Another Haircut

I looked at Robby the other day and realized that he needed another haircut. He looked a bit like a ragamuffin with his shaggy, overgrown do. Much to my chagrin, I knew that a trip to the barber was inevitable.

I try to rotate our patronage between two barbers--in different states. The last time he had a haircut, he screamed so loudly that the police officers, working at the nearby substation, came running when they heard his wails. He left the barber shop with a crooked haircut, a reddened and hair covered face and with a Mommy with a pounding headache.

I started to prep him for our trip to the barber over breakfast. Initially Robby seemed eager. He talked about sitting in the special "up-down" chair and getting a lollipop. He said that, if he was good, he would get two lollipops. I reminded him that, while he was sitting in the chair, the barber would be cutting his hair.

After his initial protests, Robby seemed to accept his fate. "I know Momom. Robby get one haircut." Although I found his request odd, I agreed and told him that he would only get one haircut today. He happily sang about getting one haircut and getting a lollipop.

Robby repeated his assertion that he was going to get "one haircut" as we walked into the barber shop. He cautiously climbed onto the barber chair. I was thrilled. Finally, my little boy seemed to accept his haircut without causing a scene. I sighed a deep sigh, confident that the haircut antics of the past were now a memory.

I was wrong.

As soon as I began to relax, I realized that Robby and I had (another) catastrophic misunderstanding. This became clear when he picked up one hair off his head and showed it to the barber. He then told the barber that he was just getting "one hair cut."

When asked how I wanted his hair to be cut, I responded by saying "quickly and short." The barber went to work as Robby voiced his "displeasure." (I apologize for the video. Scott and I collectively worked for several hours to rotate the video without success. I opted to use it because the audio was the most important aspect.)

Thankfully the barber was able to cut Robby's hair short. I am hoping that he matures before his next haircut and that his behavior is more acceptable. Actually, it really doesn't matter to me how he behaves the next time he goes to the barber. I have decided that Scott can take him, and I'll go for a much overdue massage.