7.21.2010

Sisters make the best friends


On the big iron bed I shared with my two little sisters as a child lived a pillow my mom had cross-stitched with the message: "sisters make the best friends" (see above). That pillow witnessed many brutal wrestling matches, book stealing schemes (mostly Baby-Sitters Club - I thought Claudia was such a great dresser), and other - worse - acts, like the game of barber shop we played one fateful night in 1980, when I gave my little sister Lauren a really drastic hair cut the week before a big family reunion.

Visiting home recently, my two girls shared that same iron bed (until night three, when the bigger of the two decided the little one smelled too much like pee-pee and chose the floor instead). I was so excited to see that my mom still had the pillow. I've told the girls about it, doing my best to subtly brain-wash them with the innocent little motto. When they saw it, they immediately started to fight over who could sleep with their head on it. Awesome. The magic lives on.

And then, further proving that what goes around comes around, a couple of days later my girls locked themselves in a dark closet and had their own fun game of barber shop. The six year old mowed a wide, jagged path through the three year old's blond tresses, right down the middle of her head (to the scalp) and then made some nice bangs (also to the scalp) on herself "because it just looked so cute and good."




Thank goodness for sisters. And also for anthropologie dinner napkins. Which the three year old will wear every day as head scarves for the next year of her life while the top of her hair grows back. Including at my little sister's wedding, in eleven days.

22 comments:

Mary said...

Awesome. My second-grade school picture boasts a huge curl on one side of my head while the other side is flat. My older sister did my hair. Love that picture.

Jess said...

My daughter just decided to be a hairdresser a couple of weeks ago! Not so dramatic as yours.
I also loved Claudia! Her hair was so beautiful.

Antoinette said...

She wears the dinner napkins well! The look is very stylish -- the head covering might end up being her style calling card someday, influenced by this innocent beauty salon play mishap.

Unknown said...

Jess, do you remember how Claudia only wore red, white and black? (or was that Stacey?)

chris said...

Oh this made me laugh so hard. I wasn't blessed with sisters of my own, but I now have two girls and I am watching this unfold in our family too. Thank you for sharing. At least you can make some cut scarves that go with every outfit.

Leslie said...

Oh no!! Not her hair!!

My kids are really missing yours!! I miss you too. :)

Unknown said...

Oh, I gasped. I remember my own sisterly haircut very well.... Headscarves are cute.

sk said...

Ha! That's a great story! They will love it when they're older :) At least she looks darling in the headscarf!

The Hillbilly Banjo Queen: said...

I know I probably shouldn't laugh, but we've had our own share of little girl haircuts at my house and it always happens right before something big. It's the law. I happened to like to do my own hair as a child and cut off the sides right at my ears while the rest was to my waist. I had the ultimate mullet.

Prue said...

Thankyou for the laugh!

Jacinta said...

HAHA! That is just classic.
I don't have sisters... so my hair unfortunately was only cut by a trained hairdresser. My two little girls are 19months apart and now I'm hoping they'll stay bald forever!!

ellen said...

Oooops!!

An Art Nest said...

I walked in early this summer on a lopped off ponytail and indian scalped bangs...all after I laughed at my friend's child 3 days earlier...seriouly, kharma can suck :)

Henna @ AboutCabinets Blog said...

actually you are right, even though my sister is 12 years my senior, she is still my best friend whom i can share my home and other troubles, the embriodery on the pillow was just too good

house on hill road said...

oh lynne! what a story!

Lauren said...

I LOVE that pillow:) Her hair looked much better at the wedding and Lily did not like talking about it.

Tina said...

Having 4 girls I've had these moments! This is one of those moments where you go through a seris of emotion: anger, tears, remorse (that you weren't there to stop it) then laughter (sometimes this last one takes a few years to get too)

So sorry for your girls "hair loss"

:)

claireth said...

It's the 1st time i leave a comment here, but i've been reading you for quite a while now (and by the way, lynne: thank you for confirming you were still alive!...)
This post moved me so much, it reminded me of all the fighting and wrestling and barking and whatelse with my younger sister years ago... Now she really IS my best friend. But don't she dare come close to my hair with any sharp tool!

Liz R. said...

i love the way you tell your story. maybe it's because i know your family, but you totally crack me up!

sex shop market said...

It won't work in actual fact, that is exactly what I suppose.

pharmacy reviews said...

So lovely post! How can you make a post so adorable. I love the relationship you make between the text and images so please keep writing.

charmingdate said...

Nice to be here and see your post!