the youngest one in curls

The youngest one in curls knots.  I intended to do the cross out in the title but blogger won't allow that.  Do you have the Brady Bunch theme song in your head now?  You're welcome.

Curly mentioned one night in early pandemic days that she had a knot in the back of her hair kind of near the base of her head.  I encouraged her to use conditioner to work through it.  

I feel like this photo does not do this knot justice. 
You had to feel it.  It was massive.  Do you love
 the curl hanging from the bottom
of it, like 'Hey, still willing to be cute here.'

Long story short (and my own parental shortcoming admission here - I never followed up and physically examined the knot), the next time I heard about the knot it had taken on a life of its own.  Mini admitted that she had tried in vain to detangle this beast behind closed doors in their room, to no avail. 

When I had Curly show it to me, I almost fell over.  It was the size of my fist - a solid mass of matted hair with one lone curl springing out from the very bottom of it. 

I googled how to get out a HORRIBLE knot and I armed myself with the necessary bottle of recommended conditioner and warm olive oil.  I instructed Curly to hop in the shower and come down with an old towel.  Thankfully I had the foresight to have her sit on a stool pulled up against the counter by the kitchen sink, since we were in for a long, hard battle. 

Her scalp was SO RED.

It was paramount to torture and I question if I should have waited to take her to a professional, but stuff was still not open yet.  Plus I think Curly would have been more uncomfortable sobbing at someone else's hands.  Besides I have heard varying dates about when Curly thinks it started, and adding more time to her 'situation' threatened to only make it worse.  

FYI - one theory is that her hair malfunction stemmed from the last time she wore a wig for Irish dancing.  Damn this 'fun' past-time.  I told Curly we will be moving forward without the wig, and any teacher or judge that doesn't like it can kiss my big ass.  

This makes Curly distraught, going against the grain.  I am telling you though, thanks to the pandemic - I feel like we start over to a new set of rules.  Don't do shit you don't like or that seems silly - attaching a wig to a beautiful curly head of hair is a fine place to start.  (excuse me while I tuck my soap box back under my computer table).

40 minutes later, yes 40 - it was over.  Mini took
 some video of the removal but I just
watched the clip, and it is too sad to share. 

After several minutes of getting almost no where in operation free Curly from dread lock central, I resorted to a kitchen fork.  Please don't judge.  Turns out we own NO comb (or brush) that could penetrate the knot.  The fork was used to poke holes in the knot where I would insert more conditioner and oil, and continue to poke away.  Bit by bit I would tear at the hair and get little sections to separate one after another.  The poor girl squirmed and sobbed while I worked at this mass of hair.

Mini, my assistant, handed me stuff as I needed it, and Eddie worked to keep the patient soothed by rubbing her back and assuring her I was making progress.  All three of us banned Reggie from entering the kitchen, fearing he would tease Curly endlessly.  

In case you are unaware, some 14 year old boys are insensitive.  You've been warned.  

Oh sweet mother, this might have been the hardest ordeal I have ever experienced (as far as physical pain goes) with one of my children AND I was the one administering it.  My stomach was in knots - oh, dear lord the unintentional yet perfect pun.  When we were done, there was a pile of hair on a paper towel lost in the process, and Curly looked altered - her face red and her eyes slits.  BUT WE WERE IN FACT DONE. 

Curly was thrilled that it was over, as was I.  I think the process even took a toll on the supportive bystanders:  Mini and Eddie.  Once Curly's face re-inflated so that she looked less puffy in all the wrong places, she embraced her new ability to run her fingers through her hair.  

I also made her raise her right hand and swear to NEVER, EVER allow a knot to remain unaddressed for MONTHS.  Yes, people.  This thing grew over several months, apparently, grabbing neighboring curls and weaving them into the mass until she could've started singing Reggae.  

So, any bathing, or hair mishaps you would care to share?  Kids who cut their own hair, or shaved off their eyebrows?  Anyone have any issues when kids started bathing themselves?   I mean, Curly is 12 and has been bathing herself for YEARS without incident.

Reminds me of Eddie cutting off his eyelashes with his scissors while at his desk in first grade in like the first week of school.  I discovered this while reading him a bedtime story and looking down to see that he had no eyelashes on one eye.  I think he was bored, and hell - who doesn't want to test out their new school supplies?  

But hey, I was asking you all to share so I will shut up (even though I have more tales to tell, of course).