SO true..What goes around...

My beautiful, independant TD decided today she wanted her hair cut and dyed blonde, for a completely different look. So whilst OH, my Mum and myself went for a leisurely lunch at a local park, she had a friend come round to help her with the cutting and applying of bleach (not sure why she didn't ask me for cash to go to a hairdressers?!).

Before we left, she'd told me she was going to have a few inches off, have some layers added and "Is it okay if I go blonde all over?"

I replied with what I felt were quite wise words...Hah! Don't you sometimes wish you could just stuff them back in!!

"Aww! Darling..thanks for asking me, but really, you're nearly 17, it's your hair and you're the one wearing it, so you're the one who should decide. If that's what you want"

Phone call received by OH, 5mins after leaving the house, and relayed to me while still driving to the park.

"TD wants to know if you're okay with her having her hair cut like Mollie's?"

"SHIT!! F**K"

.....actually that was in my head, what came out my mouth sounded more like this.. 

"Ermmmmmmmmmmm? errrr...welllllll...um?" 

While my brain was engaged in some very rapid thinking. Could I go back on what I'd already said? Yes? No? Maybe? Would that just give her the message that I wasn't 'truly' ready to give her responsibility for making her own choices? And about something so personal as the way she looks? Worse still, was she asking me because she wanted me to say no?...Or yes?...and oh, all her long, thick hair...*sniff*

With my Mum in the car I was reminded, fleetingly, of all my experiments with multi colours, and, to say the least, rather dodgy looking haircuts I'd had at a similar age, and thought sod it, it's only hair, it'll grow back!

"Tell her, of course I'm fine with it" But I'm sure it came out more like a squeak..

Bright red, close cut and shaved over one side is how it ended up, sort of like Mollie's...

It's fine...*sniff*

And my Mum? She just grinned serenely from the back of the car "It's only hair....."

The Gallery - Portraits

I'm not going to apologise, I was extremely lazy last week, and if I'm completely honest just couldn't work up any enthusiasm about anything, not just The Gallery, so I didn't post a photo. Actually, I didn't do very much at all last week. Life's just like that sometimes.

The theme for The Gallery at Sticky Fingers this week is Portaits, and if there is one thing I love in photography, with a passion, it's portaits.
Which thankfully gave me a small, but swift kick in the rear...

Above is a photo of my Mum. It's her first school photo, taken sometime in 1950, when she was 5 years old.

And this is my first school photo, at the same age. The interesting fact about both these photos is they were taken at the same school. Mum, Dad and I lived with my Grandparents until I was 7, opposite the same school my Mum and all her siblings attended. As we were living with them, that was my first school too.

Below is my all time favourite photo of my 16 year old daughter.
And I have now, in theory, taken this photo twice, 10 years apart. 

Originally taken on my Minolta SLR film camera in 1999, when TD was six and again (yesterday) with my digital camera. 
Why twice? Because, our all singing, all dancing printer/scanner, which I bought for the specific purpose of scanning, has now decided printing and scanning is NOT in its job description after all! Luckily the first two photos had already been scanned before it decided to p**s me off. So I had to take a photo of the original photo.

Three portaits, three generations...

Generations apart maybe, but all three images portray the very same wonderfully, direct 'The world is my oyster' innocent gaze...

...and just look at those eyes...like butter wouldn't melt...

Teenagers...really???

I'm hoping to share my experiences of life with teenagers. The joys, and yes, I promise there are some. Along with the frustrations, chaos and fun of sharing a home with 4 children, who I can still, just about remember as wobbly toddlers with huge nappy clad bottoms, and could fit on my knee, but who actually resemble hulking 6ft poles, who only just fit on the sofa!