While left unattended...

Late Saturday afternoon, I instructed the children that Daddy and I needed a few minutes of private time and ushered Darren into our bedroom. Seating myself at the computer, I began navigating through page after page of excellent Christmas gift ideas that I wanted to show him, but had to keep stopping due to numerous interruptions. Finally, exasperated, I admonished a stern warning: "Listen carefully! Mommy and Daddy have closed this door for a reason! Don't even knock...we will not let you in unless there is an absolute emergency! Do you all understand?!" I then locked the door, just for good measure. (Sometimes, I can be really mean that way.) Moments later, though, a rustling sound is heard and we turn to see a sheet of paper being slid beneath our door:

Oh sweet Jesus! I should have known better than to lock that dang door. Never fear, though: turns out it was just a superficial scrape to the knuckle of his left thumb when the apple peeler he was trying to use didn't quite cooperate. And actually, the first thing he said was, "Wait! Don't put a band-aid on it yet, Mom! Can I look at some blood under the microscope?" That boy. He is just like his mother. :)

Later (because we just never learn), the children were working on assorted crafts at the kitchen table while Darren was getting dinner ready and I was getting Kristen to sleep in our bedroom. Darren had momentarily left the room, and when he walked back in he was startled to discover a clump of hair laying on the floor! I wanted to cry when I saw that Meghan had very neatly snipped about two inches from the hair surrounding her face! I was so distraught, in fact, that Darren wouldn't even let me do anything to it right then...he wisely made me wait until after returning home from work yesterday morning to attempt a repair. And by then, of course, I'd had time to reflect on the fact that it's just hair! It will grow back. It wasn't even like she had taken a chunk from the top of her head, either. Just a few dainty snips that significantly impacted the overall length of her hair. I knew a short little bob would be the only remedy, but oh, I was sad! I had really, really grown to love her long, beautiful locks. But still...just hair. Here are some before and after photos.

(And I think it's only fair to say that Darren and I are already finding her new 'do to be quite darling. I never would have done it myself had her handiwork not necessitated it...but now I have to admit that I think it really suits her!) :)