Watch out Claires, Here We Come

The first Friday of every month you can find the girls and me at our beauty Salon. In December, I make all of my appointments for the upcoming year. At almost all of those appointments, we go through the same routine.We arrive close to 4:30. Sometimes we wait and other times, Kim is ready for us as soon as we walk in the door. Lately, I have surprised Kim and have been on time if not early (yeah for me).

I am usually the first one in the chair. Usually I just get a trim since I am there once a month. Every other month, thank God, I get much needed highlights to cover the ever so increasing gray hair. I keep reminding myself, that in the Bible it is considered a sign of wisdom—well in my case, I wouldn’t call it wisdom.

Since the poor child was an infant, Charlee has regularly gotten her hair cut too. Sometimes it’s bangs only. If she is in a great mood, we’ll stack her hair in the back. If you she her regularly you know that doesn’t happen to terrible often. Don't get me wrong she loves Ms. Kim. One of her favorite things to do is imitate Ms Kim. She loves to curl and style Granny Sheffield and Grandma's Annette's hair. I usually opt out.

While I am getting all re-beautified with the hair, Katie searches book after book, in which she looked through last month, hoping to find a new do. She jumps in the chair and typically goes with the same style. After the cut, she gets her eyebrows waxed and we’re gone.

However, this story is missing one key element. The adventure of getting Charlee’s ears pierced. Each month, we go through the same ordeal. She drills Kim about getting her ears pierced. Did Braley get hers done here? What about Harley did you do hers? Does it hurt? Will you do mine? So dear sweet Kim starts the process—loads the gun, cleans the earrings with alcohol, dots the ears with permanent maker and then Charlee chickens out. Once we had two guns loaded and ready for battle. Occasionally, one of the manicurist would apply stickers used for nails to Charlee’s ears. She’d walk out and act as though she had actually gotten her ears pierced. Literally this has gone on for almost a year--- NO LIE.

She have donned sticker earring as though they were priceless diamonds. She has flashed her permanent marker dots as if she was a jewelry model. I am not kidding ask Shelia and Maxie Clark. At a football game, I sat talking with the Clark family, Charlee strolled up and asked Ms. Shelia is she’d seen her new earrings. Charlee peeled back her hair to flash her fancy earrings for all to see. Maxie looked over and admired and ooh-ed and ah-ed at her beautiful earrings. After Charlee prissed away, he asked if they were Blue Sapphires. I busted out in the biggest laugh…. “No Maxie that would be permanent maker”. He was rather puzzled and I explained her monthly trip to the beauty shop. They chuckled each time Charlee paraded up and down the bleachers.

Not this FRIDAY. As Kate was getting her monthly waxing, Charlee crawled up in my lap observing every move Kim made. Inquiring about whether it hurt Katie, why she was doing this and that…then boom “Can I get the sticker earrings”. Kim explained that the lady with the stickers no longer worked there. Then out of no where came ….I want to get my ears pierced if I can sit in momma’s lap.

Not too shocked by the words spilling from her mouth no one was alarmed. We’d been down this road before. However, this time she was a little less hesitant. We moved back across the salon. from the washing sink to Kim's chair. Kim loaded the gun for the 100th time. Charlee asked if it would hurt. Everyone in the building was encouraging her that it would not hurt. Kim said let me see your ear and…. POW…. One ear down. Immediately Charlee let out a shriek and looked and Kim and through sobbing words said “I think you did something wrong-- it hurt. We all snickered.

One left to go. Kim scrambled around and we all started cheering Charlee on again---I just knew we were going to be leaving with 1 earring. Somehow or another Kim got the other one with out to much chaos. Thank the Lord---I don’t know how I would explain that to Steven.