Hairdo Issues

Many folk think white mommies can't do black hair. I say it ain't so.

The above pix are from my first attempt at doing Tomorrow's hair. I think the look on her face says it all. She did not enjoy the process AT ALL. And I don't think her hair is long enough to put in barrettes anyway so I won't torture her again until it's quite a bit longer. It looks so cute when I just wet it & "bump it up" with my fingers into an adorable little 'fro of ringlets anyway.

Last night, the foster mother of Tomorrow's four- and seven-year-old sisters, whom I shall call "Fara", told me that when we meet up at the mall, she'll teach me how to do Baby Grrl's hair.

We'll see if she calls me. I've given her my number but she hasn't given me hers.

Letting Off Steam

After visits, we all do it. Tomorrow looks at us and smiles her crooked I'm-only-smiling-because-I- know-it's-the-socially-acceptable-thing-to-do-right-now smile while simultaneously looking as if she is about to cry, then usually laughs and then cries. She is verrry clingy-- and those of you who know me well, and how much I love babies, know that I normally would not use the word clingy to describe babies who simply want to be held. Clingy = I cannot put her down, in a desperate way. Not just that she would rather be held or worn, but as if she is screaming DO NOT LET ME GO. It feels like fear. It looks like fear. It sounds like fear. Of course, we just hold her. We kiss her. We tell her we missed her. We let her sleep on us (she will normally sleep in her crib for the first three hour nap of the night but not after visits).

Yesternight her bio mom gave Tomorrow some hair cream that contains hormones (mink oil, anyone?), a hat and mittens in size 2-4T (the T is for toddler), size 4-6 socks (she is a size 2), size 1 moccasins (?), a pair of red and pink Nikes (!), a Tweety Bird (for ages 3+) that dances and sings I Want Candy, and a Dum Dum (lollipop) "FOR HER TO TEETHE ON".

My knee-jerk reaction was to call her Case Worker, but I decided I was over-reacting. The woman apparently has no clue what is developmentally appropriate or nutritionally sound, and doesn't even know what size Tomorrow is wearing. Notes to self.