The Good, The Bad, and The Absolutely Hilarious

Well, it certainly feels like we've had a busy week around here.

Last week, Caedyn and I kidnapped my mom on Wednesday and declared we were running away. The thing is that most often when we run away, we don't get further than the movie theater (which we figure is close enough), and this time, we ended up seeing Hellboy II, which did not disappoint. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves with junk food and followed up with a desparately needed haircut for the kid, which...

Now, this was Caedyn's first visit to an actual barber shop as opposed to a salon, but honestly, I didn't think much of it at first. I know barber shops and salons are different, but I just had no idea how much of a difference it would be for him. Up until this point, his usual trip to SuperCuts (or the like) has consisted of a very opinionated discussion as to how his hair should be cut (and woe be unto the stylist who suggested anything to the contrary), so I just figured he'd handle this all on his own just fine. Turns out that no one seems to talk much in a barber shop. (Apparently, this is a guy thing.) And even though I saw a short exchange of words in the beginning of the process, for once, Caedyn did NOT convey his usual "Short, please. OFF the ears, short in the back, short bangs, and no, I don't want anything styled." message. So, Mom intervention became necessary at one point just because I knew that if the barber didn't cut his bangs shorter, we'd be back before school even starts later this month. (Yes, it's genetic on both sides. His hair grows THAT fast.)

What I should've prepared him for was the use of actual shaving for the back of his neck rather than the use of clippers. I walked over as the barber was wiping the excess shaving cream from Caedyn's neck in time to hear Caedyn threaten that he'd better not use aftershave on him. After the stern verbal equivalent of slapping him upside the back of the head for talking to another adult that way (no, I don't hit my kid, but sometimes, I bet he wishes I would in the face of the alternative), I tried to explain what I'd already seen in his body language and behavior - Caedyn was uncomfortable (I'd even go so far as to say scared). His fists were clenched tight on his knees, and he was stiff as a board. Not only was this unlike any other experience he'd had having his hair cut, but he was in a new place, his glasses were off, so he wasn't able to see clearly beyond a few feet (he's very near-sighted), and this guy was doing things he wasn't familiar with and NOT talking. Everyone in a salon talks. No one in a barber shop talks.

Funny enough, it'll be Mike who will end up using the barber shop. He HATES how much people talk in salons.

Anywho, on Friday, we went through every stitch of clothing in Caedyn's room and bagged up everything that didn't fit him to make room, so we could go back-to-school shopping. Because his school requires uniforms, we lucked out in the shirt department, as last year's shirts still fit, so we only needed a couple to replace one missing and one not-white-anymore. Not so lucky with pants. We had to replace every pair and even get a pair of jeans for the weekends, because he's grown something like 3 inches. At this rate, he'll have finished closing the gap and be as tall as (or taller than) me next year. I feel so old...or...short.

And now for the hilarious...

I had my first sciatica attack in so long, I honestly can't tell you when it happened last. In the grocery store. Out of the blue. But wait! That's not what's funny!

What's funny is that by late Sunday night, Steve and I both had the first signs of what we thought was a minor case of food poisoning. (Edit: Turns out there's a stomach virus going around Steve's worksite. He was kind enough to bring it home and share it with me.)

What makes this all hilarious is that by Monday morning, my allergies (which I've fought with all summer) kicked into high gear, and I woke up with swollen sinuses to the point that my face was tender to the touch.

Don't "aww", people! Laugh! Only I could continue to up the ante to that height! I still find the whole thing completly hilarious and thank God it really wasn't anything too serious. I'm also very grateful that even under the weight of the last couple of days of recovering from all of that, I've somehow managed to smile and not fall into my usual summer depression. Hallelujah!!!

We've still got a few little things to take care of for school, but we're ready to get started on the new year. I'm gonna miss all the great time I've gotten with my baby this summer, really. We've had a lot of fun and silliness, read some good books (and tried to get through some really awful ones), and shared a lot of snuggles. I feel like it's been a huge gift, because I know the teen years coming up are going to be filled with changes in our relationship dynamic and new challenges.

Thanks for reading us and our silliness!