To Be or Not To Be...Seen...With a Parent?!

The first haircut the boys got in 2016 was on January 1st.‎ February, March and April went by and the boys did not feel any need for a haircut. At the beginning of May, I was quite frustrated as their hair looked like they could successfully audition for the sequel to Jungle Book or any movie that requires boys lost in a jungle for a long long time.

So, I put my Momley foot down and picked a date for the haircuts. At the same time, I was considerate enough to give the firstborn a choice to get his own haircut so he didn't need to have his younger brother‎ tag along. ASid liked the idea, however he decided that he'd like to come home from school and then, go for the haircut. It was settled then that both the boys would go together. It is not like I enjoy watching hair being cut. Both the boys have a history of crying through their haircuts for the first 4 years of their individual lives. But chances of them doing anything together are getting less as each day goes by. Why not enjoy this rare moment!

So, we set off like three merry makers. Since I don't drive, we took the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission). ASid was unusually animated and Hans was quiet as he listened to his older brother talk about some cool stuff. I was feeling quite content; like someone feels after a job well done. ‎Unfortunately, the bus ride was too short. As we disembarked and started walking towards the intersection to cross the street, we saw a pretty girl and a good looking boy walk towards us. ASid looked at them and mumbled a "Hi" and the girl looked at Hans and said "Hello". I thought that was nice of her to acknowledge the little guy and I said that his name is Hans. The girl smiled and said, "I know. He has grown quite a bit!" Then the boy and the girl walked away. I realized at that point in time that she was C from ASid's grade 6 class; wow, she has grown quite a bit too in the last 3 years!

As I remarked out loud to my firstborn that his former classmate has grown up to be a pretty girl, he simply looked at me asked, "Why did you have to come?" 

My Momley heart broke into the proverbial million pieces. I decided to let ASid go get his haircut by himself and take that time to get over his frustration. What changed in a few minutes‎?!

Fast forward to a few days later.‎ ASid and I were on a TTC bus again! This time, we were coming back from a doctor's appointment. At one stop, this boy gets on the bus and nods at ASid. I deliberately pulled out my phone and got super busy. I was literally pretending to be not related to my child. Both the boys talked for a bit. I got up way before our stop and made my way to the exit door. ASid said bye to the boy and followed later. After we both got off, I proudly mentioned how detached I was and how that boy had no clue who I was! To which, ASid casually responded, "I told him you are my mom!"

Wow! I was confused. I made every effort to disappear into a TTC seat and my 14 year old teenager did not hesitate to acknowledge my presence. ‎Was it the girl who made a difference? I had several questions, but sometimes it is wise to let them be unanswered questions. I had to tell myself to simply enjoy the moment. And I did!