Every year around this time I trudge out into the snow with the family all dressed up as we make our way into a portrait studio right around rush hour.  I choose this time because the weekend appointments book up so fast and I need to have a time that the whole family can be there.  Unfortunately, right before dinner is a really crummy time.  Everyone is tired and hungry.  The kids woke up from their nap and I was in a mad rush trying to give them a snack, cleaning them off, and getting them into pretty dresses, doing their hair, and then getting them into their snowsuits.  Phew…oh yeah, I have to look presenatable too.

We get there late as usual and as you can imagine with a three year old and a one year old, it is very difficult to get one great shot.  I am seen behind the camera jumping up and down like a manic person getting out of breath trying to get the kids to smile.  Our family shot looked “okay”.  My oldest daughter had a glazed look over her eyes and my youngest wasn’t really looking at the camera.  The shot of the two girls looked “okay” as well.  My oldest had a fake smile on and my youngest was looking at the camera but not smiling.  What are you going to do?  They have nice dresses at least.

Every year I tell my husband I am not going through the drama again.  Every year we say that next year we are going to do something candid from our camera and make our own Christmas Cards.  However, every year we go through the same rushed ordeal for a “okay” turnout. 

Tis the season for the rush!

As you all know I have had quite the hair ordeal this week in which the hairdresser turned it grey.  Well, it seems like it is fixed now but I still don’t really like it 100%.  I really can’t afford to colour it again and I really don’t want to fry it either. 

Today I took my kids to a Parent-Child Literacy Program we always go to.  I find the facilitator of the program very critical.  She always makes comments about how my daughter’s speech is behind, or because my other daughter isn’t walking yet, etc.  If its not one thing its another.  As you know, every child develops differently and you don’t need added criticism by someone who thinks they know everything.

Today she made a comment about how I got my hair done.  It was obvious that she didn’t like what she saw.  I said, “do you like it?” she responds with “well, I am not sure yet.  It is so different from your usual”.  Okay, well I guess in not so many words she hates it. I just think its rude to tell someone this and make them feel worse about themselves.  If someone asked me, I would respond with “you always look beautiful”.  However, I find that women have a nasty habit of putting each other down and talking about each other behind their backs.

From a very young age, I have always enjoyed the company of boys/men.  Its not because I am a tomboy, because I am definitely not.  I love being a girl and have always been into barbies, hair, etc.  I just feel like women can be so cut-throat with one another, where men don’t hurt you or don’t backstab you, they are just there for you. 

A friend is there for you when you are not at your best.  They don’t ask for anything in return, they are just there.

One thing that is very important to me is accountability.  If you make a mistake, you recognize it and are accountable for your actions.  In turn, you accect the consequences for your actions.  I teach this to my children on a daily basis, so that they know that it is important to be responsible for your actions.  Hitting, shoving, yelling, etc is unacceptable. 

Yesterday I went and got my hair “fixed”.  However, I was disgusted by the way I was treated.  There was no accountability, no remorse.  They turned my hair GREY!!!!  I walked in yesterday and the same girl went to fix it.  However, she kept saying she did a good job and that it was my hair type, because I have some “ash” colour in my hair naturally that it turned grey.  Then the girls proceeded to tell me that “Some people go for that look so we don’t know what you like”.  Excuse me????  When they initally did my hair I asked three different hair dressers if it looked grey because I didn’t like it.  All of them said “no”. 

The girl put me under the water, bleached out the grey.  My hair is fried and I am still not totally happy with my hair.  Unfortunately, I can’t keep frying it either or I will have no hair left.  Then the girl started brushing my hair so hard that I thought my hair follicles were going to rip out of my scalp.  When she put on the water, she put it at a scalding hot section.  I thought to myself “You think you can hurt me, I’ll show you, I am one tough chick”.  She eventually said, “Is this too hot” and I replied “a little”.

After it was repaired I asked them to blow dry it straight like it was intially the day before when I paid them $150 for the colour, cut and blow dry.  Then they decide to tell me after the fact that they were charging me $30 for the blow dry.  I was fuming and I am still fuming.  I was obviously unhappy at the start but they decided to ignore the problem.  Then when I went back, they told me it was my hair type and colour and not the hair dresser’s responsibility to know what colours go with certain hair types.  They also said I should have stuck with my usual girl.  What terrible customer service.

I have been going to my regular girl for years, and I have never had a problem.  Unfortunately, she is on maternity leave.  I guess the moral of the story is to stay with what works.  If its not broken, don’t try and fix it.

