Baldy McNohair

This post is not about weight loss, but is an interesting look at how hectic my life can be on any given day (join the club, right?).

Picture it.  Sicily Cincinnati. 2013.

A busy, distracted mother accidentally shaves her son's head...

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Yes, you read that correctly (Also,major cool points if you caught the above reference).  Here is a little background:

So, for the past few years, Tim and I have been giving Aidan haircuts at home with clippers.  You see, Aidan was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (a mild Autism Spectrum Disorder), when he was 4 years old.  He has a lot of sensory issues, which made taking him for haircuts agony when he was younger.  He would scream his lungs out and I would have to pretty much restrain him to get the haircuts done.  It was hell on the stylist, but I tipped exceptionally well for the trouble.  Kids cuts cost $4 at this salon, and I tipped her $20.   Basically, he did not like the sights and sounds of a hair salon and he has big issues with people messing with or around his ears.  It became such a nightmare, that we resigned to doing home haircuts.  He was fine with that because he got to do it in his own home, and he got to watch daddy cut his hair with the same clippers.  They didn't hurt daddy, so it must be ok.

So, last week I took Aidan for his first professional haircut in years, and he did a fantastic job.  It is amazing what a little occupational therapy and maturity can do for a kid.  Taking him, reminded me of the time I "ruined" his hair.  

It was a normal evening.  It was bath night, and Aidan's hair was getting really long. So, I decided it was a perfect time for a cut.  I got the clippers ready, and put the guard on.  I cut his hair.  All was well.   The next morning was a nightmare.  I was running a little late for work.  Things were hell at work, so I was very preoccupied and distracted.  Tim calls upstairs, "Courtney, you missed a couple spots on Aidan's hair.  I am sending him up.  Please fix it real quick!"  Great.  I am already in a hurry, but this shouldn't take long.

Aidan comes up and sits down in the bathroom.  I get the clippers and then I proceed to start running them through his hair to find spots I missed.   I run the clippers right down the middle of his head.  I then realize that I FORGOT TO PUT THE GUARD ON!!  Moron!!!  I was HORRIFIED.  I just stood there in shock and then tears started running down my face, looking at what appeared to be a reverse mohawk.  Poor little Aidan was so unsuspecting.  "Mommy? Mommy? What's wrong?? Why are you crying?"  I just whispered, "your hair."  The little boy reaches up to feel his head and feels the damage I did.  "MOMMY!! I WANT HAIR!! I WANT HAIR!!"  (I know it was bad for me to get emotional in front of him, but I couldn't believe what I had just done.)  So, I had to shave the poor little boy's head.  Completely.  In the middle of February.  In Ohio.  

This was the result.  He is blonde and so he looked so bald!  Now, I know in the grand scheme of things it is not a huge deal that a boy had his head shaved.  Some of you may do it to your kids all the time -- on purpose.  It was just a moment where I realized that I was far too distracted with other things at home.  My common sense had gone out the window.  I mean, as you can see by how happy he is in the these pictures, he didn't really care.  He got over it real quick.  I did e-mail his teacher though and explain that there was an "incident" with the clippers and that Aidan would show up to school looking very different.  I basically begged her to tell him that she loved it. Oh,and Tim decided to call him Baldy McNohair (thus the blog title).Aidan loved that new nickname. 

Now, I look back on it and laugh.  It was a silly incident that I hope never to repeat.  His hair was finally getting long again, so we went for that professional haircut.  Not ONLY because I am banned from using the clippers again, but also because I want him to learn how to handle things like going somewhere to get his hair cut.  You know what?  He did a FANTASTIC JOB.

Here is is during and after:

Mission: Toy Organization and Birthday Adventures

We have a small house.  The toys are overtaking it and something has to be done.  I am tired of stepping on painful things like a toy broccoli spear (hurt like a bitch, and yes, they make toy broccoli) and hearing noise making toys go off at eerie times.  So, I took on the task of getting the toys out of the living room and in to the kids' room where it belongs.  As mentioned, we have a small house, and the kids are currently sharing a room, so we had to be smart about it.

I found these great bins at IKEA on Wednesday.  They are collapsible and come in packs of 3 for $14.00.  I thought that was a great deal, because fabric bins at Target can easily run nearly $10/bin.  I labeled them with fabric markers.  Darcy has been having an attitude about cleaning up lately, so I am going to try to make it easier and maybe more fun for her.  Since she cannot read the labels, I am going to safety pin pictures to the bins, so that she knows what goes in them.  

We are overrun by stuffed toys.  So, I am in the process of figuring out what will be donated.  I also have one of those stuffed toy hammock things that I am going to hang up for some storage.  

