Toby has never liked having his hair cut. In fact since he was old enough to need it, haircut time has been a source of considerable stress for both him and me. We've only ever attempted to have it professionally cut twice (and neither time ended well) so it has always been my job to do the best that I can to keep his hair at a manageable length. When I was at school, if someone had a particularly bad haircut we used to say "you lose a fight with a lawnmower?" and if Tobys classmates could talk I'm sure someone would have said this to him several times over the years, as I have not been a very proficient hairdresser.
At the weekend hair cutting time had arrived again, as it had got really long and Toby had to keep brushing it out of his eyes. I started off with my usual grab-and-snip technique, concentrating purely on not cutting him rather than the aesthetics of the cut. But because it was so long I was doing a worse job than usual so I decided to try the electric clippers H uses on his hair, just to neaten the back and sides. Toby really wasn't keen on letting me anywhere near him with this buzzing thing in my hand and it took both H and I to keep him calm and gently convince him to let me have a go - it did help him to see Daddy get a little bit of a trim too. The trouble with clippers though is knowing where to stop and with the sides and back really short the long top looked even worse, so the only way forward was to do the whole lot. There were a few moments when I thought we'd not manage to get his whole head done but eventually we were there and Toby went in the bath to rinse off all of those pesky little ends that always stick everywhere.
Anyway, the reason I am telling this story is not to recount my own part in it but to tell you about Tobys reaction to first seeing his new hair in the mirror. I so wish that I had filmed it and preserved the moment because he was so delighted and it was a wonderful, tear-jerking moment. He never takes an interest in his own reflection but when he saw himself in the mirror after his haircut he laughed and clapped and jumped up and down with delight. He's been positively preening ever since and he's enjoyed everyone telling him how handsome he looks. He even got to stand up in assembly and show the whole school his smart new hair. It's been so lovely to see him so pleased with his new appearance and watching him looking at himself in the mirror is priceless. I even managed to get one picture of him without his hands all over his face. I do so love my special boy x
