American Girls.

"She used to tie her hair up in ribbons and bows
sign her letters with X's and O's..."
--Trisha Yearwood

My daughters usually get their bath before church every Wednesday night. Their bedtime is between 8-8:30 pm, and even though we live 2 minutes from our church, we are never home before 8:30 on Wednesday evenings, so it's bubbles and scrubs before we even head out the door. When it gets warmer Libbey likes for me to braid her hair while it's still damp so that it will be "curly" at school the next day. Last Thursday morning, however, she wanted to wear her braid to school.

When I picked her up later that day, the sweet lady who will be her 1st grade teacher next year (yes, that's the kind of school she attends--I already know all her teachers for the next 5 years! So look out Mrs. Powers--we'll be headed your way in late August!) stopped to ask, "Where's her bow? Libbey always has a bow. Those Litton girls are known for their bows." Oh really? Sure, my daughters wear them all the time. But known for them? Well...ok.

Libbey was born with a head full of hair. Hair that needed to be pulled back out of her face, even at the age of 6 months. What better way to be both fashionable and practical than with a pretty hairbow? We don't do headbands--those just cause headaches, and what child needs a throbbing head on top of their already busy schedule? Playtime, naptime, snack time, dress-up time...but no time for a headache.

Over the past 6 years we have amassed a large collection of bows. Those of you with daughters who wear these know that they are not exactly cheap. (Beckie, start saving now, in case God gives you a daughter one day. What am I saying? I know you'll just make yours. Whatever.) We have bows in every size, shape, color, pattern, design and style. That's all I'm gonna say about that, lest my husband read this and start mentally calculating our bow net worth. (Calm down, honey...after all, you have a Corvette, Harley, Wii, Xbox, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band. I'm just sayin'!) But, hallelujah...thank God we have two girls to benefit from our bow abundance.

I started looking through our past 6 years of photos on Kodak Gallery, and unless they are asleep or it's early morning, my children are decked out in hair accoutrements on a daily basis. I guess it's become part of their every day wardrobe. Clean panties? Clean clothes? Shoes? Bow? Yep, we're ready!


Here's Libbey before turning 1...

At 2 1/2 (with hair much longer than Caroline's is now!) in Nags Head...

A big sister is born! 3 1/2...

Caroline at 8 months old and barely any hair...yet still enough for me to get that bow in!

On top of Stone Mountain, in Georgia, at 5 1/2...looking at me like an irritated teenager.
Though a late bloomer in the hair department, Caroline's mane is finally starting to flow...therefore she is now adorned with a bow on a daily basis. Just like Libbey she even asks, "Where's my hairbow?" I've unintentionally given my daughters the impression that they are never fully dressed without a smile or a pretty bow perched atop their sweet heads.
Aunt Mandy & Caroline, December '07

Visiting the Whitley family in Georgia, March '08. (And those are stickers, not earrings!)
So there you have it. My blogging ode to hairbows. (Side note to Tiffany--my ode to you-know-what is coming soon--promise! Because it's time, if you catch my drift.)

Yes, we are some serious girly girls in this family. Unabashedly! I'm gonna keep on keeping on with the bows, too...because I know the day will come that I'll hear, "Moooommm...puh-lease do not put a bow in my hair...that's so babyish!" And then I'll be sobbing. In the corner. Performing a duet of Jimmy Crack Corn with Heather. But ooooooooooohhhhhhh...with the money I make selling all this twisted grosgrain on eBay I can take a weekend trip to the beach. Bow Beach Bash. Wahoo! And here I am again, thinking positively.