Chop chop, snip snip

There comes a time in every young man's life when he needs to cut his hair. Noah's time arrived today. Actually, it arrived several months ago, but it was just today that we finally made time to get it professionally cut.

In the few occasions I've trimmed Noah's hair at home (just a snip above the ears or a snap in the back), he's melted down at the very sight of a pair of scissors. For that reason, I decided to pay the few extra bucks to take him to "Cookie Cutters," a hair salon designed specifically for kids. My reasoning was that if he were to be distracted by enough toys and videos, perhaps we would avoid the toddler tantrums I've become increasingly familiar with as of late.

Good choice.

With the aid of a play area, four different "vehicle" chairs to use during the cut, four television monitors each playing a cartoon specific to a child's favorite character, and McDonald's chicken nuggets/apples/milk, the haircut went more smoothly than I ever could have imagined.

The before shots...


You can't tell so much in this picture, but his hair had long grown over his ears and was flying away in wild wings from the front of his head.


In the back, his layers of all-too-precious curls were starting to turn into raging briers. The advent of hat season meant every time I took OFF Noah's hat, I discovered his curls had morphed into a tangled, gnarled mess. It was neither attractive nor comfortable for little man. Plus, I was starting to grow a complex that we were perching precariously on the ledge of mullet land—not a place I ever want to visit.

Here's Noah in the middle of the cut. At this point he had hair snippings coating his apple dippers, and his sippy cup had little puddles of hair as well. Ew. Noah, though under control, was beginning to tense and not-so-politely push away the stylist's hands as she worked. She took it like a champ.


Finally, the finished product. Maybe Noah's not smiling, but his mom and dad are. We just love our handsome little man's new 'do.

Noah, 12/3/08