On Wednesday, September 3rd 2008, my son, Owen Hovet, became a man! Well, sort of. He may not have the bulk or the brawn as of yet, but he took his first step and abandoned his "Oweo" haircut...forever! Ever since he was born, Owen's thing has always been his hair. He was born with a head full, even more than his sister! He has probably grown enough hair in his short 3 1/2 years to join the "Locks for Love" crew. And I have loved it. Secretly, I've always been proud that neither of my children have ever been bald! Like I had anything to do with it! But there it is, the cat's out of the bag!
What all began as a conversation asking a friend where she got her son's hair cut ended with my son being buzzed within an inch of his life! My kids and I were driving home when we passed the Barber Shop my friend suggested. I decided to swing by and see what the hours were, sure that it was closed. But it wasn't. We sat there for probably 20 minutes, during which I failed to demonstrate to my sweet, impressionable little ones the art of having patience when waiting your turn. We ended up leaving and, truthfully, I was a little relieved. I wasn't sure that I could say good-bye to my baby!
As we headed home, I began to think about my son's propensity for "baby talk." He picked it up again after he potty-trained. It seemed to me that he was quite reluctant to give up his baby ways. And I actually enjoyed it to some extent because I've been so unsure about having a 3rd that I wanted to hold on to Owen's babyhood. My pondering resulted in my decision to take his hair into my own hands!
I put my daughter to bed and had a date with my son and some scissors. I stood there while he watched Arthur for about 15 minutes, so afraid to let go of his gorgeous locks. I started by cutting with scissors, but after a bit, I went for it! I pulled out the clippers, stuck on the #3, and off it came! By the end, I was loving it! In less than 20 minutes, my son went from "mop-top" to "buzz-head."
The result has impacted more than Owen's appearance. He is jumping higher, running faster, and taking chances in ways he has never done before. His alter-ego has been released. Destructo-kid is here! And while it isn't always easy, I love my BIG boy. Oh-and the baby-talk is history. He will always be Mama's boy, but he is now firmly planted in his big boy shoes. And I have let go of my baby. Its high time!
