Saturday, November 7, 2009

Nice Buns

Any of y'all good with hair? Me--not so much. I couldn't do big hair when big hair was in and I can't french braid and I can't blow dry my hair straight. But I'm okay with that. After years of painstaking research, I have found a couple styling methods that work for me and I'm sticking with those.

Tomorrow, though, is Ava's ballet concert and this particular dance school is very serious about hair. In fact, that's their motto, "We take hair seriously. And dancing. That too."* For every class, Ava has to have her hair done in a bun, and the teacher checks it each week. So that means that most weeks, Ava gets into the car after a class and heaves an exasperated sigh. "Mom, you need to use more bobby pins." Or "I'm not supposed to have any bits hanging down, Mom." I am apparently a failure and a disappointment in a myriad of ways.

So this week the dance teacher sent an email to all of the parents with info on the concert. At the end it says, "Please see attached for information on the perfect bun. If you would like assistance on learning how to do a bun, please bring all hair requirements to class and we will assist." Y'all, they have attached a bun tutorial. Apparently there are exciting advances in bun technology that now allow for a perfect bun. I am so thankful to now have this information at my disposal.

Last week for the dress rehearsal, I tried my Very Best. Here's what Ava looked like.

Now, I know it doesn't look so bad there. But that's cause the photographer had her stand sideways so you couldn't see how lopsided her bun is. And it was totally lopsided. Which Ava was prompt to point out to me. "Mom, why aren't you very good at this?"

Oh! And I have to show you this--this is Jason's attempt at a bun a few months ago when I was away and he had to get Ava ready. Actually, I think it's a good job for a dude. He was very proud of himself. And he can french braid!

Look at all those pins! Good on ya, babe.

So. Now I have 24 hours to work on the perfect bun. I have enough angst in my life, y'all! I don't need bun-angst. (Boy, that'll get me some interesting google hits, I bet!) I even had a dream last night that my sister cut Ava's hair into a cute bob shape, and in the dream I was all, "Now I'll never get it into a bun!" Maybe I should just tell Ava's teachers, Miss Cindy and Miss Patty to take a giant, bun-shaped chill pill. Maybe I should take one.

Wish me luck. Or come over and do Ava's hair for me. That'd be even better.


*That's not really their motto. But I think it should be.

12 comments:

  1. I would be in so much trouble if I needed to get Lily's hair up in a bun for dance class! Especially since she doesn't have long hair!

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  2. Hahahahahaha!! Great post, I love the big bun shaoed chill pill. I feel your pain. For years when Lindsay was little I struggled with the bun cunundrum.(SP????)

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  3. Buns are my specialty. I'm on my way over... :) You can do it!!!

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  4. I'm sure you tube has a great how to video for making the "oh so perfect" bun! :)

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  5. Oh and I forgot to mention that I was just kidding about buns being my specialty...now braids..I can do those! :)

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  6. I am a little girl hair style genius. And then God gave me three boys.
    However at family gatherings the little girls used to line up for my French braid styles. And in college I would practically charge $ to do them.
    The hair in the bun may work best if the hair is not smooth--like braid it night before and pit some spray in it after braids come out. I know her hair has to be smoothed back but the hair may hold up better if not silky smooth.

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  7. Heh, nice buns. It seems like I've seen something on an infomercial that makes perfect buns. It's like a soft donut, and you put the ponytail through it and then wrap it around the donut thingie? I wonder if that would meet their standards?

    She looks gorgeous and so grown up.

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  8. Thanks for the commiseration and the tips, ladies! I'll try the braid thing, Michele Renee.

    And Becky--wow, I was joking about advances in bun technology, but apparently this is a booming business. Will have to get the donut thingy for next year.

    Jane--come anytime, bun or no. :)

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  9. Please tell Jason he's the man. I can't believe a guy actually did that. It's friggin' amazing.

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  10. Google "Babes in Hairland"....and you'll find an awesome site on doing hair. I've become a bit of a hair pro of late...thanks to that site.

    Buns? They suck regardless.

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  11. Ooo, thanks Mad Woman! I will check that out for sure.

    David, have passed on your props to Jason. What can I say? He's got mad skillz.

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  12. My daughter -- who also is enrolled in ballet school -- has toothsome hair, if you know what I mean, so it won't slip out around the edges and etc, good for me.

    Bad for me is that she chopped it off to chin-length this year to give it to [whomever] for wigmaking and now I have to pull it back neatly into two tiny tails at the nape of her neck. Which is way more fiddly than a bun & can not be done ahead of time.

    But our first day of the primary series this year included a 25-min chat from the instructress, 15 minutes of which was about hair. The baby asked for this haircut to show the back of her middle finger to the princess bun expectations, I know. Which is cool. Anyhow. Good luck with all of it. (I cannot shut up, I'm sorry.)

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