Pete's

Today was the day Steven & I decided to be brave...to throw caution to the wind and put our curly headed little boy in the barber's chair. This is a day that we've discussed for some time now because I basically refuse to bring a pair of scissors anywhere near my son's head anymore. We had put if off as long as we could, and today was the chosen day. We waited until Matt woke up from his nap and had wolfed down his snack. As I was changing his diaper I was preparing him for what he was about to experience. He repeated back to me, "Ma-moo hair cut." Before we got in the car I stuffed my purse with a full arsenal of Matt favorites: his blanket, goldfish & animal crackers, fruit snacks, a drink, & his favorite book as of late. We pulled up to Pete's Flat Top Shop (the place where Steven gets his hairs -grin- trimmed) & Steven went and poked his head in the door to make sure they weren't too busy. Praise God they were completely dead in there, not a single customer. We walked in and Matt looked around totally unsure and uneasy with his surroundings. The barber put a booster seat in the chair, we hoisted Matt onto it, and he then used a smock like a belt across Matt's lap to keep him in place. Matt immediately balked. He plunged forward saying, "down, all done, all done!!" Tears of rage followed from there as Steven & I fought with our might to pin him down while the barber tried hard to make an even cut with the clippers. Matt was thrashing and screaming, "hold you Mommy, all done, hold you Daddy, all done!!!" It was heart-breaking and funny all at the same time. We gave the rest of the barbers in the shop quite a show as they cheered their support for Matthew. I knew that nothing in my purse besides his blanket could help in the least bit at this point, so I thrust that at him and he stuffed it in his mouth. After what felt like an eternity the barber turned off his clippers and revealed a much more grown up little boy. He looks so different! My immediate reaction was, wow...his head is really big! Even without that mess of curls the boy's got a big noggin. He looks so handsome and like he's ready to start his first day of school. Once we got Matt out of the chair he clung to me like a monkey trying to catch his breath and get a good look at his attacker. We came home & he was still a little sensitive; I think he was mostly bothered by the itchy hair trimmings on his face and neck. We all went outside and Matt had fun playing with buckets full of water and his daddy spinning him in the swing. It's going to take me a while to get used to his new short cut. I feel like he's just getting so grown up lately with all the new words & comprehension, sitting at the table (no more high chair!) with a plate, climbing on everything, and now this Boy Scout look. It's killing me. Where's my baby? But, he still snuggles with me and sits in my lap when I read to him and has this undeniably precious way of saying, "hold you Mommy?" I love him so much.