Friday, January 15, 2010

Mother-Daughter Bonding

Not everyone is blessed by a having a teenaged daughter in their life so today I’ll let you experience a small slice of it vicariously.

The other day, I got a birthday package from my mother-in-law. Ariel (oops), my teenage daughter, known hereafter as TD, coveted the Godiva chocolate that I got. (Hurray, my mother-in-law shops the Godiva after-Christmas sales.) After I shared my chocolate with TD, who does agree that chocolate is a food group/medication, TD oood and ahhhed over my new makeup—my mother-in-law is an Avon lady. I pointed out the very hip colors. TD commented on which ones she liked. And that was the end of the conversation. I went back to folding laundry, and she went back to Diff-Eqs (short for differential equations).

Later that evening, I was getting ready for Bible study, and she saw me doing my hair.

TD said: “Hey, would you like me to do your make-up for you?”

Me, mildly suspicious since I’ve allowed her to do this to me before: “Uh, well...”

TD: “Seriously, I won’t do anything too weird.”

Me, thinking—That’s what you said the last time and I had to wash my face: “Uh...”

TD: “Come on.”

Me, thinking—mother/daughter bonding time: “Sure, why not?”

TD, after applying thick goop to my lips: “This lipstick isn’t really dark brown.”

Me, jerking back to reality: “Huh? What did you say?”

TD: “This lipstick isn’t too brown. It looks sort of natural.”

Me: “Oh.”

TD (shielding eye shadow colors from my view): “Close your eyes.”

Me: “Right.” Then I sink into oblivion, meditating on the newest short story I’m working on.

A period of time passes.

TD: “Hmmm. I don’t think you’ll like this.”

Me: “Let me see.”

TD: “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

I stand up and look into the mirror. My face blanched. “Oh, my goodness.”

TD: “It’s trendy.”

Me: “I look like the loser in a bar fight.”

TD: “I can fix it.”

Me: “With soap.”

TD: “No. Just relax.”

Ten minutes later.

TD: “Ta Da!”

Me, trying not to bite my lip because it’s covered in goo, “That’s better, I guess.”

TD: “I put purple over the blue and then dusted white sparkles over that.”

Me: “I have on three layers of eye shadow!?!”

TD: “It’s really cute, Mom.”

Me: “I can’t wear this to Bible study.”

TD: *shrug*

Me, looking at the clock. “Ahh, I’m late for Bible study! I hope no visitors show up and see me looking like this.”

TD, smiling broadly: “Tell them it’s my fault.”

Okay, dear readers, just so you know—it’s her fault!

4 comments:

  1. Very trendy nowadays: The Sparkly Clown look.

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  2. Hohum... Wonder what Ariel thinks of the entire ordeal...

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  3. Yeah, it's FUN to do Mom's makeup :) And it was not "The Sparkly Clown Look!"

    Actually, when you do eyeshadow, you're supposed to use multiple shades of color within the same scheme (like a darkish blue and a lighter blueish-purple); it looks better that way. And, Mom, for the record, it looked cute.

    BTW, about the lipstick, the implication wasn't that it "didn't look to bad"--I said it was a good color for you.

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