Haircut

We've been actually talking for some time about needing to get Maia's hair cut, because it was very uneven.  Then it grew a whole bunch and is looking better..  But we decided to do it anyway, get the thin end pieces trimmed and figure out what to do with the shape of it.  Maia was very excited. She's been coming with me to the hair dresser's since she was an infant, and is pretty comfortable there.  We like to go on Friday afternoons when it's pretty quiet.

So I arranged a day: Color for me, Cut for Maia.  I left early from work, picked Maia up from daycare. It was snack time (Nilla wafers and raisins), and her teacher was nice enough to put those in a baggie to take with us. 

I brought Maia's backpack again filled with some food and activities for her. She checked out the contents of the back  pack while my stylist, Piroska, did my color.  Then it was Maia's turn.  She wanted her hair washed in "dat shower over dere."  It was tricky to get her propped up high enough, but she got the whole treatment.

 She didn't end up taking off much length, so I'm sad to say, I couldn't get a nice big lock of her hair.

 Maia was very patient, and although she turned her head to look around a bit, she did a pretty good job at following instructions.

 She seemed very serious, and was very focused on looking at herself in the mirror.  Finally Piroska told her her to smile at me.  This is what I got.

 As time went on, she started to smile more and more.  She made sure all of the hair was off her smock.

 "Whud do you tink?" 

(Piroska is Romanian)

 Piroska asked if she could blow-dry her hair.  Maia thought that would be great.

 She even got some product in it.  Here Maia is commenting "I smell something!" which is the scent of the product being worked through her hair.

All done.  Piroska told Maia how well she did, and Maia said "Thanks for cutting my hay-er!" and gave her a big hug.  Piroska was delighted!

Another stylist was working on an older girl (gorgeous, by the way, with wavy auburn hair, porcelain skin and a face full of freckles). Maia is watching and asking questions.  This stylist (and the girl's mother) commented on Maia's excellent behavior several times.

Then, it was time for some candy.  She'd had candy there once before, and when we'd walked in, said "Do dey haff cay-dy here?"  She picked out a tootsie roll, and put the whole thing in at once (which is why the funny face).  Even though it wasn't a dramatic change, I think it turned out really cute!  Ray loves it too.

After all this, she still had to wait for me to get my rinse and wash. She was still fantastic.  She found a surprise of a sheet of stickers in her back pack, and those kept her busy for a good 15 minutes. She went through every one of those stickers. About 10 for her shirt, 5 for my hand (one for each finger nail) a few for Piroska. 

I am unbelievably proud of how well she did.  She used her manners at every point in the process, and was so patient. I think she also felt really special. She really enjoyed looking at herself in the mirror.