Yesterday, all the men in my family got a haircut. You would think, based on the reactions of the 9 and under crowd that a haircut is an ordeal not at all worth enduring. I'm not sure I've ever seen such wailing and gnashing of teeth over something that is virtually painless.
I must admit, it has been a while since the clippers have come out of their hiding, what with the birth of a new baby and all. Even still, it hasn't been quite so long that even the youngest could have forgotten that haircutting is not a difficult process. It doesn't hurt, I reminded them... especially when you're sitting still.
But the wailing continued.
Daddy went first - a model of cheerful compliance. Every time I cut his hair, I think back to the early years of our marriage when, for the first time, my husband surrendered his lovely locks to his young and inexperienced scissor-holding wife. I didn't know how to cut hair, but we were poor, and haircuts were expensive, and I would learn, right? A few truly horrendous haircuts later, I did learn. Throw three more boys in the mix and I'm grateful for the skill.
Though their father tried mightily to demonstrate faith in my pain free abilities, the boys were hardly convinced. They remained in opposite corners of the kitchen, frantically pointing at their much too shaggy counterparts.
"Him first!" They shouted. "Not me next!"
Daddy's cheerful convincing might not have worked, but my sternest Mommy eyes finally drew them to the stool one at a time. And then, the real trouble began.
"I want a Mohawk," said one.
"Don't cut ANY hair off the front," said another. "I like it long... touching my eyebrows."
Sigh. Rock star haircuts, Beatles haircuts...Who knew a bunch of boys could be so vain? Not one to squelch individual expressions of style, but still aware that I have to take these boys to church with me every Sunday, I flexed my ever expanding hair styling muscles, and we compromised. Hair that can be brushed into a Mohawk, and only a little taken off the front.
In the end, everyone agreed it was hardly worth all the fretting before hand. Next time I'll have them read this post as a reminder before we start.
(See Sam's mohawk? He thinks he's the coolest thing EVER.)
