An Interesting Afternoon:

I'm supposed to be writing a paper, but blogs are just way more entertaining. Besides, there is no pressure in this space - No grades/ no expertise/ just expression and story-telling.
So, that's what I think I'll do, tell you a little Elmer story: 
I cut hair again today.  I don't know if I've said anything about this on the blog, but as many of you probably know, I have been cutting David's hair.  When we got married, he decided he never wanted to pay for a hair cut again. Part of the reason David got names in college like "Jesus" or "Aladdin," (not to mention ppl used to yell 'run forest run' at him) was because he already hated to pay for hair cuts. Most of the time, his mother or I would coax him into one, but frankly, he doesn't mind his hair, so he doesn't want to pay people to cut it. 


Hence, I become hair-dresser extraordinaire, and not by my own choosing I might add. As a matter of fact, I am pretty miserable when cutting David's hair. After having a lesson from his father and from the lady who cut my hair (LOVE YOU TINA!), I thought I'd be ready, but no. It makes me a nervous wreck. Just imagine: Tarp covering the 'ditchen' floor (loving new name for the den/kitchen), David sitting in folding wooden chair wearing a trashbag, and me, scissors in hand. I desperately try to remember all the instructions I've been given including some pictures I tried to take on my cell phone while learning:


Make the outline first... okay, then around the ears - DON'T MAKE A GAP -  now grab some hair this way... CRAP, that was really short... don't panic… haha, this is fun (yeah right, the perfectionist inside is  dying) snip snip - oh, I think that was my knuckle. Yep. I'm bleeding... pause for a bandaid... ok, a few more snips here... "David, I think I need to stop and send you to a professional"... David is annoyed... OK I can do this... grab here ANNNDDD... oops, yeah the hair I just cut was my OWN. That, on the ground, was the hair that was hanging in my face... lesson learned, my hair is up now... trying, trying... and his hair is sticking up really funny. GREAT - I have cut myself twice, there is hair in my mouth, hair in my carpet, and I think David is looking pretty stupid. Hold it together...


Nope, here they come. You guessed it. Tears. Lots of tears. 
David calms me down and wears a hairy trash-bag through one episode of Top Gear. I chill out and get up the courage to finish. So, here's the finished product: (David not really wanting to pose for a picture)

  
I was maybe somewhat of a drama queen today, but this is what I know:
I can't wait to tell my kids about the good ole' days... 
- Of cutting their daddy's hair in the 'ditchen'
- Of vacuuming the whole house from one power outlet
- Of making lemonade in a flower vase instead of a pitcher 
   (b/c I had to pick between the two for space sake)
- Of hiding extra chairs under the sofa for guests
- Of playing Mario in my pajamas
- Of granola bars and broken glass and road-trips and tiny christmas trees
I will never forget this year.