Grown-up Hair

Everyone at church today thought Rachel looked so grown-up in her pigtails. She sat still and let me do her hair while she played with her jars full of hair elastics and alligator clips. I can't tell you how long I've wanted to put her hair in full pigtails. I've only ever gotten halfway before since she rarely lets me touch the back of her hair.


She sat so nicely during sacrament meeting--singing during the hymns and folding her arms for the prayer. She only yelled when the deacons didn't bring the sacrament trays exactly on her schedule and we only had to go out when she said she had to go potty (she didn't).

After sacrament meeting she started dragging me towards the stairs. She knew exactly where she wanted to go. When I was lingering longer than she wanted me to, she let go of my hand and went to nursery by herself.

By the time I caught up with her she was already fully involved with Sam, Jacqueline, and the toys, but I poked my head in the room, anyway.

"Come here, Rachel," I told her and then explained to Brother Gerrard, who was substituting until Sister Hall arrived, that she isn't actually old enough to be in nursery yet.

"Oh, let her stay. She's having a good time!" he insisted.

Twist my arm, why don't you?

"Alright," I gave in, but only maybe a little too quickly, "We're potty training her, so if she starts shaking her fist at you, that means she has to go potty."

And then I left and went off to primary.

Sister Hall showed up after we'd dismissed the kids to classes and were about to start our presidency meeting. We told her she'd be in nursery.

I gave her some cookies that I'd packed for Rachel since no one had brought treats this week. Oops.

"Rachel's not really in nursery," I told her when I walked in the nursery with her, "I can take her if you'd like."

Rachel ran to stand behind Sam. Because somehow he'd protect her from having to leave nursery...or something.

"Oh, let her stay," said Jennifer, "She's cute."

Again, with the twisting of my arms. Oh, alright, fine! Keep her so that I don't have to entertain her and chase her all around...

I gave Jennifer the potty training talk.

"So, if she does that, run!"

"That's right," I said.

And I had a blissful hour without Rachel. Not that Rachel isn't great. It's just that when I'm trying to be all secretarial she kind of cramps my style. It's hard to take notes when you have a 15 month old grabbing at your pen because she wants to draw. It's just hard!

At the end of the hour, Jennifer opened the nursery door and sent Rachel running to me. She had to go pee. I gave her to Andrew and I had another blissful hour.

Rachel got several compliments on her hair, which managed to last all through church--much to my surprise. Many comments about how cute and grown-up she looks!

Rachel looking grown-up

She really is looking grown-up these days. But she'll always be my baby. Maybe, though, if we keep doing her hair on Fridays they'll keep letting her go to nursery...

See? Baby still.