It's only...

My youngest son returned home after his freshman year at college last week. When he left many months ago I was concerned that I wouldn't know what to do in an empty nest. Well I needn't have worried. After a few weeks to adjust it was great. While I'm always happy to have him home, while he was gone we could eat when we wanted, walk from the bathroom to the bedroom after a shower naked and adopt the "what I don't know won't hurt me" method of parenting.

But now he's home. It's funny because he still asks "can I go over to so and so's house tonight?" or "can I go to the movies tonight?". He doesn't really have a curfew but if he starts staying out every night til the wee hours of the morning then we'll have to talk about it. The biggest rule I have is that I want to know if he'll be home for dinner.

As any mother knows, she can tell when her child has something on their mind. I can tell as soon as he says the word mom. He has a certain inflection in his voice when he starts out. So we're having dinner and here it comes...

Cam: Mom, I need a haircut.

Me: Yes, it is getting a little scraggly.

Cam: Well, um, I was thinking of shaving my head.

Me: WHAT??!!

(I already have a kid that does that but only because he's lost most of his hair already. My youngest has a full thick head of curly hair. I love it and always have my hands in it.)

He's 19 years old and I suppose I can't tell him what to do. After all this is small potatoes. It's not like he wants to visit the Philippines like his brother.

It's just hair.

Only hair but I love it. As a baby he had curls but when we cut it at about age 2 that was the end of them for 14 years when he grew it long and they returned. He had his hair cut over the weekend and here it is...

A mohawk!

Since his hair is so thick and curly he can't get it to stand up straight. The plan is when his brother comes up from NYC this weekend he's going to finish the job with his clippers.
Then I'll have two kids as well as their grandpa with no hair.