Saturday, June 7, 2008

Crazy Hair Day

I am in love with Crazy Hair Day. I'm in love with any day involving "Crazy" and I wish that adults would embark on a few Crazy-Day celebrations of our own. You know, "we're never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy." Words to live by - thank you Seal!

A few weeks ago, my daughter's school held a Spirit
Week. Every day the kids dressed in something different - there was Hawaiian Day, School Colors Day, Pajama Day. One of them was Crazy Hair Day.

When my daughter was in kindergarten, they also had Crazy Hair Day and we decided to do a Pippi Longstocking style with the braids sticking straight out (secured by a wire hanger fitted to the head like a headband.) Even though I love this crazy hair style and think it's totally adorable and funny, I was a little anxious about making the suggestion again. Third grade is tough and kids can be so cruel to each other, I didn't want to make my daughter a target for any more playground harassment than is already found. I already have a mountain of guilt from kindergarten Book Character Day when I came up with the brilliant idea of putting together a Babushka's Doll costume (our favorite book at the time), which, again, was totally cute-adorable-unique-creative, but so different from the hordes of princesses roaming the school, that the 5th graders made some sneering comments about it and my poor, sweet, baby of a Babushka's Doll wouldn't smile all day long and looked like she was just about to cry. Ok - rip my heart out and hang it up to dry - I was not about to subject her to THAT again. (Needless to say, for First Grade Book Character Day, she decided on a more mainstream Angelina Ballerina costume.)

So, when she brought up the Pippi Braids, I wasn't so sure. I think I said "are you sure?" about a million times (okay maybe just five or six) but she was positive. So, we pulled a hanger out of the closet and went to work. Oh my goodness, how fabulous they turned out. She made them even more outrageous by asking for a little spiral. They were gre
at!

But, walking into school was a different story, so I decided to go with her just in case we
encountered any hecklers along the way. Luckily the teachers and kids embraced her with big smiles and exclamations of delight. I could tell her anxiety was easing away and when we arrived at her classroom, her fabulous teacher grinned, patted her on the head and said "Oh, Maddie, you're just like me." That was enough to send her soaring to a plateau of complete confidence and I knew she'd be fine.

Honestly, though, I have to give credit where credit is due for the Pippi Longstocking braid style. It all started abut 15 years ago in Key West where a few of my former fellow Hog's Breath waitresses and I decided to have a "Braidstock" night where we braided the hair of all the patrons in addition to our own. The Larry Baeder Band was playing that night and Larry showed up with his long hair in two graceful braids sticking straight out from his head. If he only knew that his hairstyle would be an inspiration to young girls on the Crazy Hair Day of elementary schools everywhere! Thank you Larry!

May the crazy braid live on!

5 comments:

Janell said...

The babushka doll part was very sad =(, but glad crazy hair day has such a cute and successful result!!!! Isn't it just so hard to put yourself out there at any age???? Very cool that you had pictures saved from the Hogsbreath days - very fun!!!
(and so glad you stopped by my blog!)

Linda O'Neill said...

Looks like so much fun...kind of the way my hair looked from the humidity in Tahiti!:)

Jan said...

So much fun. We have crazy hair day this next week. I think I will use this tip. She is so cute. I love getting crazy sometimes too. Life is too short to take everything so serious. Glad you grab life and go with it. Kids can be cruel, but hopefully we can raise our girls to be happy in their own choice to celebrate life whole heartedly. I you my dear, were a cute Babushka Doll.

Anonymous said...

"Don't be afraid of the Braid!!!"

Donna said...

I love your imagination, Jen!
Hugs,
Mom