Meet Gary!

Bailey is often mistaken for a much younger person than she really is -- it's not unusual for her to be offered Crayons and a children's menu at restaurants. Normally she's quite irritated by this but at this year's Iowa State Fair, it worked to her advantage.

We were checking out the working exhibits in the 4-H Building when we came upon a very busy table where two middle-school 4-H girls were teaching kids to make Grass Head Guys. With only a moment's hesitation, Bailey took her place in line next to much shorter children -- and their parents. :)

She was leaving for college in just a couple of days and thought a Grass Head Guy would be the perfect addition to her windowsill.

To make the Grass Head Guys, you put a small amount of grass seed in the toe of a cut-off nylon stocking. Add a bit of dirt, tie the stocking, and tuck it into a plastic drinking cup. Later at home, you fill the cup halfway up with water. The water wicks up the stocking through the dirt and to the grass seed, which will sprout in about a week's time.

The kids added facial features and patterned paper "clothes". I'm guessing that Bailey was the only one who chose paper to match her dorm room! She immediately named him Gary the Grass Head Guy.

Gary rode all the way to Indiana in a cup holder and took his position on her windowsill. She was quite certain that everyone on her dorm floor would want their OWN Grass Head Guys as soon as they saw him. (I'm not sure if this phenomenon has taken hold quite yet...)

I had almost forgotten about Gary when we Skyped with her a few days ago. So I was delighted to see that Gary now has hair! In fact, he has so much hair that she's had to give him a couple of trims, tidying up the stray pieces growing out of his nose.

Who knew a college student could have so much fun with a cup of dirt? :)