Friday, November 19, 2010

Clayton's Turn

When Clayton was in the NICU, I let a lot of things slide, including the upkeep of my hair.  Not only was I caught up in taking care of a sick baby, I wasn't all that happy with the girl who had been doing my hair for a couple of years.  But alas, I am a "rut" person, and stuck with her anyway.  I finally got desperate enough to ask a friend who did her hair and she recommended Chasity.  I haven't looked back since.
When it came time for Clayton's first haircut, I was worried to death about how it would go.  I shouldn't have worried.  Chasity has been a true Godsend when it comes to Clayton.  She has gone above and beyond the call of a "hairdresser."  Twice she has come to the house when Clayton was too sick to leave but still needed his hair cut.  Who does that these days???  She is extremely patient with him, doesn't get in a hurry or force him to "deal" with the haircut.  She is awesome at dealing with his sensory issues and gagging spells caused by the hair, and puts up with his endless questions and most imperative (he thinks) needs:

"What is that?" (asks this no less than 100 times)
"What kind of shampoo?"
"What kind of clippers?"
"What kind of towel?"
"Where'd Chasity get those?"
"What store?"
"What's Chasity doing?"
"I can't like it" (referring to the spray bottle, the clippers, the wax for momma's eyebrows)
"I need towel"
"Put me by the window"
"Where's the truck going?"
"STOOOOP!"
"NOOOO!"
Clayton and I get our haircut in the evenings since Jackson came along (tried it during the day with Jackson and Clayton DID NOT like him intruding on his time at "Chasity's work!") And even though she's tired and looking forward to going home, she doesn't mind at all when Clayton needs a break or needs to inspect her tools before she uses them.
Brian and I figured out a long time ago that we would have to surround ourselves with people who accepted Clayton and people who didn't mind making accomodations for him. 

Chasity is one of those people.
And she's like the rest of us--under Clayton's spell.  What he says, she does.  He usually bosses her over to the window for his haircut so that he can watch the traffic.  And when the traffic dies down, he has to turn around to see what everyone else in the shop is doing. 
**I have to stop here and give a shout out to Laz and Leslie who work at the shop and also dote on Clayton's every whim.  Even if it means driving their vehicles around an extra block just so Clayton can wave at them and check out their rides.**
I'm so glad I get to call Chasity our friend as well as Most Awesome Hairdresser Ever. 
And as Clayton says, "Thank you, Chasity . . . for my hair."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ashley, this is so sweet. I just want you to know that I love you all too. I feel very blessed to have gotten to know your wonderful family. I look forward to cutting Clayton's hair every 4 weeks. He warms my heart and always brings a smile to my face. It's always a bonus when I get to see y'all outside of the salon.... Even though he always asks "where's Laz?":)) Thank you for posting this. It has made my day. Chasity

Mamma of Many said...

Thank God for the Chasitys in the world today. He certainly knows how to meet our needs, and I'm sure she's blessed as well.

Patti H said...

I truly believe the world is still full of good and loving people. I am so happy to hear Clayton has these people in his live. This was such a heartwarming post Ashley. Thanks for sharing with us