How Many Suckers?

My #1 Son was born with lots of hair. His younger siblings had a good bit themselves*, but he had the most.

So when I went in today to make an appointment for Little Girl to get a trim and saw the ladies cutting the hair of a little guy about 9 months old, it brought back some memories.

I put off #1 Son's first haircut as long as I could, and I think that was my mistake. The little guy this morning seemed pretty calm about it, wiggling no more than you would expect at his age, and not at all afraid. Maybe starting that young is best, because they were able to give him a very close cropped cut that looked great.

My son's hair seemed to grow at the same rate as his head, if that makes any sense. As he grew, and of course his head size increased, the hair grew longer, but just long enough to look like a typical little boy haircut. It wasn't until the baby growth spurt stage slowed after his second birthday that the hair grew long enough to be in his face. So then it was off to the barber shop.

You've seen the first haircut pictures, right? The ones where the kid is screaming like he's having his head cut off? Well, that was my kid, until I got the bright idea to pop a small sucker in his mouth.

It was hilarious to watch at the time. I'm standing next to him, trying to calm him down, nothing is helping, and one of the other barbers offered me one of those small Dum-Dum suckers to give him. His eyes were closed, his voice was loud, and then he felt the sucker in his mouth, and it was like watching a trapdoor close.

His eyes opened, and he stayed silent, working on the sucker, alternately slobbering and chewing (yes, he was a messy boy) until he spat out the stick. Then, he opened his mouth to start roaring his disapproval again, and I popped in another sucker.

Until he got old enough to reason with, all of his haircuts were "5 sucker haircuts." Heaven bless the barbers and stylists who haven't found that trick and whose customer moms don't realize, as I didn't, that you should start them when they are too young to know to be afraid.

*#2 Son also had lots of hair, everywhere but on the very top of his head. He looked like he had a tonsure. At a family gathering one day, when his grandpa was holding him, a cousin whispered that they had the same hairline, but one was coming and one was going! He also had to have 5 sucker haircuts when the time came.


Today is:

Anniversary of the Elf Wars -- Fairy Calendar

Feast of Jolly Roger

Feast of Our Lady of Altagracia, Dominican Republic

Get to Know Your Customers Day

International Hot and Spicy Food Day

National Hugging Day

National Granola Bar Day

Own Your Own Home Day

Squirrel Appreciation Day

St. Agnes' Day (patron of virgins, Girl Scouts)

Women's Healthy Weight Day


Birthdays Today:

Robby Benson, 1956
Geena Davis, 1956
Jill Eikenberry, 1947
Mac Davis, 1942
Placido Domingo, 1941
Jack Nicklaus, 1940
Wolfman Jack, 1939
Benny Hill, 1925
Telly Savalas, 1924
Benny Hill, 1924
Paul Scofield, 1922
Barney Clark, 1921
Karl Wallenda, 1905
John M. Browning, 1855
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, 1824


Today in History:

Philip II, Henry II, and Richard the Lionheart initiate the 3rd Crusade, 1189
The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded, 1525
The first American novel, WH Brown's "Power of Sympathy," is published, 1789
Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccination is introduced, 1799
The envelope-folding machine is patented by Russell Hawes, Worcester, Massachusetts, 1853
The first US sewage disposal system that is separate from storm drains opens in Memphis, Tennessee, 1880
Kiwanis International is founded in Detroit, 1915
The first slalom ski race is run in Murren, Switzerland, 1922