Do any of you happen to remember that old Ren & Stimpy episode where they run out of money and they’re starving so they masquerade as babies? (“Cute nothin’! They’re deadbeats! Babies have the world’s easiest lives. People feed them, they clothe them, they carry them everywhere they go and they expect nothing in return! In fact, I hear they don’t even have to WIPE themselves!”) Every time I see Dylan walking, I think of how he looks exactly like Ren & Stimpy did when they were pretending to be babies and walking in these great staggering, half-falling steps, with their arms outstretched and lines of drool coming from their mouths.

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There must be something going on with the early stages of walking where it’s like putting on mascara: impossible to do with your mouth shut. He accompanies his wobbly steps with great happy screeches and a lot of furious panting, and oh, it is just so funny and awesome and joyous. (It provides a very nice break from some of his other favorite activities of late, which involve screaming, fishflopping, and throwing a goddamned CONNIPTION over having his diaper changed.)

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We got out Riley’s old pushtoy for Dylan to walk behind, and at first it seemed like maybe the best idea any of us had ever had, because hello, how cute is this?

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And also, my god, where has the time gone?

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Then I remembered why the pushcar can be such a source of frustration for very little kids: they’re thrilled with it as long as they have forward momentum, but the instant it gets pushed into a corner or the wall or whatever, they have a total meltdown and collapse on the floor making dying-wildebeest noises, at which point, if there is an older brother around, the car promptly gets backed over someone’s finger, and then you have to do some deep breathing exercises because you are about to FEDEX ALL THESE PAIN-IN-THE-ASS CHILDREN TO OCTOMOM.

Anyway! The real reason I’m posting is to ask for hair advice. I’ve been growing mine out for a while and it’s officially gotten to a stage where I can barely stand it: it takes forever to blow-dry, and it’s all frizzy and unruly and needs a ton of styling to look halfway decent. I kind of like the wavy thing I’ve been doing lately with a curling iron, but again, it takes forever.

So I have an appointment for tomorrow, but I’m going back and forth on whether I should cut it back to the short bob that’s easy to dry and straighten, or just get it trimmed, keep growing it out, and hope that having it shaped will help with the amount of time it takes to style it? I keep lusting after longer hair, but I’m also thinking that maybe 1) I don’t have the patience for it, and 2) my curly-underneath, flat-on-the-surface cowlicky fuzzy hair isn’t really meant to BE long.

Current:

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Shorter:

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HALP!

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Abby
15 years ago

Your hair always look great, but I think something short and edgy would look *fantastic* on you.

Kelli
Kelli
15 years ago

I really like it shorter. You are a hot lady and the short hair is sexier. Your cheekbones really stand out when it is shorter.

I am not being mean when I say this: longer is cute but too soccer mom. Ya know?

Short and edgy with lots of highlights and low lights.

Christina
15 years ago

Your kiddos are so incredibly adorable!

I love the short look but I am kind of into that look myself right now. Every time see cute hair it is super and short and styled and looks sharp. I also just chopped like a million inches off my hair a few months back and I wished I had not spent SO much time growing it out! GL either way!

robyn
15 years ago

You rock the short, so I think you should go with that. I think the longer hair hides your face a bit, but maybe that’s just the photo.

superblondgirl
15 years ago

Honestly, I LOVE the longer look, but if it makes you crazy, don’t do it. You can’t spend all day fighting with your hair.
And we are huge Ren & Stimpy fans here – my husband and son get them on Netflix every few months and watch them together and quote from them constantly. Dorks. Funny dorks, though.

Kristi
15 years ago

I just wanted to say that those AWESOME photos of Dylan totally need some accompanying sound effects! Especially that 2nd Jujitsu one! He is like the world’s tiniest Bruce Lee impersonator.

kami
15 years ago

Your hair looks great both ways, but I’m voting for growing it out, just for a change and maybe because I’m going through the exact same thing with mine at the moment. I did get a trim Wed. and she took alot of the bulk out, it helped alot!

Sara
Sara
15 years ago

Shorter!

Sarah
15 years ago

Ooh, I love it shorter! I think it looks good both ways, but I definitely love the shorter look!

apple
apple
15 years ago

Shorter! You look like a bad-ass with the short cut.

pam
pam
15 years ago

hee! two of my boys are in that same franken-baby walking phase too. so cute! and oh man, that picture of a tiny riley is killer!

re: hair. i have very thick hair that i never blowdry because i have no time for that nonsense, and at some point about a year and a half ago, a hairdresser who i was never able to find again, thinned out my hair so that it was so much lighter and easier and faster to blowdry. and since i was just pregnant with the boys then, i still had time to do such things. anyway, maybe keep the length (which i like on you a lot, but who am i?) but see if she can thin it a bit with long layers underneath.

