Noodle Necklaces from my big girl

Eldest sent me a sweet letter from college today, and it included a drawing. She was apologetic about that drawing, and likened it to the noodle necklaces she made for me when she was in pre-school. Here is what she wrote next:

It is surprising how much college resembles pre-school: crying for mommy, crossing the street without looking for cars, the necessity of snack time, not caring how stupid we look all bundled up with big mittens, playing in the snow, going over to your friend's house and puking, taking naps, and the excitement over a grilled cheese sandwich. And, don't forget, the truly awful handmade gifts (like noodle necklaces)!


This is a random picture I just found on the web (searching for "noodle necklaces", of course), and it does remind me alot of my blond little pre-schooler eons ago. That same intent concentration on the job at hand -- now she applies it to her Engineering degree.

For the record, I LOVED every noodle necklace and Christmas ornament, drawings then and now, the early pottery (where it's your guess as to whether it's a candlestick or a holder for a single pencil), and of course the wonderful pottery she now makes!

Here is my noodle artist all grown up.

In High School, she got a notion to sport dreadlocks -- and we let her. Some of the other moms asked "How could you?!?" Our rule for teens is they're allowed to rebel within reason, such as experiment with fashions that are not permanent (such as tattoos) -- but hair grows! So here are the "before" and "after" dreadlock fotos.



For the record, the dreadlocks only lasted for half a year -- she was on the swim team that semester, and dreads proved a bit cumbersome. I missed those dreads, though... They fit her earthy personality very well (Even though I never had dreadlocks myself, I can see that some of my Granola mama ways have definitely rubbed off on her).

Her nickname from that time was "Medusa".