Back To My Roots

For the first time since the two months following H's birth, I have let my roots show. I was examining them in the mirror because, aside from the mousy blonde that just looks dull overall, I realized that I had a couple of hairs that were bright blonde. Upon closer inspection, I stood back quickly and then got close again...I have my first silvers!

I don't know when they first came, as my roots have barely been able to show their ugly face since I was a senior in high school. Whether it's high times with regular trips to the salon, or the as-of-late low times with a box of Feria or Nice-n-Easy, I have always held the upkeep of my hair at the utmost of importance. However, since there was a specific time when I last saw that dishwater blonde, I can say with certainty that raising children really does make your hair go grey.

Speaking of roots. For Christmas, we gave H the "Old School Sesame Street" series. It's various shows from the series' first decade. I was thrilled to watch them, and H has been loving them as well. A number of things struck me. Oscar the Grouch was actually grouchy, One of the human males actually told someone "You must be high" when they were acting inappropriately, and Cookie Monster actually ate cookies! At the beginning of the series, they actually put a disclaimer that said something to the tune of: "This video is intended for adult nostalgia and does not necessarily meet the educational needs of today's preschoolers." Funny, because I learned a lot from it, and I don't think my darling H is any smarter than I was at his age. He loves it, and I feel like the education piece is more subtle, which seems like he'll learn more from it.

It seems like it's harder and harder to be a parent who just wants to let their child enjoy childhood. It is obvious that many others feel that way as there is a plethora of books available (which I own, in order to enforce that I'm normal for wanting to be normal) with titles like Even June Cleaver Would Forget The Juice Box, Perfect Madness, and Reclaiming Childhood.

I am very happy with my childhood, and spend a lot of time each day trying to figure out just what my mom and dad did to make it so enjoyable on a daily basis. I've realized that what they did was very basic; encourage your kids to play outside and use their imaginations as much as possible, know that individual play is good, and establish boundaries and structure that don't have to include an Ivy League prep course from the age of two.

But maybe that's just me trying to get back to my roots.