Holly
Holly
15 years ago

Both cuts are adorable on you, but you look younger with the longer, more bouncy hair. Maybe you could ask JB what he likes…

Sharla
15 years ago

I love it shorter. I think it makes you look younger. I wish I had the cojones to cut mine that short, but it scares me. It looks amazing on you though!

Elizabeth
15 years ago

at this risk of sounding gushy and stalkerish, I think you look fabulous no matter what, but I love love love it shorter. It just looks a slightly more badass, some how.

anna
anna
15 years ago

Well when I first saw the two pics I instantly thought go short and sleek again. But then I thought about how crap it is to maintain that kind of hairstyle esp. if your hair type is not naturally like that ie. takes forever to straighten etc (I know because I totally had hair like that and to keep my sleek bob I had to iron the heck out of it every 2nd day.

Your hair right now is cute and prob just annoying you because it’s at the inbetween stage. Once it’s grown a bit more you will be able to tie it up into a high pony and not even worry about styling – and also once its long it will weigh down and not seem so frizzy and boofy.

Staci
15 years ago

I honestly like both pictures of your hair… but the second picture just seems to suit you so well… that is what I would pick. :)

Jennifer
Jennifer
15 years ago

I’m all about convenient hair, and I have worn everywhere from pixie-bob to waist-length. I find the most convenient is the really long hair because I just pull it back, braid it, and leave it. Sort of earth-mother hippie style but it’s so easy. I just chopped 12″ off though and now have it super-short (which I hate, c’mon hair growwwww so I can pull you back again).

In your comparison photos, I really like your shorter one better. They both look great on you but the short one looks like “fit healthy workout girl” which is my favorite look on anyone.

I know this doesn’t help!

It sounds like you’re curious about growing it out longer until you really go stir-crazy, so maybe you should just go with it for a while. You can always just cut it later.

Victoria
15 years ago

Try for longer.

You can always cut it after that. :)

Robyn
Robyn
15 years ago

Not sure if someone said this already, but just get them to thin it…then it’ll be easier to style and blow dry while you grow it out!

Olga
15 years ago

I think it’s lovely both ways, but when it’s shorter you look not just beautiful but also STYLISH like HELL. And if it’s easier to manage – added bonus!

Joy
Joy
15 years ago

Shorter.

jolie
15 years ago

I thought I already left a comment but it’s in the abyss! I did your survey, it’s off my name’s link. and I say go for the gold and grow it out! you should just get it thinned a bit while you grow it so it’s more manageable, and if you hate it after 6 months, then cut it. no harm!

Lisa
Lisa
15 years ago

Shorter!

Claire
15 years ago

I totally remember that Ren and Stimpy EP… I loved that show! And I agree: shorter. :)

Jen
Jen
15 years ago

I am jealous of your thick hair…

I think it looks great at the shorter length; very trendy and hip look

Tina
Tina
15 years ago

I just realized it’s been 6 months since my last haircut, so I’m possibly the worst person to give hair advice, but I love the sexy, fuller, longer, curlier do.

Also the Dylan walking pics are super cute… I couldn’t help but think that if you lined up some of Riley’s action figures around him, it would look like a perfect scene from Godzilla. Baby on the loose!

Kim
Kim
15 years ago

Whenever you post pictures of Dylan walking, it gives me hope for mankind. I can’t remember – did Riley make those ecstatic experessions when he was first learning?
As for the hair, my theory is if you have the face for short hair, do it. Especially if you get the type of cut that lets you do little things differently like flipped out, curled under or make cute little piggy tails. I for one, DO NOT have the face for it, so I’ll always have to keep mine long. It’s a pain in the ass and summertime is Ponytail City every day.

Stephene
Stephene
15 years ago

Short!

=)

Melissa
Melissa
15 years ago

I *love* your hair short.

Longer, the way you’re styling it now, makes you look older, to me. It’s pretty, but it’s too old for you, in my opinion.

But maybe I’m just swayed by my jealousy for how great your hair looks in the short, straightened times.

Alley
Alley
15 years ago

I dig the shorter on you; it fits my mental image of your personality better for some reason. Then again, I’ve been growing mine out for my wedding and it’s DRIVING ME INSANE, so maybe I’m just hoping to live vicariously through you.

kath
15 years ago

your hair looks fantastic both ways – I always go for the cut that is easier to do. Fedex to octomom is the funniest thing I’ve read in a long long time … thanks for the laugh.

