I wanted to cry when thick locks of hair dropped to the floor. I prefer them with their hair longer. Not long, just longer. But they’ve been swimming this summer, and the hair gets in their eyes. When they ride bikes or scooters, there is always a bit of maneuvering when taking off the helmets to reduce the amount of hair pulled and lost. And no matter the brush or spray, nothing could tame the mops of two boys in the heat of summer. Their hair grew up and out like chia seeds in a drip tray of water. They looked like bobble heads.
Instead, I cried uncle and watched them get buzz cuts for the summer at their favorite barber shop, the one with the black and white floor tiles, football pennants, and stations made from Craftsman tool chests. With each swipe of the clippers, their eyes seems brighter, their hair lighter, and their excitement pretty darn cute. Cute enough for the row of military boys lined up for their own summer buzz cuts and high and tights to grin and watch. And when one of those soldiers looked over at me and smiled as if to say “Handsome boys,” I had to agree for entirely different reasons.
I still wanted to cry, only this time it was to declare that God bless summer, God bless the U.S.A., and God bless boys in buzz cuts.
(And uniforms.)
Who would ever imagine a post on buzz cuts would give me goosebumps?! Sigh.
you have such a way of weaving together stories. i’m with amy: your writing gives me goosebumps.
amen! {and my boys will only get their hair cut at that very same place}
Awww, makes me think of the first haircut I gave my husband. Married for just a couple of weeks, and him a newly-minted 2LT, he liked his hair short – very short, much shorter than I liked it. But I was determined to cut his hair myself, having watched my mother cut my father’s hair my whole life. My first attempt turned out better than I expected (though how hard is it to basically shave a head?), and though there were a few mishaps, I can now do a pretty passible high and tight. Seven years ago I would not have known what that meant. And . . . just two weeks ago I brought out the scissors for our son. Putting it off as long as possible, I did NOT want to cut those red baby curls, I knew it was time. When he is referred to as “she”, that’s the line. So off went those locks (saved, of course) and after a disastrous start, he now is the cutest 15 month old in existence. So your haircutting post is special, expertly written, and very fitting for me right now. Thank you!
P.S. I was behind in your posts and just read the one about wanting only boys when you were little. I had to laugh because I NEVER wanted boys – they were so horrible when I babysat in high school – until one well-behaved little guy convinced me it might not be “so bad.” But with a 4-year-old-in-two-weeks girl and a 15 month boy, I am MUCH more apprehensive with Jonathan than I am Sophia. At least I understand girls, I was one, and they make perfect sense. Boys? None at all. Thank the Lord for my husband!
I love it when I get comments like this. :)
I love this post. So great.
Now, come on.
LOOK at those faces.
The lack of hair simply draws more attention to the adorable cheeks.
We buzzed Big Brother this summer and I LOVE it. A bit of a shocker at first, though. Don’t you love the feeling of it when you run their silly heads?
Yes! They feel like puppies.
Awww Jules! They look so cute. :) I’ve, thus far, avoided the buzz cut but the picture of your boys makes me wonder, why? It’s time (ok, past time) to take Nathan to get his first real hair cut. I did cut off his “Donald Trump” locks once but that was just an avoidance technique….but next Wednesday…*sniff sniff*
My son used to have the softest longish blonde hair – and when he started wrestling in high school he went with the buzz cut. It was hard for me at first, but now when I look at him (2 yrs post 1st buzz) I really can’t imagine him any other way. He used to be a kid that hated to get his hair cut – now if it starts down the nape of his neck at all he’s all “I gotta get a haircut mom.” I’m thinking girls might have something to do with this sudden interest in keeping his buzz cut well groomed. ;-)