First Haircuts

My 15 ½ month-olds were super shaggy. They were long overdue for haircuts but I had waited for my parents to be in town and then my kids got sick! My parents left and came back two weeks later and the babies got sick again! So on the last day of that visit, when the babies were finally over their sickness, we headed out to get my ragamuffins looking spiffy again.

I expected that James and Julia would end up on my lap for their first haircuts but I had a little bit of hope (or self-delusion) that they might be happy to sit in a race car or on a carousel horse for the big event. Or at least long enough to take a few pictures. I also wanted a place that would be patient and gentle with my potentially crying and thrashing munchkins, so on the big day, March 23rd, we went to Just Kids in Los Altos.

Mark was late meeting us and then I insisted that he take some before photos. Thankfully no one else was there and the stylist (and maybe proprietor?) was very patient with us. (Us go overboard on the pictures? That’s unpossible!)

First was Julia. She endured the tugboat for about 20 seconds before being moved to Mommy’s lap. She definitely wasn’t thrilled, but once she was given a new toy to play with she was happy-- or at least tolerant of whatever this was going on. Her bangs were cut so she could see again and her hair was trimmed in the back, sort of like a bob.


Mommy sits with Julia before her haircut.


Despite getting to sit in a tugboat, Julia is NOT happy.


"You know I will never forgive you, right?"


Julia likes her new haircut, but she likes her toy even more.

Next was James. We expected a struggle and we were right. He loved sitting in the tractor but as soon as the stylist touched his hair he was bawling. He continued bawling in Mommy’s lap, and of course his cut took much longer because it needed to be shortened all over. James was seriously thrashing - it was like cutting the hair (or fur) of the Tasmanian Devil - but the stylist was understanding and made it through. James no longer looked scruffy but was a cute little boy. Looking at the pictures he was also a pretty defeated looking little boy. Poor little guy.


Papa holds James before his haircut.


James likes his tractor.


James moves to Mommy's lap but he's still not happy.


"Oh. What's this toy?"


"Oh yeah, I mean STOP!"


James looks like a vet who saw some of his best friends killed in action - Puppy Dog, Blue Car, and Kitty Cat Puzzle Piece.


James has seen pain no other toddler knows...

Each cut was $20 and included a certificate for the occasion and a mini Ziploc baggie of their hair. The stylist earned her $20 with James’ thrashing but Julia’s was so quick it made me think there should be a different rate for girls. Generally I thought each cut was good, though later I noticed that Julia’s bangs were slightly uneven, and James’ hair had some longer pieces in the back.

After we left, when I was putting Julia into her car seat, I noticed she had tried to make off with one of the salon’s toys which I then made my dad return. Julia: portrait of a year-old klepto.


At home showing off the new haircuts.