Our Baby Size Life!

Posts Tagged ‘tradition’

After almost fourteen months, it was time. We could no longer hold back on getting the little guy a haircut.  He was growing the mullet pretty good, and we just decided that look wasn’t good for him.  It just wasn’t. Not that there’s anything wrong with a mullet hairdo… Really, nuthin’ wrong about it at all. While you wipe your eyes after reading all of all that heavily, dripping sarcasm, let me tell you that while getting a haircut may not seem like a big deal, consider these two points of argument I got for you:

Firstly, have you ever seen first haircut videos on YouTube or where ever else you watch your vids? These kids freak the frak out! Crying, screaming, swatting, convulsing, coughing, gagging and spitting are all common place. And that’s before the scissors even come out.t’s a dangerous time to be wielding any kind of sharpened metal near your kids melon.

Secondly, well…ummm, don’t judge me on this but… IT HIS WITTLE BABY HAIR! He was born with it! Don’t cut that off! It’s the original hairdo! Those hairs were most likely the first thing you saw of him as he was “coming out”, if you get my drift! That’s stuffs been on him since, well close to the beginning and you just want to cut it off and throw it away! Well, fine! Do it, but I’m keeping a little itty bitty piece of as a souvenir.  Call me a sucker for sentimentality, I don’t care. Blaaah!

Last weekend, I headed out with Sam to hollowed ground: the family barbershop.  Yep.  I took Sam to the same barbershop that my Dad took me too when I was but a short little, nose picking, freckled, red headed kid.  My Dad, brother and I kept going to this place for years, developing a good relationship with the owner and a couple of the employees there.  My Dad still goes today, even if he lives about an hour away.  I went until my early twenty’s, when I still had enough hair to justify a $15 cut.  I hadn’t been for about 10 years, but on Saturday morning, when I walked in and saw their familiar faces and they, in turn, saw mine, it was like I had walked back into 1985.  With sincere smiles we exchanged warm greetings and family news.  The owner, still cutting his patrons hair after almost 35 years in the biz, was thrilled that I had thought to bring Sam to them for his first cut, and making Sam the third generation from our family to get their hair cut there.

It was a great morning reliving the past and catching up with old acquaintances, all the while seeing the future in Sam starting his tradition with those same people.  All this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it was an oddly touching moment.  It was one of those instances in life, although small and maybe eventually to be forgotten, that serves to illustrate how we all move in turn.  Each one of us having our own time to shine, only to then create a light that will one day outshine our own.  It’s bittersweet really, but that’s the reality of life. I make myself remember these little moments, no matter how absurd they seem to those not living them, as those good memories warm me up on the coldest winters’ day and keep me company on the loneliest and darkest of nights.

Whew, that’s pretty deep for a post about haircuts eh? I betch’ya weren’t expecting that! Neither was I. It’s funny where your finger’s will take you sometimes.

Remember those screaming, tantrum throwing kids in the videos?  Sam will not be counted among them.  He was his usual unflappable self.  Staring with curiosity, but acting with a calm beyond his months, as you’ve seen in the pics scattered throughout this post.  Little bugger. Wouldn’t even ham it up for the camera!

Oh well, there’s always his first tattoo!

Take care folks!

(Yes I’m kidding about the tattoos!)

So it was my parents 41st wedding anniversary this year, and I know what you’re thinking: they haven’t killed each other yet?!?!?  Well, no, as a matter of fact, things are never better if you ask them!  And who could argue with that!  41 years!!! Let me type it out for you, just so you get the full weight of it’s implication: f-o-r-t-y  o-n-e  y-e-a-r-s!   That is one hell of a commitment people!  But it’s easy to see why they’ve made it to 41, besides their deep love and understanding for each other, they are two of the greatest people I know, who just give you all they got when you need them.  So yeah, I’ve got the best parents in the world! Sorry to all you other people out there thinking the same thing.

My brother and I have started this tradition-like anniversary gift for our parents of takin’ them out to play golf.  My family is a golfing family, so this is a great day out for us!  If my sis could make it into town with her family, who also like to golf, we’d have two foursomes out there terrorizing the links!  Maybe next year, right sis???   The pic on the left is one I took of my Dad teeing off on the 17th hole.  It’s been reduce in size for uploading, but the detail and contrast of light and dark makes this, perhaps, one of my favorite shots I’ve taken.  No offense to my bro, pictured on the right, in a similar shot with a slightly different angle, which I also love, but now hold a grudge against because he beat used to beat me up when we we’re kids!

The weather was fabulous and we all had fun, each of us making both great and not so great shots with my brother taking first place honors (freakin’ cheater).  One day man!!! One day you shall tremble in fear at the thunder of my drives and the ring of my irons!  He beat me by about 30 strokes, so he’s lucky that day is still pretty far off…

Back at home Melissa and Sammy were having fun being out an about the town!  Hmmmm… maybe I can get Melissa and Sam out on the course with me.  I know she likes hitting golf balls, because she likes to picture one of her old bosses head in place of the ball.  That gets her some good distance too!  I’ll just have to get Sam some clubs and teach him the basics and we’re set!!!  Fischer Price clubs here we come! Tiger Sam!

Just don’t beat you’re Dad eh?

So, Mom and Dad, while Melissa and I are on our 11th year, we still have ways to go.  But your love, commitment, compassion and let’s face it, hard work, is inspiring to us.  And in this day of easy-out marriages, it’s an honor to have parents who believe in something greater than themselves!

With lots of love from your grateful kids, Happy Anniversary to you both!