To cut, or not to cut?

NO, I am not talking about school. 

I am no longer a high school senior, registered for a lot of "study hall" in the Band room.  

Somebody might notice if I skipped class tomorrow.

The big one. Her hair.  That's what I'm considering cutting.  CHOPPING, actually.

Considering the combing and tolerance invested, shouldn't this be down to her butt by now?

Last fall "we" decided "we" would grow it out, including letting her bangs grow.  In reality, I decided to grow it out, then I got stuck dealing with the clusterBLEEP that is now "hair time".  We can rest assured that my girl has both her father's low tolerance for pain, and, if she learns the language, a promising career as one of those sobbing women in Spanish soaps.

Bangs looked cute on her as a toddler.  She's got anaphylactic chipmunk cheeks a sweet, round face. I thought growing them out might look nice and have an elongating effect.
She gets lots of compliments on her naturally curly hair. When it's sprayed with a pint of detangling stuff, combed out, wetted down, sprayed again, combed again, and restrained by hair accessories, that is.
And the grown-out bangs?
In reality, these chunks of thick dark-blonde frizz hang in her eyes, attract food particles, and make themselves a general nuisance.  BUT again, there's the CUTE factor.  We can just now pull off pig tails, with the aid of bobby pins or barrettes.  The possibilities...

Backstory:  This is apparently karma at work.  As a child,  I had very long hair at 3, and for one reason or another, by 5 it was as short as a boy's.  This would be the origin of my Uncle Gene's pet name for me: "boy".
Charming.
But WOW do I get where my own mother was coming from.

I know, I'm supposed to give it more time, have patience, etc.  Unfortunately, I don't have time, energy, patience, you-name-it.  I look at some of my friends' little girls, with long silky hair down their backs and my jaw slackens in awe.  Check that, it's their mothers who I look at in awe.  The little cuties themselves don't have to brush it, they just have to be adorable.

Handsome hubby has expressed many times how much he likes short hair (on me, for one thing, but also on the elder offspring).  It's getting hot.  Miss M has awakened at night several times batting the froufy mess out of her face and whining.  She has expressed that she now wants "short hair like Susie" instead of "long hair like Mary" (the names of these girls have been changed to protect the cutely-coiffed innocents). It would be So. Much. Quicker. in the mornings.

On the other hand, we've come this far.  (Doesn't seem very far!)  Her hair has lovely natural highlights and when grown out for a few years it'll probably settle down to a nice, thick, wavy mane. It's not even all one length yet! I should give it a chance and then let her decide, it's her appearance.  I would have killed for long hair as a child of just about her age.  Princesses have long hair! On the other hand, April O'Neil...  

Here's where we were:

Last summer, when "hair time" was an admittedly simpler time.

Here's where we were this morning:

See the face? Yeah, that's as smiley as we get after "hair time".

So...pretend this is your kid's head. 

Keep in mind that you have to both look at it, listen to other people's opinions about it, and also do the maintenance yourself.  

Opinions please: 

To cut, or not to cut?