Double the Love: So long mullet babies!

Yup! That's right! Today was the BIG day...we finally took the boys for their first haircut! It case you were wondering, they will be 21 months old on January 22nd. It was a sad, yet exciting day! Sad because their baby hair is one of the only "baby" things left about them that I could still hold on to! Exciting because they are growing up so quickly and they were converted into little cover models in less than an hour!

Friday I called and made 2 appointments for 11:30am at The Hairy Elephant in Ballwin. This morning the boys slept in until 9am so we had to get around quickly to get us there in time (yes, it takes us that long!). We were hoping to have some extra time before the appointment to drive around the area since this is one of the areas on our "short list" for buying a house. But, we did not get around in time so the only looking we did was the road we took to get there!

Upon arriving at The Hairy Elephant we checked in and were greeted by our stylists. They showed us a cabinet of flavored/scented shampoos and told the boys to pick one. They had everything from strawberry to peanut butter cup! We helped the boys and went with a basic grape. From there we were escorted to the elephant wash stations. The boys love to have their hair washed so I didn't anticipate a problem with this step. Unfortunately, I did not know that they used a platform where the children laid down in front of the sink instead of the traditional chair. As soon as I saw it I knew it was trouble - it looked like a doctor's office table, without the white paper! The boys knew it was trouble too and screamed as soon as we tried to lay them down. We each held one while the stylists attempted to give them a grape wash. As soon as we sat them up they were fine though - it was as if nothing had ever happened!

After the elephant sink, children were allowed to pick out both a movie to watch and the chair/car they wanted to sit in. Since we don't do tv the stylists popped something in just in case (Neither of them watched it even though it was right in front of them). And, since we wanted them side by side there were not a lot of vehicle choices. Ashton got a race car and Ayden got a golf cart. They both had steering wheels and some buttons to push. They were both draped with a cape and the stylist's went to work.

Ashton wasn't too sure right off, but as long as I stood right there with him he was fine. As the stylist went along he relaxed and started to play with the steering wheel and the buttons. The stylist asked me if he wore his hair to the side. I told her that it usually just went straight forward. She started cutting it like that. A few minutes later I noticed that it was to the side a little. I told her that if it wanted to go that way that she could cut it like that. As she was finishing she put some gel in his hair and blow dried it to the side. He didn't care much for the clippers on his neck or the blow dryer. But, when she finished he did look very handsome! I am not sure if the "to the side look" is for him though. A few hours later it was already going forward again anyway! He has a little widow's peak so I think it will be staying forward from now on - we'll see...

Ayden did okay when we sat him down. He did raise his hands to us and say "Up, up!" many, many times throughout the process though! Ayden looked around a lot and did play with this steering wheel and, of course, the buttons. Ayden had such cute little curls around his ears that it was hard to see them go! He has a light swirl on his front hairline which makes his hair go to the side. The stylist confirmed with me that was how we styled it and she started cutting. Ayden wasn't real hip on the clippers either but, the stylist let him touch them and turn them on for her and that helped a little I think. After cutting the back of his hair, we realized it stuck straight out about the bottom of his neck line. She tried to cut it up a little so it would lay down better. I think it just needs to be trained to lay down and then maybe next time we won't get it cut so short in the back. Ayden's stylist did not put any product in his hair or use the blow dryer (probably a good thing!). He was really transformed when she finished with him - such a big boy!

Once the haircuts were complete the boys played in the waiting area which had a train table, some wall toys and soft seats. Daddy paid while I was given a very cute certificate for each boy, complete with a 5x7 "after" picture and a lock of hair in a little baggie both attached to the certificate. We left with children we hardly recognized as our own, but we were proud parents none the less!