<p>
</p>
<p>Synchronized swim hair…at least I’ve been spared that one. I’ve done dance hair and gymnastics hair…now I’m challenged by cheer hair. I became quite hostile when I found out that there was a special 'do for cheer…what’s wrong with a pony tail!!!</p>
<p>OK, as a lifelong GS (yes, I’m still a member) I can tell you sit-upons are still very much in vogue – although I never had one that tied around the waist. I’m pretty sure I could produce one I made when I first went to overnight GS camp.</p>
<p>I, too, have done my share of gymnastics hair. I was quite pleased when D & her friends reached an age when they all started doing each other’s hair before meets – which let me off the hook. At one point D’s beam routine included a hands-free forward roll, which was pretty cool. But, it meant her hair could only be in certain style or it interfered with the roll. Ah-h-h, the memories – those days are gone, too.</p>
<p>I became an expert at doing those tiny super tight curls…tiny foam rollers, setting lotion and even those papers. Didn’t think I’d ever have those in the house. She may have fallen off the beam most of the time on her back handspring, but boy she’d get a 10.0 for curls!</p>
<p>Anybody ever see those insane curls for Irish step-dancing? Actually, I believe they are wigs. I think they are singularly unattractive. Whenever, I see them I wistfully think of all those pretty red-haired girls from my predominantly Irish-Catholic neighborhood where I grew up. The girls today always look like they’re more concerned with the wig than the dancing. (I would be as well if I had this huge thing on top of my head…)</p>
<p>Re curls: D2 was an Irish dancer for a while. I put so much styling gel in her hair the first time that the curls which were supposed to fall like ringlets, stayed in tight little buns all over her head!! After that we purchased the god-awful-expensive wig which saved my sanity (and my relationship with D ;)).</p>
<p>Best craft story: same D came home from pre-school with a library book about making stuffed animals from scratch. In spite of my limited sewing skills and protestations, she was adamant that we were going to make one and so we did - an 1-foot-tall owl that still sits in a place of honor on our bookshelf. I was quite proud of that one - something I never would have attempted had D not insisted. (I could’ve strangled the pre-school teacher who suggested such a book for a 4-yr-old, however!)</p>
<p>oh, so funny - crossposted with woody. really, I thought the same thing about the wigs but once we were part of the cult(ure) of Irish dancing, they didn’t seem so bad. once the wigs are attached with MANY bobby-pins, there is really no worry about them falling off. and trust me, my D was thinking way more about remembering her steps and getting her kicks high enough, than she was about the wig.</p>
<p>Some of the gymnasts and some cheerleaders wear the curly ponytail wigs. I remember one male gymnastics judge talking about the girls “who had hamsters on their heads.”</p>
<p>Again, that the heck is wrong with a pony tail???</p>
<p>Oh my… you guys are too funny. Seriously? I have never heard of synchronized swim hair… gelatin?? </p>
<p>Now Missy… you live in texas. How can anyone who lives in Texas not assume there is cheer hair! When S decided to not play football this fall, he said to me, “Mom, you don’t understand the mentality. Some of these guys played football in texas!” You only have to believe 1/8th of the stereotype to know that Texas takes it football and cheerleading seriously.</p>
<p>I did game day hair… hardly difficult. But it was the french braid pig tails. Every game was different ribbon but then they’d take it out before the game and pull their hair into a regular pony tail. Senior year, older D and a few on her team would all meet here and I’d do their hair (and teach them) and have Brueggers. Younger D hasn’t let me touch her hair since she was about 4. Drives me nuts. She has gorgeous hair. She doesn’t let me blow it dry, iron it straight or curl it tight. Older D asked me to blow hers dry over Christmas – says that it always feels like she went to the salon when I was done. Younger? I cant get near her with a round brush attached to a ten foot pole! All of this to say… I miss cheer hair. :)</p>
<p>Happy New Year from a long-lost POCC2013 poster! I’m home with S who had his wisdom teeth pulled this morning, so the parenting hormones must have gone into overdrive and sent me back here. I’ve spent a few hours just catching up on the last month or so, and realize how much I miss the camaraderie and support here. Hope a wayward friend can still visit.</p>
<p>S is shockingly happy as a clam at Marquette although, as you might remember, it was not his first (or second or third) choice. I decided I needed to stay away from CC because the total lack of communication I got from him felt more even more depressing and scary when I heard the stories about how your kids were doing and realized I needed to let my little bird fly…it’s been great having him back, and he actually (occasionally) responds to me as an adult!</p>
