Scissors

Carlee has been a little obsessed with scissors lately. I have caught her several times cutting paper into millions of tiny pieces, trying to give her dolls a haircut, and "helping" me cut out a quilt. I have explained to her that she needs to use scissors only with me next to her. She has been really good about asking permission first before just starting on her own cutting project. And since she has been so good and obedient with the scissors, I have felt some relief in knowing that I have made it through 4 children without any of them giving themselves their own "haircut." I thought too soon . . .

About a week ago, Carlee and I went to get haircuts. I'm trying to grow mine out so I've had to cut it even shorter to get ride of the A-line, make it even and look more subtle as it grows. Carlee has never had a professional haircut and it was time. I have always been able to trim her hair but she is too wiggly so I thought she might do better with someone else doing it. Boy, was I wrong!

She loved asking questions about all the tools and supplies. The stylist would turn her head a certain angle so that she could trim it but then Carlee would turn it the other way or ask if that was the right way while giggling. I had to hold her head still while her hair was being cut.

At the end of her haircut, I talked to the stylist about cutting bangs for her. Carlee has a cowlick up front and just off-center on her forehead. Carlee said that she didn't want bangs and so we just settled with trimming her hair to keep it healthy and long.

Two days after our haircuts, she woke up and came into my room, climbing in my bed saying hello and to snuggle a bit before getting ready for the day. I groggily looked at her and it seemed like she had some bangs across her forehead. I wasn't sure since I didn't have my contacts in and I had just woken up, so I just shook it off. After I woke up and was ready to start breakfast, Carlee came downstairs and she did have real bangs! I took a closer look and on one side of her face, a piece of hair was shorter than the other and there were straight bangs across her forehead!

Me (calmly): "Did you cut your hair?"
Carlee: "Yes."
Me: "Where are the scissors you used?"
Carlee: "They're upstairs. The blue ones."
Me: "Where were you when you cut your hair?"
Carlee: "I was in my room with the door shut."
Me (trying not to laugh): "You knew that was naughty and that's why you shut your door, huh?"
Carlee (with a sad face): "Yes."
Me: "Where is the hair that you cut?"
Carlee: "In my garbage can."

Carlee and I walked up to her room and sure enough, there was her cute blonde hair in the trash can. I told her that I was sad that she cut her hair and reminded her again that she is not supposed to use scissors without Mommy. She replied that she didn't cut any Barbie's hair or any fabric and that she wanted bangs like me. We had another discussion about scissors and when to use them and she said she was sorry and wouldn't do it again. (We'll see . . .)

As a side note and very luckily, she did a fabulous job by just cutting her hair at her eyebrow. Most kids cut hair chunks all the way up to the scalp but she had cut her own perfect bangs right above her eyes. They were just a little uneven so it was easy for me to trim the one side to even it out. I must admit, she looks pretty darn cute and her cowlick isn't seen or hard to comb around. Plus, she's not constantly brushing her hair out of her eyes. I guess if she is going to be naughty, it's better to look cute afterwards for easier forgiveness.