You may remember a few months ago the big hullabaloo about Annabel getting a haircut. Basically it was me vs. the world (okay just my family) where I wanted to get it cut, and my family acted as though her hair was the secret to world peace and cutting it would basically mean I wanted the earth to explode. Or something. But 99% of you agreed with me that a haircut was no biggie and my family conceded that I am the end-all and be-all of Annie hair. Or something. There was only one small problem: I felt like crap on a stick, and taking Annie for a haircut was toward the bottom of my energy priority list.
Last week Annie’s haircut finally moved up on the list. My mom and I used to go to the same hairstylist for years, and now that stylist’s daughter does my mom’s hair. I made an appointment with her for Annie’s cut. I then spent lots of time prepping Annie for the AWESOME that is a HAIRCUT! Mama gets haircuts! Gramma gets haircuts! Even Rigby gets haircuts! Big girls go to fancy salons and get pampered like princesses and get lollipops! I was also careful to tell Annie that she was going to get her hair “cut long.” She was very adamant that she still have long hair. That was fine with me – I didn’t want her first haircut to be something drastic that would shock her.
When we walked into the salon I could tell she was trying to take in the whole environment. But within five seconds of stepping into the building, a bunch of people started cooing all over her. Annie quickly realized that she was about to get a LOT of attention, and she ate it up.
She hopped into the chair and Jen, the stylist, wrapped a brightly colored smock around her.
Jen has a daughter that’s only a few months younger than Annie, so she knew all the right questions to ask Annie to distract her while she combed out her hair.
I knew that Annie would do great during a haircut because it had her three favorite things: attention, talking, and a mirror. I did NOT know how Annie would do with the actual cutting of the hair. Would it freak her out to see her hair falling to the ground? But Jen had that covered: She was sure to hold her hand in such a way that she caught all of Annie’s hair as she cut it. No trauma involved!
The whole thing took maybe ten minutes total. I asked Annie if she loved her haircut, and she shouted, “YEAH!”
I gave her a lollipop for being awesome.
I had Jen cut off about two inches, and at first glance it doesn’t look very different. But oh, I can tell. Her curls look better (they didn’t go away!), and it’s a million-billion (that’s a real number) times easier to comb through in the morning.
Even Mike had to admit that her hair doesn’t look shorter (his biggest fear) but it definitely “looks bouncier.”
I won’t say, “I told you so,” and will instead simply point to her hair during our next “I’m right and you’re wrong” argument. Booya!
Abigail says:
I’m glad it went well, every girl should love a trip to the salon. And her hair is just as gorgeous as always, I had no doubt it would be.
TamaraL says:
She looks lovely!
Sue says:
It still looks beautiful!!
JennS says:
Good job Annie! It’s also probably amazing how much less shampoo and conditioner it takes.
Becky Campbell says:
Yay! It looks great! I’m impressed with her excitement! Mine are 8 & 13 and still hate haircuts!
I started saying “crap on a stick” several months back. I had no idea where I’d picked it up, but know I wasn’t clever enough to have come up with it on my own. My kids think it’s fantastic and giggle everytime I say it…Momma don’t cuss, so for them, it’s scandalous! I’m guessing I can thank (blame?) you for that!?
Natalie says:
You were *totally* right. Annie looks great! Well done!
Jessica says:
She looks adorable, I had the same debate when I cut one of my surviving triplet’s hair. She really needed a trim but no one wanted it cut short. Afterwards it was just like Annie’s with a curl to the end. And we win :).
Jessica says:
Those were wonderful photos! You probably could have taken off another 2 and it would still look awesome! She has great hair!
Tiffani W. says:
Not a huge difference, visually but seriously, I would pay good money to have her hair! It just always looks fantastic! Good job Mama!
Nicole says:
She still looks beautiful!! I don’t know if the Scooops Salons have a franchise near you, but we’ve got a Tot Cut scheduled this weekend….I bet Annie would like to sit on a sundae too!
http://www.scooopskidspa.com/
Kelly says:
Very cute.
Even long hair needs to be trimmed and shaped up every now and then.
Jana Frerichs says:
I have to admit, there was a part of me while reading Mike’s reaction that was saying “I told you so, Mike!” in my mind. (I was one of your supporters in that debate that commented that the curl wouldn’t go away and a haircut would make the curl look better) So kudos to you for being able to hold it in!
Glenda says:
Hair needs to be trimmed often especially curly ends to cut of the dead ends and get that bounce back.
I’m glad she loved her first experience.
She looks beautiful as always!
Trisha says:
Booya! is right. You can totally play this card for years to come
Her hair looks great and her curls are still there and soft and pretty as ever.
Laura says:
As a curly girl, I can vouch that giving the old locks a chop makes the hair more, not less, bouncy and curly. The longer the hair gets, the more weight gets put on the curls, making them straggly instead of bouncy. Annie looks adorable!
Elizabeth says:
Her hair looks great! I must admit my daughter is 4 1/2 and has never had a cut. I have the same fears as Mike. But seeing how adorable Annie’s hair turned out, I might just have to call the salon.
ella says:
What?? Who’s that grown up girl in these pictures and what did she do to your baby??
Regardless, gorgeous! She’s going to break hearts in high school!
Mary says:
She looks great! One word of warning/wisdom; don’t talk about it being any shorter. Our four-year-old (almost exactly one year older than Annie) got her first haircut this summer. Only about an inch — like you, just to keep things neat and help her curls.
My husband kept commenting that he couldn’t tell it was cut and that it would probably look nice even shorter. Her hair was half way down to her waist and she really wanted to be Rapunzel for Halloween…
…until she was sent to her room by Daddy for writing on the walls while I was out shopping…and found the scissors that I had left out, JUST THIS ONCE…and decided to cut her bangs. The bangs were not cut but part of each side was about a foot shorter.
Needless to say, she became a ‘purple princess’ for Halloween as opposed to Rapunzel. This happened at the beginning of October. She is still upset about no longer having ‘Rapunzel hair.’ I keep reminding her that it it will grow back — in about a year
Kayla says:
I know I say it all the time but my GOD is she the cutest thing or what?! The sheer excitement on her face in these photos is priceless!
And WOW on the change afterwards! I admit, I was one of the people who was pretty, uh…adamantly opposed to her getting a haircut, lol, but I can admit when I’m wrong and I was wrong – it does look so much better! I don’t think I’ve seen her hair curl like that at the ends for months.
Also, I almost gasped at the first picture – it’s unreal how much she looks like you there. Most of the time I have to say I really do see about 97% Mike in her, but that first picture she’s your mini-me Heather!
Tara says:
I love it! SO happy for you all that it was a fun experience and Annie still has long, curly locks. As a curly haired girl, I know that even a tiny trim can make curls look SO much healthier and bouncier. Yay!
pgoodness says:
Looks like a great experience! She’s so pretty.
JT says:
She looks so grown up! And I’m not ashamed to admit that at almost 30 years old, I’m jealous of a 3 year old’s hair, because her hair is just so gorgeous.
Liz says:
Her hair is gorgeous. I love those curls!
Auntie_M says:
Annie looks lovely! Her locks are as gorgeous as ever–if not more so! And she did such a great job being pampered! (And kudos to her stylist!)
Now: please say you saved a lock of hair from her first professional cut!