Shorn short

P has been growing his hair out for forever, with his goal length: his toes. Don't get me wrong here, I love long hair on boys and men. Particularly top-knotted or in dreads. But the child, well, its been a bit angst filled :)

The long stuff, it drags into the daily oatmeal, dredges through the soup, sticks in the glue, collects the sand and fans out in the dirt. Brushing such a concoction is unfavorable to the child, yet he allowed it once a day, each day. Brushing the mop would be much easier if it were washed on a regular basis, but the child finds this act, likewise, unfavorable. All of this doesn't even touch on the subject of aesthetics. I mean, his hair turns into a gigantic poofball whenever the protective layer of grease is removed, by, say, the occasional bath. Like a giant blonde pyramid it is, pointing out from his slender shoulders. I loved his curls last year, these long layers - they were my daily nemesis.

As he sat for his brushing today, he grouched and moaned at each little tug (he was unusually grumpy and tired). He doesn't want me to stop (he dreads naturally formed dreadlocks) but he doesn't want me to go. And I say, as I always do when we hit this impasse, "I can cut it, if you'd like. Or we can try again. What shall we do?" He sat there, sullen. I upped the ante. "You know, with short hair, you never have to brush it."

I know I've mentioned this brushing bit before, but today, it just clicked. "Ok!!! Cut it!" And despite the fact that we, quite literally, had one foot out the door, he was ready to drop everything for the great chop.

Fearing a change of heart, followed by tears, I suggested he glance at some photos of his previous do's, to show me his goal length. I would have been more than happy with a shaggy head of curls, summer's humidity does wonders to his head, but he found the cut he wanted... on his Uncle's head.

"There! There! That's what I want. Just like Uncle Jace's!"

Before:

After:


So we tied it up and cut it off. Honestly, I know I'm supposed to be attached to my baby's hair, but it was like Belle kissing the Beast. I was so happy to see his little head again :) And as we ate dinner tonight, the runny hummus wasn't a war zone anymore...