There is a fun tradition in my neighborhood, started many years ago by my mother in law, LoAnn. Miss Patty used to live in the neighborhood, just a little ways down Palmer (the side street I live on). She has been cutting hair for all the ladies in the neighborhood. A bunch of ladies and their kids and sometimes husbands that are dragged in come over to someone’s home for tea, snacks and socializing. And Miss Patty cuts hair.

It is one of my favorite things about living up here. A time to get out of the house, be around other women and just enjoy having some local community. Patty is a hoot too, to top it all off.

Well, a couple of months ago, before Scarlet was born, we attempted to cut Audrey’s hair. It was a no-go. And then this last time when Patty came, I worked on it for a few days prior with Audrey, hyping it up, making it sound fun. [Kind of like I did with my brothers, "The water looks great boys...", that comment is for my old friend Sabrina, inside joke, sorry.]

We arrive at Michelene’s, where Patty is cutting hair that afternoon, and we are all ready to do this hair cutting thing. The plan, according to AA and I, is that I will get my haircut and then she will sit on my lap and get her haircut. The plan begins to unravel the moment we walk in the door and all the kids that are there have caped themselves with blue towels and are running around like super heroes. Audrey must participate as well; who needs a haircut anyways!

I concede and let her play. Abuelita, Audrey’s grandma, arrives and uses her skill and finesse with Audrey (essentially distraction methods) and walah, haircut ensues. It was suave and quick and Patty did her magic. I like the little haircut; it makes Audrey’s curls bounce back to life and look less like her Dad’s untamed fro.