Spa Spectacles

Last night I had my first spa experience. Mattie and I were spending the night at the Bridges to keep Bailey, Josiah, and Emma company while their parents were out of town. Bailey had been researching facials, and she made us a mini spa in the living room. There was candlelight, oatmeal, cucumbers, chocolate, everything.
Mattie and Emma wanted to give me a makeover, first, so they powdered and brushed and poked at me for a little while. After a look in the mirror, I didn’t really notice that they’d actually made me over, but Mattie explained that she didn’t want to freak me out.

Poor Emma was the one who got freaked out. Bailey mixed up her yummy looking oatmeal/milk/strawberry concoction and laid Emma out on the floor with a headband around her face. Then she spread the goo. It smelled really good. But the stuff was COLD. So Emma giggled and wiggled and had various kinds of fits, while Bailey was tried to get her to calm down and have a spa moment. Mattie and I were rubbing her feet with aromatic peony lotion, music was playing…who wouldn’t have been relaxed? But I had to laugh, because I knew I’d be just like her when my turn came, and worse, if anyone was messing with my feet like that!

After Bailey rebuked my irreverent attitude (it being non-conducive to the general spa-mosphere we were trying to attain), I tried to shape up and enjoy the spa moment, but I couldn’t seem to shake old habits. I couldn’t help thinking that strawberries, milk, and oatmeal sound (and smell) an awful lot like dessert, and didn’t our Mommies always tell us NOT to get food all over our faces? I mean, here’s Emma, getting cold food smeared all over her face while she lays on her back on the floor with her eyes shut while two other people hold her by the feet. And Bailey wants her to relax!

So, it wasn’t really as bad as all that. In fact, it was so fun, that, once Emma had dried up and washed off, Mattie did it too. And then, we began talking about other kinds of facials, and Bailey’s wheels started turning, and in the end, we declared a state of emergency and the five of us jaunted off to Kroger and bought two cucumbers, a bottle of lemon juice, and a substantial supply of chocolate. (Josiah was only along as body guard/innocent non-interested bystander; he wasn’t getting a facial).

While we stood in the candy aisle expostulating over the chocolate (why can’t everyone just like dark?) we thought about yogurt, too. I thought about yogurt. And said something about yogurt.

“Oh, I saw a recipe for a facial with yogurt in it,” Bailey said enthusiastically.

“Sounds yummy,” I said. Bailey grimaced cutely at me.

“Cassie, you have to think…”

“Facially.” I agreed, shame-facedly. “I know. I’m trying. Why do these facials have to be made out of all the food I like?” After all, what kind of world is it when you pay good money for good yogurt once in a blue moon and it never even gets to your mouth? Well, in your mouth.

Well, we got back home safely and set up the “real” spa. Enter chocolate. Enter candles. Enter pretty acoustic music. Bailey made us a refreshing drink by putting a spritz of lemon juice and some cucumber slices in a pitcher of cool water, and Emma made up a veggie tray and laid out the chocolate. Then they laid me on the floor and Bailey doctored me up. I was determined to relax, despite the fact that my last external oatmeal experience was when Mom slathered me with cold oatmeal paste to sooth my raging chicken pox last year. Actually, in spite of the cold and gooiness and the slight tickling sensations going on in the foot region as Mattie and Emma stuck cotton between my toes, the whole thing was very pleasant. I must have been a regular spa spectacle. Pink oatmeal caked on my face, twin cucumber slices balanced precariously over my eye sockets, hair sticking in all directions. Bailey did a great job with the facial, and it smelled heavenly. Strawberries and oatmeal. Reminded me of birthday cake. And then, Bailey rubbed my head and Mattie and Emma massaged my hands. I was totally pampered out. When the oatmeal had dried, I washed it off, and sure enough, my face felt great.

We tried to do Bailey too, though we aren’t exactly pro’s like she is. :) But hopefully she got to enjoy the affect too. It was a fun, girly evening that I certainly won’t forget :)