Funny Quote Friday - or maybe not - Ideal Cuteness

Ok - I have six kids (and grew up as one of 6 kids) and a really tall husband - so I'm use to being stopped in stores with comments like "are these all yours?" and "so what about 6'5"-6'6"?" (he is 6'10" for those of you who don't know - oh and yes they are all mine :o} )
But it has cracked me up over the last few months how many times I get stopped by people saying how cute Mackenzie is (on vactation this happened at least 6 or 7 times and only once did anyone comment on the six kids in tow when we went into the tiny shops at Long Beach - and it was to say that they were very well behaved - thank you very much!) Anyway, I get comments like "she is so cute" and "I love the glasses" (which in itself is a funny statement to me because it is always said in a way that I choose to put glasses on her 0r that maybe it should be the next baby trend) But the one that I get the most and cracks me up everytime is "I love those curls - is it natural?" or "Her curls are great - did you perm it?" Now I always thought - "seriously - she is 2"
Well this week I was at Target with Kenzie when two ladies stopped and gave me the usual comments about how cute she is and they loved the glasses and her curls are just great. Then one of them goes "it is natural, right?" (first time it has ever been phrased quite like that) I said "yes" She then tells me that when she was that little her mom permed her hair - she had watched too many Shirley Temple movies. The other lady said "ha - me too"
So I started thinking about it - every lady who has ever asked me if Kenzie's hair is naturally curly - is about the same age ("grandma age" like my kids say - which is to say older than say my mom - because she is a mom to me not grandma and I really don't see her as "grandma age"- but I have to admit they were younger than my grandma who turned 90 this year - way to go grandma!). So maybe this question isn't so funny after all - but a sad comment on what mothers do to kids to make them fit the ideal of cuteness.
Now I always thought "who would perm a 2-year-olds hair?" (really, since Kenzie is so big I'm not sure the ladies realize that she is 2). But apparently some moms would and did. And although I wouldn't go that far, I do remember wrestling Morgan and Kaylee's hair into braids, pony tails and "cutes". I also remember sleeping in rags or foam curlers - and having my girls do the same. I like to think I've gotten better as I've gotten older. But it just may be one of the following:

• my kids are grown and won't let me anymore (seriously 2 are taller than and me - and I know SiSi could so take me.)
• I've decided it isn't worth the fight
• SiSi and Kenzie have enough curl that I don't need to worry about "extras" (that and curls really are just as much work or more in Kenzie's case to just get them combed through)
• I don't have the time or energy

But then again - I almost cried this summer when Sierra cut her hair - not because her new look with bangs isn't cute - but because it wasn't what I wanted for her hair. And I also fight the urge to have all of the kids be matchy-matchy - spending way to much money, time and stress trying to make it happen (I think I have managed win the fight this year - I don't know if at this point the older kids will get anything new - the only one who needs anything is Kaylee and she just wants a "skirt that can go with most anything". And although Kenzie and Sierra will match this Christmas, that is more because Kenzie picked the dress she liked at Costco and then when I took Sierra back, the only one in her size was the same dress.)

So I guess I'm saying to all the moms - let your kids be naturally cute! Because they are and in the long run the fight, stress, money, etc really isn't worth. Spend the time just being with your kids instead - because take it from me - they grow up way too fast.

(ok - don't abandon all cuteness - they still need their hair combed from time to time - and if they are into all the fuss - great! Moms just have enough to be stressed about without inventing new things. Just know there is a time for it and sometimes it is just better to let it go)

**this is me climbing off the soap box :o)**