Stages
New developments are arising here at the neepeople domicile. News flash! Ana has pimples. These are the only sign thus far that puberty may be just around the corner. Fortunately, they haven’t caused much of a stir. Ana has learned the importance of washing her face with a mild soap and applying a little benzoyl peroxide cream. I can’t believe my little girl is growing up! It seems like yesterday she was a chubby faced cherub with bright, big eyes and golden curls. Now, she cares about nail polish and earrings, has decided tastes in music and is capable of very grown up conversation.
Michael has suddenly decided he cares what he looks like. A few years ago, “getting ready,” meant jumping out of the shower and dressing in whatever was readily available on the floor. Now he creates, “outfits.” I don’t particularly care for all of them or understand his fashion sense, but as long as it covers the important parts and is not obscene, I’m OK with it. When I take Michael to school, he continues to preen in the mirror, messing with his hair for almost the entire 15 minute ride, after he has spent quite some time in the bathroom blow drying and generally trying to make his hair do what he wants it to do rather than what comes naturally. Last week, he spent 15 minutes polishing a pair of round rimmed Lennon-esque glasses to perfection so that he could wear them for the 90 second walk from the car to the school front door. It seems ridiculous to me, but I’m sure my parents would gladly tell you some stories.
And then there’s me. I hate to talk about me, but I’ve noticed some changes. Suddenly, I need good light to read, chop vegetables or do my crochet and I can’t read medicine bottles without my glasses. What gives? There’s also a certain stiffness in the joints I notice after sitting for a while and carpal tunnel symptoms are apparent. For some time now, I’ve noticed stray grey hairs in my head. But now, there’s enough of those hairs that a pattern has emerged into a streak on the left crown of my head and in my right temple area. And so I begin to wonder, “to dye, or not to dye.”
hmm…
Family Life
Reader Comments (1)
it is always interesting when children begin to be more conscious of themselves; may God bless and protect.... God is with us at all times; love to you; also (re other post) glad that you have good shoes to wear; I wear birkenstocks (and get them fixed when needed) and my feet are better for them...