After much hemming and hawing, I finally took my cute shaggy-haired boy to one of those kiddie haircut places. I told the woman I liked the shaggy look he was sporting, just wanted him to have a trim. She was fast--very, very fast--and so there was no time to tell her not to cut off those sweet little sideburns or to make the bangs kind of fringy before she had basically given him a bowl cut. When I finally got a look at him, I'm ashamed to say I actually had to fight back tears. How could this woman get it so freakin' wrong?! This was no trim--he looked a lot like Moe! After I left (no tip for her!), I called C. and wailed to him about it. I know, I know, in the grand scheme of things, this is nothing. But this woman made my boy look less cute! And charged me $20! How dare she?!

Okay, that's enough of that. I'm really getting over it. Hair grows back, blah blah blah. C. says he doesn't think it looks that bad, really. We'll cut it ourselves next time, he says. I don't know about that but we'll see.

Things are busy here. In a fit of insanity, I offered to help with a friend's baby shower this weekend, so now it's endless discussions of petits fours and punch, who's bringing the boom box, and how exactly do you play The Belly Game. I haven't a clue. This weekend is full to the hilt with the shower, C.'s recording job, and a dinner out (please oh please) with P. and A. A real live fun time with adults!

The very next weekend, we drive to Kansas City. Please keep us in your thoughts that we won't have a toddler meltdown somewhere in Iowa. We've done this before, and this time we'll be even more equipped. But you never know what will happen.

I'm excited to see my KC friends, to be in my hometown where I know the streets so well I don't have to think. The map is embedded in my brain.

I hope we have a really good time. Fingers crossed.