Poco Mountain Girl

So that’s it, from final long-haired moments in front of the mirror, through Lizzie’s snipping and clipping, all the way to the finished results. The girl loved every bit of the adventure, and she seems delighted with her new style.

And me? I knew you’d ask. I love her in her sweet little bouncy bob…but secretly, I really miss those pigtail braids. I miss doing our hair just alike, then skipping down sidewalks and through parking lots, a matching set of Big and Little.

But I know it won’t be long till those short curls are hitting her shoulders again, ready for brand-new braids!

Till then, we’ll just keep skipping.

Here she is, in her brand-new haircut. She did it all by herself, alone in front of the mirror in Dadda’s office. Then she ran to me.

“Mamma, do you like my pretty new haircut?” I was making hummus in the kitchen. My heart skipped a beat. I turned to see her, but it took a minute to really see, and then I saw everything at once.

Crayola baby scissors in her hand. 3/4″ snips of  red half-moon curls on the floor. They were so tiny, the very first cutting of her baby curls. I had to save them.

I got down and started to gather them up, and then I reached up to her head and a whole big swathe of hair came off in my hand. Like, almost the whole side.

“Do you like it?” She was brave and afraid all at once. Proud that she dared to do it but not sure if it was the right thing to do.

I choked and smiled at her. “Of course I do. I think it’s beautiful.”

It’s beautiful to be brave when you’re afraid, to trust yourself when you don’t know how others will react. To be daring and try something new. To make a change in yourself and stick to your decision (not that you can undo a haircut).

Ok, I know, all that is ridiculous. It’s probably just the inevitable response a 3-year old has to standing in front of a mirror with a pair of scissors in her hand and a halo of red curls around her face. Just the next curious exploration of life. I’m still happy with her. I’m not sure why. I guess I’m just happy she’s still a baby and gets to do silly things like that.

So she has decided to become a hair stylist, and what better place to practice than one’s very own head? (Better than my head.) As you can see, she went for a dramatic look rather than subtle…and she seems quite happy with the outcome.

But…there just may be a second first haircut coming up soon.

Yeah, I know…I’m really dragging this mountain thing out. I just can’t help it. I’m still stuck somewhere in the mountains of Colorado.

C’mon, let’s go there…just for a minute. Take in the view, and let it take your breath away. Feel the cool mountain breeze on your face, smell the sweet mountain air. Pick a wildflower, and look it in the face, right up close. Have you ever seen anything so perfect? Listen to the birds, to all the sounds of the mountain.

Hmm. It’s just not the same, I guess. Well, that does it. I think it may be time for me to pack up and head for the hills. To a cabin in the woods! I guess that would be reverse cabin fever, or something like that.

So here’s what I think: Pike’s Peak or Bust.

Or at least, somewhere close to Pike’s Peak.

Actually, I think a view of Pike’s Peak would do.