Okay, so today’s blog is nothing more than a rant.  I am so angry that I need to unload.  As you all know, as a mom it is very draining at times.  You put yourself last, making sure that your kids are cared for.  You run around ragged, your clothes filled with food splattered on you, or a kid wiping their nose on you.  You barely have a chance to shave your legs in a given week.  As a result, you let yourself go a bit, and possibly sport the “pony tail look”. 

Twice or three times a year I like to treat myself to highlights in my hair to make myself feel a little better about myself.  Today was that day that comes along so seldom.  I go to the salon wanting to be pampered.  You could tell the girl was a little impatient with my hair type (my hair is very thick) because it takes awhile.  However, I thought…..”Yes, I am sure I am a pain in the butt”.  I told her I wanted some highlights and low lights but that I wanted to be predominantly blonde (which is my natural).  When it was all done I had GREY hair.  I told the girl my concerns and she said “oh no, you just aren’t used to it because its darker than what you usually are”.  I asked the other two hair dressers, “Oh no, it looks good”.  I leave thinking maybe its all in my head, however I still am not feeling happy about the way that I look.  I am especially not happy with the fact that I just paid $150 for grey hair. 

I go home and my husband says “Wow, you look older than me, you definitely have grey in your hair”.  MAN!!!!!  I was so angry.  I was angry at the fact that they screwed up, but I was even more angry that nobody told me the truth when I asked them.  I made it clear I wasn’t happy and I didn’t like it, and they made me feel like it was all in my head.  I guess they just didn’t want the iconvenience of fixing it, but wouldn’t it be better to be honest with your customers than give them false hope?

Now I have to return to them tomorrow to get them to fix it.  I am a little apprehensive because I don’t want to see that hair dresser again.  My regular hair dresser is on maternity leave and my back up hairdresser was too busy.  I really don’t like confrontation but I certainly can’t walk around like this.  I am embarrassed to be seen in public.

“When your world seems grey around you, find the sunshine and make it better”.

Okay, so I know that I haven’t written on here in ages.  I guess I just let life get in the way.  I am like any other mom, I go all day and then by the time the evening rolls around, I am dead to the world.  Talia went through a phase where we would have to let her “cry ” when going to sleep otherwise we would be up there all night.  It eventually happened, but it is really heart wrenching listening ot your baby cry.

After that, we went on vacation in the States.  Ofcourse,  both kids got sick.  My oldest would say, “I just want to go home to my Dora bed” and my youngest came down with a fever and started vomitting nine hours from home.  Needless to say, it was a holiday from )(*&&^ and we are still paying it off.  I think the next holiday will be just that…..time away with just my hubby in Vegas or something.

We came back and I got into some issues with my daycare.  I won’t go into details because I don’t want to get charged with slander.  However, I will say that she was over the legal limit with children and she wanted her husband to watch my kids, and she wanted to keep my $500 deposit after she was the one who quit on me.  After having 3 bad experiences with daycare, I decided to just work nights and weekends around my husbands schedule.  Therefore, I work all night at times and stay up all day with the kids.

I will say that I am sorry for dropping off of here so abruptly, even if it was only a select few reading this blog.  Sometimes I get these projects that I am passionate about but life just gets in the way.  I will have to try harder.

Now I am totally bummed because I have had acne for the last 2 months.  I have NEVER had an acne problem, not even in highschool.  I went to the Dr. thinking that it was something hormonal since being in my 30s and that he can just prescribe the a pill and clear it all up.  Unfortunately he diagnosed me with Rosacea, a skin disorder which isn’t really curable, just treatable.  I was devastated.  Sure, there are worse things out there, but to have your face covered with pimples on your cheeks, its just so damaging to the self esteem.  Then I go to the pharmacy to fill it, only to find out that my dearly beloved husband didn’t read through the benefit package he signed thoroughly, and I had to fork out $130 for 2 tubes of cream.  Yikes!  All this time I thought I had health benefits.  Needless to say, he felt my wrath when he got home.  Ofcourse, he blamed it on the fact that I worked nights and was tired and grumpy, not the fact that this is important stuff that I need incase of illness.

I am feeling much better today as I found out that I have Christmas off.  I am a nurse so I work either christmas or new years every year.  I am taking the kids to the Santa Claus parade tomorrow and even though I am tired, I am so happy that I don’t miss any of the special moments with my children.  I send my oldest daughter Natara to a daycare centre two days a week, just enough to give me a break and let her learn.  They teach her how to write letters and everything.   I guess I am rambling, I just want to say that I will make more of an effort from now on.  If not, be sure to leave me a comment telling me to do so!  I hope you all are having the time of your life with your children, as they are only young once and before you know it time has passed you by.

“If life gives you lemons, make some lemonade”….author unknown.