My sister-in-law is heading out to hollywood to do the hair for the top 12 contestants on American Idol. So I paid her a visit to color my hair before she left. I asked her to figure out what my natural color really is and give me that all over....so I wouldn't have to worry about getting color touch-ups before she got back. I could just let it grow out.

Let me just say this....my sister-in-law is more that a hairstylist. She's more than a stylist to the stars. She's a magician. I swear she must have a magic wand somewhere in between the blow dryer and curling iron.

I left the salon feeling good with a fresh cut and my natural color. And every time I looked in the mirror to admire my new style.....






I jumped back.
In horror.
Once or twice when passing a mirror I gasped.
Who was this dark-haired person staring back at me?
I felt like one of the characters in "Freaky Friday" where the mother and daughter are trapped in a body that is not their own.

The "natural" looking me
was just not me.

I tried to like the natural me. And I know that Fred and the kids (God love them) tried to not say that they didn't like the natural me.

I just didn't like the natural me. I like the fake me way better.

I had to go to a different person to get my blondes put back in since Suzy is busy getting ready to leave town.
Now that I have them back I feel so much better about life. I recognize the person looking back at me in the mirror. I have joyfully resigned to to fact that I will forever and ever have my hair colored so I never ever again have my natural color.

Because the Real Me is Fake.
And I like it.

Labels: my life

I do have a life outside of my house and outside of my immediate family.

Sometimes.

Here's a picture taken last Wednesday night at Texas Road House in Davenport. Mike and Karen Mickle invited all of the writers and others involved in QC Family Focus Magazine out for dinner. I was able to get a babysitter (which is another story of huge success that i will tell you about!)

I'm there with 3 other writers and Mike and Karen.

Labels: my life

For 45 minutes yesterday I thought that I was dying. Literally.

I spent the morning volunteering at the school, picked up Danielle from preschool at 11, walked in the back door and saw the light on my answering machine flashing.

Play Messages:
"Hi. This message is for Robin. This is Jenny from Dr. Iltis's office. We have the results from your test in. Could you please call us back at ......"


Doctors call back if they want you to come back. Right? That's how it is with those yearly exams. They always say no news is good news.

So why are they calling me and wanting me to call them? What did they find on last weeks CT scan? I must have a brain tumor. No wonder I haven't been feeling right these last 5 months. I am slowly dying. I wonder how long i will have. I wonder if I'll look good in a wig. I need to hug my children. I need to tell them everything that I want to tell them. Because what if I'm not here tomorrow?

I sat calmly with Danielle as she showed me all of her preschool projects. I lingered longer than I usually do. We made lunch together and ate together and I totally loved on her every single second. We talked about all of her preschool friends and about her upcoming birthday (3 months away) and what fun stuff we would do that afternoon. That was fun. Making sure she felt special in all of that warmed my heart. Why do I so often put that second to my long list of "to-do's"?

Then I called the doctor's office back. I was put on hold for like 5 minutes. It might as well been an hour. And then I heard her voice:"Hi Robin. Dr. Iltis wanted to let you know that your CT scan came back with no sign of any sinus disease and to give your current medication a try for the next 2 months."

I'm not gonna die.

At least not from a brain tumor.

But I gotta say....living those 45 minutes like I did made a difference in how I want to live the next 45 minutes. Or 45 days. Or 45 years.

Labels: my life