crazy. With Madison there were occasional moments where I wondered what the heck she was thinking. But then, in fine Madison form, she would explain to me in complete and correct sentences exactly what she was thinking and her rationalization for her actions. Madison was a little adult before she could even form words. There were also moments with Sammi that I just couldn't figure out what she was thinking when she did this or that. But with Sammi, she was too busy working herself into hysterics to talk to - crying uncontrollably, hyperventilating. For Sammi, my only goal was to get her to continue breathing long enough for her to see tomorrow. Alison, however, is a color all her own. A fine combination of German stubbornness wrapped inside a nice little dollop of Irish temper.

A perfect example: Monday I went to pick up the girls from my mom's house after work. I walk in the door and Alison is hiding behind my mom. My poor mother has that look on her face - the "I need you to get these kids out of here so I can have a drink" kind of look.

So it goes something like this:

"Don't you want to tell your mother what you did today little girl?" (you know its bad when my mom uses the term "little girl" in the sternest voice she has - which by the way isn't very stern)

No response from Alison because she has proceeded to bury her face into my mother's leg.

"No, okay then I'll tell her...your daughter played beauty shop today and well,

cut her own hair."

Now, I'm a little sleep deprived and it takes a little bit for things to sink in. So I look at Alison and think, must have just been a few strands someplace that I can't really see. Madison did this once, but she was actually trying to cut out a tag on her shirt and we didn't even notice the missing hair for say - a few weeks. No big deal, right?

Nope - nada - zilch - not the case here. It's never that simple when Ali is concerned. Alison looked up at me and it was then I could see that she had a full-blown mullet going on. The little angel decided to 1) get a step stool (no little stool would do for this job); 2) climb up and riffle through my mother's bathroom cabinet; 3) find sharp scissors that were so far back into the cabinet it would have taken a supply of food and water and a flashlight to get them; and 4) proceed to cut-cut-cut away at her beautiful brown locks.

Oh, and not just one side either. No, not my child...we overachieve at being bad just as much as we overachieve at being good. We had to have symmetry you know. Shockingly, she cut from chin to ear in an almost straight line, but she took about 6 inches off her hair. The end result...a very impromptu visit to Miss Liz for a rescue cut......

Did I mention that my mom just made appointments for family pictures? Yeah, I thought I might have forgotten that tidbit.

Before Ali's salon session (Dec. 2008)

After....still adorable in a "Dutch-girl holding a tulip" kind of way....