First haircut....

Snip, Snip,. that will be $16.95. Would you like to buy some product? I fell victim to the pressure. Kenyon's hair was beginning to look like a goat chewed on it. Endearing as it was she needed a trim. Unfortunately I suffered from wrong thinking as Hank likes to say, I didn't trust that I could stick a bowl on her head and trim it myself. After all it was good enough for me as a kid.

Of course I kept taking the scissors to my hair and whacking my bangs off so Mom kept having to cut it shorter and shorter. Anyway, last Sunday off we went to Cool Cuts for her first haircut. She did very well. She drove that red fire truck like she was going to a fire at Mrs. O'Leary's barn. I am glad it was attached to the floor.

She sat pretty still and watched Dora on the video while Kim trimmed her hair. Afterwards we got a cute Polaroid (even though I took 20 pictures and video) set inside a nice commemorative card along with a few clippings of hair.

When I got up to the register to pay Kim expertly handed me some leave in conditioner that smelled like apples. She said, "This is the detangler that will help her hair." In my mind as I forked over a total of $29 bucks for a haircut on a 18 month old I am thinking, "Did I say I wanted conditioner?" Hell, I don't even pay that much for a cut and a eyebrow wax.

I guess I was overwhelmed by the moment; standing there watching my baby morph into a little girl right before my eyes. Hank was seated a bit of a distance a way came over to me as I was getting misty-eyed. I wistfully said she wasn't a baby anymore. He said in his ever practical way that burst my bubble on a regular basis, "It is just some hair". Ah, men....it will take him until she is 16 to realize she isn't a baby anymore. Just some hair, yeah right.

The Art of Cinnamon Toast

We had cinnamon toast this weekend. It was good, but not as good as Mom used to make. I was trying to educate Hank on the finer points of toast making. To make the best cinnamon toast in the world I have decided you HAVE to have a gas oven. Electric does the job, but the sugar doesn't form that crust that cracks when you bite into it. That is why my next house WILL have a gas oven.

At the Pasadena house growing up we had a huge gas oven with the separate broiler pan. Now that was an oven! Whether steak, burgers or toast the flames would hit just the right way...perfection.

When making cinnamon toast don't go spend a bunch of money on artisan bread, just plain old sandwich bread is best. IN my youth I am sure it was white bread, but now that fiber and heart health is important I use whole wheat.

Next you have to have a good thick layer of margarine. Butter is too high brow for the job. Besides it is hard and breaks the bread. Then you have to sprinkle an even layer of cinnamon on. Don't go to the field of Africa or wherever cinnamon comes form to get it a 69 cent bottle from Walmart will do. Not too much or you get bitter toast which only rivals bitter beer face.

Now for the most important step....The Sugar. Plain white sugar is the only thing that will work. The sugar should be thicker than the cinnamon, sprinkled evenly, but not so thick that the butter won't mix with the sugar. You have to have the perfect balance and blend.

Don't leave it in the broiler too long or you will have scraped toast, which is another post in itself (sorry Mom). Leave it just long enough to turn golden brown on the edges, and with crisp, shiny sugar crust in the middle.

To this day cinnamon toast remains a household favorite. It reminds me of the comforts of home. It can warm the coldest morning. It makes a kid of any age feel special. I remember the first time I made it for Sara, having never had cinnamon toast before, after one bite you would have thought I gave her the moon and the stars wrapped in the sun. A number of years later she still lights up when I ask if cinnamon toast and hot chocolate is good for breakfast this morning.

This morning Hank walked into the kitchen after I pulled the toast out of the oven and said, "Something sure smells good!"

Just like my mom used to make. Thanks mom.

You know you are a mom when....

Despite carrying my beautiful child for almost 40 weeks it took me a while to feel like a "mom". I have had a few milestones that have reminded me that I am now the person that will forever be referred to as "Momma momma momma momma"

You know you are a mom when you are at work only to looked down at your clothes noticing the dried formula caked on your shirt and pants.

You know you are a mom when you are watching on the daycare cam the first week in the toddler room and she is sitting at the table not doing anything (reading, playing or talking) for over 15 minutes. Just sitting there. It is all you can do not to grab your purse and run out the door to sweep her up in your arms to tell her it will be okay. Instead you sit at your desk and try not to cry for her and for you.

You know you are a mom when you reach in your robe pocket and find a rock that made its way from the outside walkway and into her mouth. You swiftly executed the pry and sweep method of rock removal.

You know you are a mom when at the end of the day you see her crusty face light up as she runs open arms to you from across the room and you know that THIS is where you want to be.