The Haircuts

At the beginning of summer, we attempted to get Caleb's hair cut.  Long story short, it didn't happen.  We definitely tried.  We prepared as best we could by explaining what was happening and by bringing snacks and books and movies with us to Great Clips, but none of our preparation could prepare our boy for a strange experience in a strange place among strange people.

We walked in the door and the panic set in.  By the time he was sitting in the chair with me, he was screaming and flailing and reaching for Eli to whisk him away from that awful place.  It was not a temper tantrum.  It was a true panic attack and it broke our hearts.  So we opted not to cut his hair, at least not in that environment where he was obviously confused and terrified.  We didn't want a simple haircut to be a traumatic experience so we left and decided that, somehow, we'd have to cut his hair at home.

But since we've always loved Caleb's long hair, we didn't push the agenda.  I kept it trimmed in the back and let the summer go by.  We did agree to cut his hair sometime, though, and finally it was time.  We chose a night when he wasn't overly active and wiggly, gave him a bath so his hair was wet, turned on the TV and let him sit in my lap.  Then I took the scissors to his beautiful, silky blonde hair.

I cried after the first snip.  I couldn't help it.  I was holding a precious lock of hair in my hand and realized it was really happening: Caleb's first haircut, and it was going to be drastic.  But I kept cutting, and Eli kept assuring me that it looked good.  Tears kept escaping from my eyes but I just wiped them away and kept cutting.  It helped that Caleb didn't seem to notice or care what I was doing.  When all was said and done, I continued holding him in my lap and kissed his head over and over and over again, telling him how beautiful he was.  Because he is.  He's a beautiful boy who'll grow into a handsome man no matter what his hair looks like.

BEFORE

AFTER

Even though his haircut looked great in the end, my Mama heart was tugging.  I turned to Eli and said, "I have to cut my hair now."  Here's the thing: I'd already been thinking about chopping my hair for awhile.  It was beyond time for a trim, and it's been getting in the way for months.  Kai is past the phase when he would deliberately grab my hair, but whenever I hold him he reaches for any and all things and often gets my hair on accident.  Plus I wouldn't mind having shorter hair as I swim laps at the gym this winter.  (Trying to get all my hair into a swim cap has proven rather annoying in the past.)  All that to say, I'd been considering a haircut for awhile and then committed to it after cutting Caleb's hair.

So I went the next day and had it chopped.  The stylist took off 12 inches and I donated it, which I've done twice in the past.  And although I'm still getting used to it, I like it!  Caleb paused and stared at me when I walked in the door, noting the change, but then went about his business as usual.  My hair feels funny and freeing at the same time, and I wonder if that's how Caleb felt after his hair disappeared too.  Either way, it's a fun change for us both!

BEFORE AND AFTER

New haircuts for a new season.  We're literally in a new season as autumn has blown her way into Duluth this week, but also in a new season of life.  Eli's new job begins on Monday and we're moving forward with preparations for missions.  Changes all around!