Afternoon out and about

I desperately needed to get my grays coloured PROPERLY instead of cheaping out on the drugstore box stuff that continually adds coppery-red highlights to my hair (and not nice ones - I don't look good with red hair).  I know, I know, if you lighten brown, out comes the red.  But at least at the salon, they can counteract the reds by doing their magic.  So I sucked it up and made an appointment for early this afternoon, once the kidlet was finished preschool.

Yes, I took the kidlet with me for an hour and a half appointment at the hair salon.  When I got my hair cut there a week or so ago, they said it would be fine as long as she wasn't running around trying to stab people with scissors.  They also mentioned that she could watch cartoons on the television in the waiting area.  So, I took a leap of faith that the kidlet would be well-behaved enough to tolerate waiting for me.

I went prepared, of course.  I let her bring a colouring kit that her aunt had bought her.  We stopped off at McDonalds en route where I picked her up a Happy Meal that she could eat as soon as we arrived.  I made my appointment for 12:30 - the kidlet is home from preschool at noon = perfect timing for lunch which I knew would kill some time for her.  So on arrival, I set her up in the waiting area, clicked on YTV (there was no one else waiting), pulled the small table over to a chair and laid out all her food and toy.  Noticing that the kidlet's bangs were now so long that they completely covered her eyes, I went up to the counter to see if they could squeeze her in while I was getting my colour done.  No problem.  I set it up for after she finished eating, then I went to sit down to get my hair done.

She sat in the waiting area, ate her chicken nuggets, watched YTV, and amused everyone that could hear her (the kidlet, she is no longer shy whatsoever).  Soon she was done and came to tell me that she was ready to get her hair cut.  I was still getting my hair painted, so I left her to it.  The stylist set her up, put her in the chair, asked what I wanted, and started cutting away.  The kidlet told her that she knew how to be very still and continued to talk to the stylist (though I couldn't hear everything).  Once the goop was on my roots, I was able to go over and watch.  She started getting wiggly about twenty minutes in so it made it difficult to cut her bangs, but this was the best hair cut she's gotten yet and it was a few dollars cheaper than the kid's place I took her to last time.  Afterwards, I went to sit with her in the waiting area until my 30 minutes were up.  With her colouring kit, the kidlet drew a picture of her stylist and printed her name (I told her the letters of the stylist's name), ripped out the page and gave it to her.  I think she liked her!

A couple young girls with spiky, purple-streaked hair sat across from us and it wasn't long before the kidlet got up and sat beside them, grinning like a crazy person.  They offered her a magazine and she took it and pretended to read like they were.  When it was time for me to get rinsed, I coaxed her back to the chair closest to the TV and that's where she stayed until I was done. 

An hour and a half and the kidlet was fantastic.  At least now I know for next time, about two months from now when the gray starts creeping back.  I'm sticking to it this time.  No, I mean it!  I love the colour!  It's not as light as I usually do it but it's a nice rich brown instead of orangey brown.  I'll take it.

After our day at the salon, we went to Ikea so I could pick up a new cushion for Dean's chair as it was horribly stained (clean, but stained).  I let the kidlet play in Smaland for the first time.  I had to sign some stuff, then they put her shoes and coat in a bin, put a numbered thingie on her, a sticker with her name on it on her arm, gave me a pager and off I went.  Ah, shopping without the kidlet in tow.  I wasn't sure how she'd do but she went right on in without looking back.  Sweet! 

Forty-five minutes later (man, that place is hard to navigate - I get so turned around) I went back to get her.  Red-faced and sweaty, she left without screaming and the women running it mentioned that she hadn't needed an introduction to anything - just bolted right in there and amused herself with everything.

From there, we went to the aquarium store because I've been obsessing about our pathetic fish tank again and I want to make it prettier and move it.  Um, not in the order.  I don't like it in the corner it's in and it needs a good cleaning, so that will be tomorrow afternoon's project.  So I bought some tank stuff - new silk plants, a 10 gallon tank to hold them when I'm cleaning out the big one, new filter media, stuff like that.  So we'll see how it goes.  There are only five fish left so it shouldn't be too hard to move them. Heh.

And now, I'm pooped.  Time to get the kidlet off to bed, do some yoga/meditation, and find the energy to do some writing.  Or just fall asleep on the couch watching TV.  Who's to say?