Scenes from the salon

I went to get my hair cut on Thursday evening. Now, I'm not one of those people who return religiously to the stylist every 6 weeks to keep the cut looking good. I'm much more the person who lives with the hair for months until the moment when it starts to drive her insane, and then wants an appointment Right This Minute. And I do enjoy it when I go. It's a little bit of adult pampering -- I arrive, and while I wait, they bring me a cup of coffee, and then there's the gossiping and catching up while my hair is being washed and cut, and sometimes coloured. It's a little oasis from being a mom, a bit of me time.

Until last Thursday. I had arranged for my next-door-neighbour, Connie, to take the girls for the hour or so that it would take for me to go to the salon down in the village. Thursday morning, Rachel woke up with a weepy, crusty case of pink eye. Connie runs a home daycare. She was more than happy to take Leah, but couldn't risk having Rachel around. So Rachel came with me to the salon.

And all in all, she was pretty good. But it really was not the same experience that I usually enjoy. I brought crayons and a colouring book to keep her amused, and one of the stylists gave her a manniquin head with long hair, a bunch of clips and a hairbrush, which kept her occupied for about 20 minutes. She kept up a constant monologue while she was doing this and entertained the other stylists to no end. And, in listening in while I had my hair cut, I learned some things about my daughter that she hadn't told me.

"Ginette, who drives the school bus to school, says that we're little monkeys. But Aiden says we're just humans. Then Ginette said we're human monkeys."

"I really like Anna and Sierra in my class. But they are just so small. Compared with me. I'm pretty tall, you know, for a girl. But not so much for a boy."

"I have a pink eye. That's why I can't go to Connie's with Leah. I wonder if I could get a green eye next."

"My favourite song is on one of Mommy's CDs and it's called 'SomebodytoldmethatyouhadaboyfriendthatlookslikeagirlfriendthatIhadinFebruaryoflastyear'. Really, that's what it's called."

"I like to walk around with my eyes closed. Sometimes it's not a good idea."

"Sometimes, when I'm sad, Leah gives me a hug. She's a good sister."

It's funny the chances you get to learn about your children if you'll just listen.