Alyson
15 years ago

When I’m unghappy with my hair, I just make an appointment with Dorian at Gene Juarez in Bellevue. He’s my guy. He understands my desire to have shorter hair (long is just not possible for me), but to NOT look butch. I love him so much, I have considered knitting socks for him! Just can’t figure out how to ask him his shoe size without sounding really kinky.

sooboo
sooboo
15 years ago

I too have the straight(ish) on top frizzy underneath texture and I kept my hair short to medium short for years. Then I discovered the longer I grew it, the less frizzy it became because the weight of the hair sort of pulls everything down. Now my hair is to the middle of my back and it isn’t that hard to take care of at all. Definitely easier than when it was shorter. I say hang with it, grow it out. You can always cut it later.

Dynamita
15 years ago

I’ve read your blog since the beginning and I just want to say I think you have had the same hairstyle for a while now. I vote for a change!! Longer hair is easier to manage, you just have to wait out this in-between stage!

deanna
15 years ago

this might be a little late, but SHORTER THE BETTER. i am partial to short hair, though, given that i rock a bit of a punked out pixie. on the plus side short hair also tends to be easier. and your hair looks SO GREAT short and straight.

sara moon
sara moon
15 years ago

short, short, short, short, short!
you look awesome with it short and it’s easier. win win!

Kathy
Kathy
15 years ago

I like it shorter too. The longer style looks old fashioned and somehow Southern cotillion-ish. The short straight look just seems to suit you better.

Julie
15 years ago

Chalk up another suggestion have your hair thinned out a bit. I have really thick hair that’s kinky (not enough curl to be curly, not straight enough to be straight, so, yeah) and it was the best thing I’ve done to my hair. It’s cut down drying time dramatically (I’d say between 25-50%). I was worried that I’d have thousands of short hairs sticking out, making me look like I’m being shocked continuously, but that hasn’t happened. My hairdresser uses those scissors that look like they have teeth – very bizarre, but whatever works. It just takes a conservative hand (don’t let the stylist start chopping willy nilly). Then you can do whatever you want with length and style. (Both look awesome on you, naturally. How do you do that with the curling iron?)

Jane
15 years ago

Linda, grow it. You’re at the worst bit now, the in between bit. Once it gets long enough to tie back then you can wear it out when you have time to style it, and just put it in a pony tail when you don’t have time. Easy!

I have really thick hard to manage hair and I never had the patience to grow it. Then I decided that at some point in my life I’d probably cut it off and keep it short from then on, so really it was my last chance to have lovely long hair. Now that it’s long I love it as the weight keeps the boofiness at bay when it’s out, and there are lots of easy fun styles I can do with it up.

The key is just getting through this frustrating stage you’re in…

Jane
15 years ago

PS: Your hairdresser can always thin your hair out a bit to take care of volume and help keep down drying time etc. Also, you can always get a fringe (bangs?) if you want to change your style up a bit as you’re growing it out.

Elaine at Lipstickdaily

Love the pics of Dylan walking . . . and love your hair. Chill!

seadragon
15 years ago

I might prefer the longer, but it looks like WAY too much work. (Picking up a curling iron = too much work!) The short is also very cute and works extremely well on you, so I’d go with that if you’re looking for easier!

Also, the walking pictures are the best.

Kate
15 years ago

Whoa dude. Short, choppy bob. It looks fantastic on you. I think it suits you much better than what’s happening now, even though both look good.

Donna
Donna
15 years ago

I am voting for cat. Wait, ham. LOL.

Andrea
15 years ago

You and I have the same hair type.

Cut it. Growing it out will only take forever and when you get there, you will hate it and cut it short anyway.

I’m going to have mine relaxed soon, and cut short(er), so that I can have truly wash-and-go hair.

Christine
Christine
15 years ago

I think the shorter made you look more mom punk whereas the longer wavy picture looks more mini-van mom to me.

I personally am trying to maintain mom punk for as long asI can without being pathetic.

Erin
Erin
15 years ago

Linda – get Moroccan Oil. It will help with the friz and you won’t believe how healthy your hair will look. I have gotten so many compliments since I started using it. It’s like I have a new healthy head of hair. It cost $40 a bottle, but it lasts a long time. You only need a little bit at a time. I’m telling you, this is your be all end all. http://www.moroccanoil.com

aimee
15 years ago

I love both styles–go with the easiest!

TB
TB
15 years ago

I think once you go short and have kids, it’s all over. You’ll never have the patience to grow it out again. Besides, I think it looks great in that second photo.

nicoleantoinette
15 years ago

Since you’ve already been growing it out, I say keep growing it for a little while and see if you like it any better. Worse case, you hate it, and you know cutting is always an option!