The Brooks family arsenal.  Aidan has more squirt guns and Nerf guns than any kid I know.  Most of them were gifts.  He even has Nerf swords, a Nerf bow and arrow, a Thundercats sword, and a light saber with sound and lights.  We are ready for war, folks.  

Ok Movin' on....

So, yesterday was my birthday.  It was a good day, although I wouldn't exactly call it exciting.  Tim is off this week, so we had a nice, lazy morning with the kids.  We could not figure out what to do or where to go, so I suggest, "Why don't we go down to Great American Ball Park to the Pro Shop?"  I have been wanting a new Reds t-shirt, and where better to go than the pro shop, right?  WRONG-O.

So, we get in the car and make the 15 minute drive into downtown Cincinnati.  We pay $3 to park our car.  

We get to the pro-shop and walk in the doors.  

5

4

3

2

1

We walk right back out.  Forty dollars for a damn t-shirt??  You have GOT to be shitting me!!

After that, we decided to drive to one of our favorite parts of town to do a little shopping and have dinner later.  The kids were being little beasts.  When I thought that I couldn't take it anymore, this happened:

Thank God for small miracles.

Tim and I take turns running into places we want to go, so that the beasts could continue to hibernate.  This is what we have resorted to, folks.  I miss shopping alone.

We stop for my "birthday cake." 

Because I am trying to mend my fat girl ways, I order the smallest size and share it with Darcy.  It worked out well, and I avoided some of the calories and the guilt.

Olive Garden for dinner.  Their portobello mushroom ravioli is amazing.  For such a rich dish, the calories were not insane.  Not a meal I could eat every day, but it was my birthday.  I am going to eat something special.

The ice cream did take me over my calorie allowance for the day, but it is ok.  I don't eat Coldstone and Olive Garden every day or every month, even!  

And now, for the best birthday card award:

This is the card that my sister, Carrie, sent me.  I cannot explain why this is funny.  It just is.  So there.

Fun Mommy

I have a confession to make...


I am not perfect.  (Surprise!! hahaha)

No, but seriously, I love my children more than life itself, but I feel like I have done them a disservice for the past few years.  I have been sluggish.  I have been LAZY.  I have not been the mom I have wanted to be.  Don't get me wrong.  I love on them and encourage them at every turn.  I take care of their needs.  I am a good mom.  My problem has been that I have not been active enough with them.

I have had the blessing of having summers off because of the fact that I work in education.  I have the absolute pleasure of spending hours of quality time with my children during the most fun season of the year,and I feel like I have wasted it.  I have spent too many of those hours spectating from the couch.  It is sad.  It was my reality.  I don't want that to be the reality anymore.

I want to create memories for my children that they can look back on as adolescents and adults with smiles on their faces.  I want them to remember things that we did...TOGETHER.  I want them to remember places  we went.  I want them to remember more than what I have given them so far.  I am sitting here typing this right and I am disgusted with myself.    I am going to snap out of it though, because this feeling will get me nowhere unless I do something with it.

Therefore, I have made a commitment to make this summer different.  I know there is a lot of summer to go, but I am already doing better.  We have spent more time outside than in.  I have plans for the week for little field trips.  We are equipped with zoo memberships, beautiful parks, a library program calendar, craft supplies, a sand box, a fun sprinkler, and the list goes on.  I also think this will keep me on track for my personal health goals because I am keeping busy.  Food is not on my mind at all and I love it.

This journey for me has become way more seeing a lower number on a scale.  It has become about improving myself as a whole.  It has been about admitting where I can do better in my life and putting a plan into action to make that improvement.  I am sick of my life passing me by as I look back and think of all of the things I should have done.  I am finished wasting time.

Did some shopping today.  I bought a sprinkler and craft supplies (including water colors).  Somehow I forgot bubbles (d'oh!).  I found these cute little tote bags at Michaels.  I bought fabric markers and I am going to have the kids decorate their own bag.  Then I am going to have them pack their choice of snacks and things when we go on our picnics, to the water park, etc.  I even found reusable drink bottles that match each of their bags.  They were excited about that!

Painting with watercolors out on the deck.  I made a special picture. :)  Darcy hasn't quite gotten the concept of dipping your brush in water before switching colors, but oh well!  (I know it seems as though I take a lot more pictures of Darcy, but she is more willing to allow me to take her picture than Aidan.)

Playing in the sprinklers.  They stopped to pose for me.  They are so stinkin' cute!

My toes in the sand.  Too bad it is in a Little Tikes sandbox and not on a beach somewhere.  I will take what I can get though!

Proof that we had a fun day.  Little girlie barely ever takes naps anymore. She crawled up into my lap and passed out.  Be still my heart...