a haircut in pictures

Okay, technically it's not Oliver's first haircut. That honour went to Kyle, who, tired of wisps, chopped the boy's baby hair back in January when I wasn't home to offer guidance or (more importantly) save a strand of baby hair or even get a picture. Not that I'm bitter.

But last week I took Oliver to Beaner's, a kids' salon with hair stylists who know how to work around fast moving heads and small people not yet keen on having their locks shorn. Of course, I brought my camera.

Oliver was good, for the most part, although not too keen on having the vibrating razor working the back of his head. A couple of trucks and a rubber duck helped him through the process - as did a giant ducky for a barber's chair. Here's a before, during and after photo chronicle:


Before






A bit of razor anxiety








After


And after the cut, he got to play in the ball room - the highlight of the visit (for him).

painted face

Okay, so the Rutland May Day festivities in the park this Victoria Day long weekend were rubbish, with nothing for the Under-5 set to do... Oliver was delighted with his first brush with face painting, done by a man with the artistic bent of a seven-year-old. Almost (but not quite) justified the $2 each Kyle and I had to pay to get in, only to find a disapointing crowd and hardly anything to do or see, even for the Over-5-years-of-age set. Yep, Rutland.

Anyway, here's a shot of the boy with the fish (it's a fish) face painting that he picked out, all on his own:

words of wisdom from dear old mum

As I ponder the difference I'd like to make in my children's lives, I can't help but think about the influence my own mother has had on me. As with most mothers, no doubt, I could draft a long list of morals passed along, bon mots and words of wisdom that (while it may have taken a while) eventually sunk in.

One of my favourite bits of advice that my mum drilled through my head growing up, however, is this: Always watch how your boyfriend treats his mother, because that's how he'll treat you as a wife in a few years, if you marry.

Now that's not to say they need to be BFFs or anything - but how a son treats his mother (or, I suppose a daughter her mom or dad) in whatever kind of relationship they have is very telling. After all, this is (aside from you) the most important woman in his life. Does he lie to her about where he's going? Speak rudely to her? Brush her off? Does he make an effort to be in touch, either by phone or email (if long distance) or in person? Is he considerate toward her?

Once the romantic varnish has worn down, a spouse is basically just another family member. How someone treats their existing family members is very telling.

It's worked out for me, three years in, and judging by the respect and dedication my husband shows to his own mother (and family in general), I expect it will keep working in the years to come.

Anyway, whether or not you read this on Mother's Day, what's your favourite piece of advice you received from your mum, and how has it made a difference in your life? Something that will be worth passing down to your own offspring?

In the meantime, thanks for everything, Mum, and Happy Mother's Day!!!

it’s a snap

At the moment, snaps are the bane of my existence. Why is it, I ask myself as I dress my son in yet another snap-up outfit, that the majority of sleepers and rompers for the 18-month to two-year-old set are held together with snaps?

It was close to six months ago that Oliver found within himself the ability to do and undo (but mostly undo) snaps. By coincidence (or was it a cruel trick played on us by gift givers??) most of his pyjamas, and even one or two day outfits, are snapped, from top to bottom.

Faster than Houdini can my boy now escape from the constraints of his garments.

Don’t get me wrong – I appreciate that his fine motor skills are developing, and isn’t it amazing how his little fingers can be so nimble and fast with opening and closing all the snaps on a given outfit? But please, just please, can we stay dressed for longer than five minutes at a time?

My husband extols the virtues of snaps every time he has to dress our boy in an outfit with buttons. He thinks all outfits should come with snaps. For his convenience, of course, not Oliver’s.

I, on the other hand, think snaps should be banned.

I don’t know how many times I’ve checked in on Oliver before going to bed, to find him naked except his nappy (am dreading the day he figures out how that comes off) in his bed, uncovered and chilly. Redressing him without waking him up (and possibly starting the whole process over again) is quite the challenge and requires some pretty good fine motor skills on my part.

During the day, I have only to turn my back for a moment – perhaps long enough to dish out dinner, for example – and I return to a naked, diapered boy cavorting through the living room. Again.

On the upside, I’ve seen him take his sleepers out of the laundry and busy himself snapping and unsnapping them for a good hour at a time. He reminds me of a little old lady, busy at her embroidery. All he needs is a pair of reading glasses to wear low on his nose. Anyway, I even bring them along sometimes, to keep him quiet on walks or public occasions that require cooperation. While kids around him in church entertain themselves with real toys, Oliver can content himself with snaps.

Anyway, we’ve gotten some funny looks from people but – hey, if it does the job…

For the rest of the time, however, I’m toying with the idea of duct tape. See if he can escape that, too!