A Little Off the Top

There is an end table in our living room which plays double duty. The adults use it for resting drinks on coasters and placing aside a magazine or book when we need to rescue one of the dogs from a certain toddler's clutches.

Sprite uses it as a tunnel. We had placed it in the middle of our sectional couch. John was looking to get some higher end tables since the couch arms were too lofty for our current drink resting destinations, however I thought these tables (which were passed on from my parents and are as old as me) could still do the job. Plus, I had broken a couple of toes in my childhood by running into them and thought some payback was still owed. (Visions of kindling dancing in my head...) So we pushed apart the two sides of the couch, slipped this puppy right in, and created a new look.

Sprite thinks this table is perfect where it is. She can have access to prime playing real estate in front of the couch with her toys, blocks, and other sharp stabby things which are great for little fingers not to hurt themselves, but my God, if you step on one, you're wishing for Fischer Price's head on a stick.  She also has access to the kitchen if she enters the little worm hole which has instated itself under this end table. (Yes, the universe could have stuck the worm hole anywhere it wanted to advance the numerous capabilities of its ever-expanding unknown and decided a toddler would make better use out of it. We're special.)  No more walking around the couch to see what Mommy or Daddy are cooking in the kitchen! Cover double the distance in half the time! Perfect for toddlers, toys, and snacks! Also doubles as a hidey hole!

I watch her when she crawls into the tunnel and then sits up. She fits fine (for now), but when she tries to peek her head out, she catches it on the lip and I hear a soft thunk. She never does it hard enough to hurt herself, but I'm fearing dents will start to permanently appear in her scalp if she keeps it up.

She does try to look up to see where the lip is, but her hair gets in the way. Sprite has some funky patterns in the way her hair grows. When she was born, it was all fuzz, a couple of bald spots, and some bright blue veins mapping her admittedly large cranium. ( I was warned my kid would have a big head, but it still took me aback a little..) As she passed the months, hair would start to fill in on top until she had a pretty rocking faux-hawk. Her hairstyle was inspiring me to dress her as a punk rock baby for Halloween, but alas, the sides grew in so she became a puppy dog.

The top continued to grow forward and down. Her sides and back were still long, but a Caeser look was starting to take shape. We snipped at the bangs to keep them trimmed (and were told repeatedly not to ever come near our daughter with scissors again since both of us obviously can't keep a straight cut), but it grew out so quickly. Finally, we gave in.

Sprite had her first official haircut this last weekend. John was corraling the dogs to get groomed, so my best friend offered herself up to the heavens and sacrified her adult life for the weekend to help me with Sprite.

We couldn't find a kiddie cut place in our area, so we went to one of the national franchises which apparently has rules when cutting hair for the non-verbal, cheerio throwing section of America. She had to be able to sit still in the chair on her own and not fuss too much, or they wouldn't do it. I envisioned the poor results my own attempts would bring about and took a chance.

Luckily, she sat still, animal cookies in both hands, staring at the bright safari print smock they placed around her. Yes, she teetered a bit on the big foam block that doubled as a booster, but was good for the stylist, Aunt Susan snapping pictures, and Mommy hovering around her to make sure her hands didn't venture near the scissors. She did fuss a bit about her animal crackers getting hair all over them, but whatever. We got out unharmed, although Sprite had been eyeing the shears for a couple of minutes which made me proclaim the cut perfect when a couple of tendrils still needed cutting, but I was thinking of safety first.

So, her bangs look much better now, she can see, and her face looks a lot cleaner than it did. Best part is, she now has a little more clearance moving through her tunnel.

            Sprite: Airee, is that what you look like? I can see you so much better now!

            Harry: Oh, crap. I'm outa here.

Comments

[Alison]

Sprite looks adorable and Harry's haircut is cute as well