Ronan smiles during the haircut.
Just before taking him to see his second movie (WALL•E) we took him for his first haircut.
There are tons of places around Park Slope for kid’s haircuts. I am not a haircut snob; I’ve been going to the same $8 men’s barbershop for almost 17 years. I had previously been told in Park Slope that my hair was too long and required an additional fee. Which I found ridiculous, because my hair wasn’t that long. Terry and I had attempted to trim his bangs previously, but he kept looking at the scissors while we tried to cut, and he ended up looking like a weed whacker trimmed his hair. So we didn’t want to pay $50 for his haircut but we didn’t want to do it ourselves.
Salvation appeared in the form of Benny’s Barbershop, which opened around the corner. Stuck without enough time to head into Manhattan and needing a trim for a job interview (I got the job) I decided to give Benny’s try. Like so many things these days, it was my first barber who is significantly younger than I am. After appearing to give me a pageboy bowl cut halfway through, it turned out quite alright and I was pleased. I asked him if Benny’s cut kid’s hair. “Yes, my brother Mike is very good with kids. I get them to sit still.”
“How does he do that?” I asked. “Not like Zohan.” The young barber said.
Ronan before the haircut.
Relieved that Ronan wasn’t going to be pinched into unconsiousness for his haircut, we arrived a week later and Mike cut his hair. Ronan was at first fine, then he progressed through various stages of increasing displeasure. I never thought I would say this, but thank god for Jack Black. A crappy Jack Black movie was on Spike and this fascinated Ronan, who loves television because he’s not allowed to watch it. So he was suitably distracted for most of the haircut. (Good to know.)
“I’ve got something in my ear!”
One thing about baby hair – it’s exceptionally fine. That stuff got everywhere, especially down my throat. I was parched at the end of the haircut.
The only time he got really upset was with the cold air dryer. This hair dryer blew room temperature air all over him to remove the fine hair and deposit it in my mouth, it seemed. Ronan did not like it one bit.
Ronan post-hair dryer.
Anyway, he looks pretty sharp, and it as cute as ever. Thanks to Benny’s Barbershop and Mike for an easy time. And thank you, Ronan, for being so well behaved. Mike said he was the easiest baby he’s ever worked with.