Monroe's tomboy bobbed hairstyle may compliment her attitude and personality perfectly, but it is the product of nature, not styling. In her case, the hair fairy has not been very generous.

Last night she asked me to "brush my hair down to my shoulders." Not sure what she meant (but totally eager to get a grooming chore done WILLINGLY!) I sat her in front of the mirror and gave her a tender hairbrushing session. Monroe harumphed and then explained that she wanted her hair to "go long down to her shoulders" and to be "like Sara."

Sara, the adventursome, loyal, and quick-witted pre-teen hero of the Henson movie "Labrynth" is Monroe's number one role-model, and she has shiny, chocolate colored hair down to the middle of her back.

I was a little sad to hear her say she wanted her hair to be like Sara--I guess I felt like a feminine legacy was coming to bear in the beginning of a lifetime of worrying about looks. Paradoxically, I was also bummed that the first interest my little ragamuffin has ever taken in appearance (aside from sporadically rejecting one pair of shoes for another) manifested as a desire which it is simply not within my power to indulge! I will sheepishly admit that had she wanted sparkling dance pants or a feathered cap or purple rainboots, there is a fairly good chance I'd be shopping for said items right now on ebay instead of typing this story.

As all this passed through my mind, I was of course also trying to find a way to make this into an opportunity to push my motherly agenda. :-) So I pointed out that drinking plenty of water and eating lots of fruits and vegetables will help a person's hair grow long and healthy. I was feeling very proud of my "teachable moment" when Monroe asked for an apple and wandered into her room, happily munching on the fruit. But a few moments later I heard a pathetic wail coming from her bedroom. I rushed in to find her standing in front of the mirror, half eaten apple in hand, complaining "IT'S NOT WORKING!!"