I Made the Right Decision

I had a hankerin' for a bath this evening so I went ahead and took one. Thanks to my wonderful husband, who can handle our two babies, sometimes this is possible. I say 'sometimes' because this is not something that happens all the time. The sun and moon and stars kind of have to align, i.e. I have to not have other projects going on, babies that need immediate tending, or be just too dog tired to even get in the tub.

Anyhow, tonight was one such night, so I snuck off and got myself all situated in the hot, bubbly water. I decided that since the farm house we will be moving to only has a tub on the main level (the shower is in the basement) and the main level is where the bedrooms, kitchen, living room, etc. are at, maybe I should try my hand at washing my hair in the tub.

This may not sound all that noteworthy to y'all, but to me it was kind of exciting. I don't think I've washed my hair in the tub for years and years and years. I guess I just grew to prefer to wash it in the shower because it seemed to do a better job of getting all the soap out.

I wouldn't have even attempted it were it not for this handy dandy little water pitcher that we got for washing the kids' hair... I don't know if I can really explain it in a way that is understandable, but I'll try: It has a rubber insert that you rest on the kids' head (or my head, in this case) when you pour the water over, and this rubber piece keeps the water from going into your face. It's really quite marvelous, especially for me because my son does not particularly like having his hair washed because he hates getting water in his face, and I can sympathize because I too do not like water pouring over my face. I was traumatized when I was younger by someone doing this to me (you know who you are, eldest sister).

I digress.

So this turned into my big adventure for the day. (I don't get out much.) And I'll be darned if it didn't all turn out just fine for me... My hair seems to have come just as clean as I would have liked, and I had the opportunity to soak in a hot tub for awhile to boot. What a deal.

But that's just all the preamble to what I really wanted to say here. What I really wanted to say was that this trivial little bath settled my mind on one small matter...

I debated a bit as to whether or not to use the word 'gal' or 'girl' in my website name. I did. I actually thought this over on several occasions. I guess I liked 'girl' because it was a nod back to my youth, growing up on a farm as a girl. So it seemed like maybe 'girl' was kind of fitting. But then I settled on 'gal' because I felt that it just more accurately describes me at this time, and I'm not one to dwell on the past too much, so that's the way I went with it.

I'm happy with my choice of nomenclature (I'm not sure if that's the right word to use here, but I like it so I'm sticking with it) and haven't given it a thought since.

Well, not until I was in the tub tonight, that is.

As I slipped down into the water and contorted just so that I could get my head/hair in the water to begin this momentous washing process, I realized something... Years ago, the last time I washed my hair in the tub, it was not such a physically demanding process. I mean, those muscles that help you keep your head in the water while at the same time putting your hands in your hair to lather things up, well, they don't seem to work so well anymore. Something that I used to do with ease and without thought was now an effort. Two babies in two years seems to have taken its toll on my girlish figure.

And that's when it hit me... Definitely not 'girl' anymore. It's 'gal'.

I should maybe even rename my website 'Ramblings of a Broad Shouldered Norwegian-German Woman with Child Bearing Hips'.

But I won't. I'll do yoga instead. As soon as the sun and moon and stars align again, that's what I'll do.

p.s. By the way... That happy little picture up above of a little girl -- who kind of looks a little bit like Dana Carvey -- is me, back when I actually was a girl on a farm.

p.s.s. Eldest sister, if you ever read this... No hard feelings. You made it up to me in a thousand ways.