hair today, gone tomorrow

I have a confession to make.

I've done something I'm not proud of. Something I swore up and down I would never ever do. Something my daughter will disown me for one day, as she flips through her baby album and learns the ghastly secret. Something that will assuredly cause my friend Jackie to no longer associate with us.

I got my child's hair cut at Walmart.

But wait! It gets worse.

Not only did I get my child's hair cut at Walmart, I let them chop it WHILE SHE WAS IN THE SHOPPING CART.

She was all smiles for Shontelle.

Sin of sins! HORROR OF HORRORS! I used to gaze in disdain at the poor fools wandering through the in-store salon. Who on earth gets their hair cut at Walmart?? Not exactly the hotspot of high fashion and haute couture in hair. 

Now I know. Mothers with small children who are seduced by the convenience of killing two (or more) birds with one stone. Loaf of bread, light bulbs, Tylenol, baby haircut. Check check check check. Bless you Sam Walton!!

We were even offered the frequent shopper discount
card. Buy 10 haircuts, get one free! Guess
they get a lot of repeat business around here...

As I'm sure most Moms do, I didn't head into Walmart intending to get her hair cut. But as we strolled past the front of the store with its array of varying services (Big Mac and a frappucino while you shop? Why not go ahead and elevate your cholesterol while you make your weekly purchases!) I paused in front of the salon. I glanced down at my mop-headed child and thought of how many times I've lamented her abundance of hair. It gets in her eyes. She pulls at it. And the back was starting to resemble a mullet that would make Alabama proud.

exhibit A: the hair that has a life of its own

So we wheeled our buggy in and asked for a little snip snip here and there to tidy things up and keep her from looking like a total ragamuffin. There were 3 black lady hairdressers sitting around looking bored who were delighted to entertain their new customer. And she of course charmed their pants off and was pretty cooperative for her first haircut.

We paid our $7.99 plus tip and strolled out the store, with a little less hair for her and a little less dignity for me. She will undoubtedly curse me when she's a teenager consumed with appearances, and she learns that she first got her 'hair did' at Wally world.

All smiles with a little less 'fro!