What Did I Do?!

Summer is coming to a close. With it goes another season of memories. The things I will chose to remember will most likely be different from the things the boys will recall some day. For example, I will remember this summer as the first summer we enjoyed camping together. It will be remembered as the summer that Mark developed a true six pack (though his cans are still only half way full), and the summer Noah learned how to swim. I will remember that Noah lost four teeth in a two week time span. I will also remember that Matthew had a tooth under his pillow for three weeks before the tooth fairy finally made it to the House of the Saints. I will remember this as the summer that Mark grew into a men's size eight shoe, and now stands almost even with my 5'5" mom.

And this will be the summer that I will always remember as the summer Matthew grew up. He's had a chili bowl hair cut since he was old enough to have hair. It just seemed to fit his face so perfectly. But he's going into 5th grade this year. And while he still has a sweet spirit, and enjoys playing with kids, he is growing. He'll be eleven in two weeks. A chili bowl will not always be the best cut for him.

So today I took him and asked him if wanted to try a different style. He's so compliant he replied "Yes, but only if you don't mind." We looked through the books and I let him chose his style. The stylist who's cut his hair for the last three years said "We're trying something new on MATTHEW?!"

Yep. And as soon as she was done I wanted to cry. Not because the style is awful. She did have to even it up so it is shorter than the picture, but she assured us it would grow out by the next time he was ready for a cut. But I wanted to cry because it made him look so grown up. I wondered if I had made a mistake letting him chose a different style. Yesterday he looked like a little boy. Today he looks like a young man. But while I know his hair style may go through many more different changes, I know his heart will forever stay the same. And Matthew, you will always be my baby boy, no matter how you cut your hair.