A Day in the Life (sort of)

Two stories from today....
1. One part of being a special education teacher with pre-school level children include play-based assessments. These are exactly what they sound like- playing with kids to assess where they are: emotionally, cognitively, physically, and socially.
In returning to Carver after a mid-day play based assessment I walked into my afternoon class to be welcomed with a generous, unanimous "Wimberly!!" coming from the mouths of my little ones. Then a spontaneous, "Pareces Letti de la Fea Bella"- Translated "You look like Letti the ugly girl from the soap opera I watch with my mom". (Think- "Ugly Betty", but in Spanish) To which I responded with a heap of laughter (in unison with my children who are also laughing at me). Now, you may be wondering what would warent such a seemingly rude comment. There are a few rare days during the school year when I wear glasses to school. All glass-wearing days are for one reason: I have conjunctivitis. I know, I know... why would I go to school with pink eye??
I justify my going by telling myself the kids will be better off by my being there than me staying home with pink eye.
Of course, the teacher in me kicked in and I spoke with Paloma about why we woudn't tell someone they look like Ugly Betty.

2. After school I rushed to my hair appointment where my wonderfully gay hairstylest did his hair styling magic (while slipping an awesome hair product in my purse- free of charge!). From Shawn I hit the new super sized Victoria Secret and then to purchase a black silk top from Express. Feeling all to much like Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde (I just watched the movie for the first time), I drove on to my favorite nail salon. Unlike Elle, I wasn't getting my nails done for emotional therapy from my "Ugly Bettiness" but I was on a mission to wax my all too hairy brow. Little did I know the pressure I was about to face in the little enclosed waxing room. As my cute Asian waxer did her eyebrow waxing magic I heard the words I was dreading..."You want wax lip?"
It seemed like the record stopped on the record player (you know the sound). I could feel my heart (thump, thump). And then the questions in my head, "What if my lip hair grows back like never before?", "What if I wax my lip only to find that I have committed myself to a lifetime of necessary monthly lip hair removal?", "How much does this cost?"- that question I asked outloud.."$6, " she replies. Then I am doing the math... $6 a month for the rest of my life. Amidst the questions and money figurings my waxing lady says, "You have lot of hair, need wax." To which another stream of questions ensue, "What if this is a waxing conspiracy?"... (once I wax she knows she has me as a lifetime customer), "What if I am prey to one more superficial beauty trap?". In that instant my future flashed before me and I saw myself in twenty years (a) with a long jean skirt and no makeup with a really hairy lip -and then- (b) an older, more sophisticated me, with a sexy bare lip.
In that instant it was clear the decision I was to make. And whether it was a life-long decision I am glad I made it: WAX THE LIP!
"Ok" I squirmed as the beads of water ran down my eyes as she ripped and pried. It wasn't that I was crying from my long over-due lip waxing. It was that dang conjunctivitis flaring up from the eyebrow waxing. My lady makes sure to show me how much hair she has pulled from my upper lip, "Long hairs, see how many?" she says. I wondered what everyone in the nail/pedicure area thought as I emerged from my waxing quarters: red brow, red puffy eyebrows, red wattery eyes, red puffy upper lip.... I could feel the stares and the wonder ("Was she crying over a waxing?" they must have thought- "yikes, she is ugly") And yes, I could definitely agree with their thoughts. I was pretty stinkin' scary- looking in that moment.
But my decision to wax was confirmed when I returned home (still red and freaky looking) to my husband going "Oh, yeah. That looks good." (Talking about my lip waxing- not my new hair cut, not my eyebrows- MY LIP). OK, I definitely made the right decision.
The next major lip hair- removing decision will probably involve a few more dollars and a bit more pain, but I can already see myself getting those bad boys removed from a lazer procedure....
I will keep you posted....

For now, I am getting used to this bareness. It feels really odd, like I should spread lipstick or chapstick over my entire upper lip area up to my nose. It also feels like I've lost the boundary on my face- the boundary between lip and nose. I'm a little nervous about the ensuing weeks... how many hairs are going to pop up? What texture of hairs will pop up? Will I be constantly plucking until I can't stand it anymore and have to return for my next waxing???

I will try to let the questions and the anxiety go... and just enjoy this newness. I am now just one more (almost) 27 year old who is no longer an upper lip wax virgin.
Ta ta for now readers...