First Day of Summer Vacation

Yesterday...Tuesday...was the first day of Boy's summer vacation. Thank all the gods that we only have to get through the rest of this week!!!! Oiy.

Start off with it was a crazy weekend for the kids as well as the grown-ups. Friday-Monday, they slept in 3 different places, played and swam all day, and were generally run as much as I was running. Now, on Tuesday...Dada goes to work (like usual), and Boy is home with "Mean ol' Momma" who hasn't really prepared for this.

Oh, I have elaborate plans for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week...but ONE DAY AT HOME didn't seem like too much to ask for. I still have all the laundry and household chores to keep up with, after all.

Unfortunately, by 10am, it WAS too much to ask for. The kids had watched a show and were in the Great Room playing while I unloaded the dishwasher. Boy came running into the kitchen, "Look Mom! I'm the Avatar!"

The first thing I saw was the bright blue arrow he had very carefully managed on his forehead. Okay, washable marker. *breathe* Washable marker. Hey kiddo, that's pretty cool! His hair looked a little funny, though. Pushed back so more of the arrow was visible. He asked for some help with drawing arrows on his hands and feet so he could look more like Aang. Sure, lemme finish the dishes...

I drew out the arrows, but something was bugging me. Something was not right. I walked into the Great Room and saw Girl was following her brother's example and had also drawn lines up and down her forearms and forehead. *breathe* It's washable, it's washable.

Then I saw the scissors. I looked again at Boy's forehead. Oh crap.

Sure enough, it wasn't water that had slicked back his hair...he had CUT IT OFF. Oh my god, I'm going to kill you....
Hey you, come here... Yeah, the patch was not going to be easily fixed. Double crap. I can't tell you what I said...I was trying too hard to control the tone and keep calm...but I did get him naked and in the bathtub so that I could *try* to fix it. Within two minutes, I confirmed it was hopeless and Boy was sobbing because I was taking too much off and his friends would laugh at him. Not good.

I'll make you a deal...we will turn on the shower and wash off the arrows. Then we will get dressed and walk over to the shop and have them fix your hair. Momma just can't do it right. I promise that when we come home, I will help you make all of your arrows again.

It worked. In fifteen minutes, I was sitting in the busy neighborhood barber shop with a little boy who desperately needed hair fixing and a little girl who was dancing in circles and covered in multi-colored marker. I felt like I qualified for the Worst Mom of the Year Award. Beloved texted me, guaranteeing that every mom had moments like this. *sigh*

Seven dollars and forty-five minutes later, Boy is grinning about his prickly hair and we walked home. It took a couple of hours, but he did come around and ask about the arrows. I didn't blink. A promise is a promise.





Mostly I hope that he will remember the glee of the afternoon as the Air Bender, and not have too much regret or resentment because "Mean ol' Momma" got his head shaved. I am also very glad that summer camp starts next week!