<h1>TM and MissyP…so sorry to hear your boys are struggling. S is too (an A, B, C and D first semester, with the C and D both being 4 credit classes), but is hanging on. I’m trying to remember the adjustment of the first year at college with no oversight, dorm living, tougher classes (thanks for your insight TAnalyst!), and he’s got a plan for next semester to bring up the gpa. Of course, that involves 19 units (seriously?) because he thinks having more humanities classes, where he excels, will make it easier to bring up the grades. When we remind him that he still has 3 semesters of German (da D) and that he’d probably be better served to take a smaller load and FOCUS, he says he can handle it.</h1>
<p>And guess what? I’ll let him. We’ve told him that he needs to have a MINIMUM overall 2.5 gpa by the end of next semester or he won’t be going back, and I’m confident he’ll figure it out. There is something to be said for distance!</p>
<p>Anywhoo, just wanted to send a quick catch up. So happy to hear about your lives and your kids and am thrilled to find you still here.</p>
<p>Moda, I need lessons from you! It’s french braid going sideways into a high ponytail. Mine is pathetic. Lots of kids go early so that one certain girl can do theirs.</p>
<p>Cheerleaders would get a lot more respect if they didn’t wear those huge bows. D says that cheer takes a lot more stamina than gymnastics ever did…but who’s going to believe that when she’s a teenager wearing a giant hair bow?! (not to mention the red glitter eye shadow!)</p>
<p>PRJ - love the cult(ure) remark. OK, anyone care to tell me how much those wigs cost, just curious…
No judgement, god knows I’ve spent thousands on ski equipment, music lessons, instruments, etc over the years…</p>
<p>Good to hear from you cpletz! </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I will say that the moms at the cheer competitions are the best looking moms of any of the kid stuff I attend…lots of ex-cheerleaders…you can see it in the platinum highlights and the blinged out jeans.</p>
<p>Re: the owl. My H did exactly 2 craft projects with the kids over the years. One was a balloon/papaier mache piggy bank that stands proudly in his home office. The other is a little heart breaking. D had to do some Silk road project that has a history in our town going back years. (It has since been discontinued because of crazy parents.) Well, H was out of work at the time and wanted to help D build some temple or something. He meticulously cut the wood, helped her get perspective via painting techniques. He loved it but was worried it was “too good” and that she would show the other kids up. I just bit my tongue knowing how over-the-top the parents can get around here. Well h and D carted the plywood temple into the gym and my poor H was aghast at the size of other temples. Literally, 3-D 30 foot sculptures. I t was ridiculous and D and H were a bit crestfallen. That project is still in the garage…</p>
<p>Hi Cpeltz! I had one of those S’s a couple of years ago… It works out but those first classes do make a permanent dent in the GPA. A little difficult to apply for a lot of internships as a result…</p>
<p>Good lord! I just re-read my posts!! Forgive my incessant rambling… I don’t feel well and took some cold medicine - which I never do. In fact, I 've never missed a day of work for illness - really - but I think tomorrow may be a deal breaker. God I feel so weird…</p>
<p>wody - you don’t sound wied at all! but sorry you aren’t feeling well. gotta run and make dinner but I will report back later on the cost of the wig, the dresses, the whole ridiculous endeavor…</p>
<p>welcome back, cpeltz! so glad to hear from you and about S.</p>
<p>When I was pregnant with Fang Jr, I wanted a girl. Hearing these hair horror stories, I’m glad he was a boy, even with the predawn drives to hockey practice. Although, I’m a tomboy, so maybe I would’ve had a girl like me.</p>
<p>welcome back cpeltz–great to hear an update!</p>
<p>You all are making me happy that DD decided to give up dance after her freshman year and poms after middle school. Swimmer hair is another story though–the money I’ve spent on really good shampoos and conditioners…</p>
<p>Of course I probably saved it during the high school season by not buying shaving gel and razors. Here is a little swim cult(ure) fact unknown to many. Many swimmers don’t shave during the training portion of the season and then do a complete body shave just before sectionals and state. Sorry if this offends anyone, but I was always happy that the high school did continue to shave underarms.</p>
<p>HI Cpeltz! So glad he likes Marquette!!! </p>
<p>Never had girl hair here…and I do a really good french braid too…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Gotta admit, this threw me for a minute. Especially following the Telly comment above it (as in Savalas).</p>
<p>As much as I loved doing older D’s hair… is equal to the frustration I feel that younger D doesn’t let me do anything. She has a super sensitive head or something but sometimes I just wish she’d use a brush! She does have curly hair and I get the tangle part, but still! My mom always made us keep our hair really short - pixie cuts and dorothy hamil (you get the idea) - so my girls always had long hair. Yep. living thru the kids!</p>
<p>Welcome back cpeltz! We have missed you! Glad your S is enjoying Marquette…he will get the GPA thing figured out!</p>
<p>We always had sports hair here… a tight and high ponytail. In fact they pulled their hair so tight that they were always breaking it off!</p>