Why I believe I would be an excellent sheep shearer

If I ever needed to find work outside the home, I'm pretty sure that I've found a line of work where my experience would really pay off.

Of course most of you realize that this must mean that I cut someone's hair today, and likely are wondering who... and whether this is a plural remark or not.  Let me assure you that I only had the stamina to handle one today, which is the only reason why this blog post will not be filed in the 'resume material' along with the ability to clean up poop off of all surfaces in a bedroom, the ability to get microscopic sticks out of shoes, and my innate sense of smell which can not only tell from three rooms away that someone is dirty, but can tell exactly who it is that the scent arose from.

I'm hoping that it being 7pm when I began this project, me being 19 weeks pregnant, the fact that I did a full day and a half of homeschooling with four kids and a cranky 2 year old, picked up the house, did dishes, and somehow managed to make dinner (never mind the small kitchen fire... Yes I realize now that you shouldn't put the foam meat packaging on the other burner while putting said meat in to the pan... then turn on the wrong burner... but that didn't occur to me until after the flames or I wouldn't have turned on the wrong burner in the first place...), and the ensuing headache after that fiasco... followed by dinner for 10, pj's, medicines, and THEN the start of our hair cutting escapades.

I'm also not sure why it was that Wesley (the victim of the evening) decided it was such an awful thing for HIM to get his hair cut.  I'm pretty sure all of the work and pain were mine, however he was the one screaming through it all!  After all, I managed to hold him up with one hand (he doesn't sit at all and has on and off head control, so I held him at an angle over my towel which miraculously did catch 99% of the hair that came off of his head...), then hold the buzzer with the other hand, and keep his flying fists from hitting me with a third... wait.  Well, not sure where that hand came from since I was doing this by myself (while Michael was cutting branches down in the last of daylight-- another much needed job that had to be done!).  But those of you who are moms know that sometimes an arm just grows out of nowhere when you really need it :).

Wesley is pretty aware of things and understands largely what is going on around him.  He's great at helping with tasks that he can and cooperating with those which he doesn't have the physical ability to help with.  This, however, is not a task which he will either help or cooperate with!  I know he was angry and not scared due to his body's response to my cutting his hair (he did NOT attempt to shake his head like a cornered animal... which I'm sure he learned from somewhere... nor did he attempt to bite me even a single time), but it was obvious that he was very angry with me for messing with him in this way.  Who knows, maybe he LIKES long hair?

Unfortunately for him, as long as he rubs his head on every surface it comes in contact with (mattress, rugs, tile, or even his wheelchair and other supportive seating) and continues to have the spot of "almost bald" across the back of his noggin, he will continue to get short cuts.

I was able to successfully shear, er... buzz... his head leaving a remarkably 'good looking' child after all of the trauma caused by not only the cutting... but then the trimming around the ears and neck and of course the necessary shower following the escapade.

(yes, he easily forgives and sat giggling and tickling with me after his evening's torture.  He's photosensitive (light bothers his eyes) so it's hard to get a good shot of him in the evening with his eyes open!)

Now, if only I had the energy to tackle the other 4 boys whose hair needs some attention, I would feel like this post was real 'resume material'.  Unfortunately, I turned down my husband's question of whether he was next to get his cut tonight after taking an inch worm off his shirt and suggesting he shower first (remember, he was outside cutting down branches...) and he decided to go for a long bike ride before he used up extra water.  The other three boys are thankfully already in bed, therefore giving me a 'pass' at having to contemplate having any of them be next :).