Beauty Shop

I am so glad that my children are finally getting old enough to help so that I can actually spend some fun, quality time with them without feeling guilty about the way the house looks.  Every now and then, they actually like to help and ask if they can do a favorite job.  They're getting better at their chores, and with some of them, I don't even have to supervise anymore, like taking a Clorox wipe and cleaning off the light switch plates and the doorknobs. 

Yesterday, Nyssa asked if she could help me wash the dishes.  She has gotten quite adept at washing the plastic ones, so I wholeheartedly let her.  I told her since she had already been such a good helper that she and I would play beauty shop after the boys had gone to bed.  A few minutes later, after finishing the rest of the kitchen, and confidently leaving the dishes in her hands, I moved on to the family room to vacuum.  Benjamin, who had been playing outside, came back in the house looking for his beloved sister.  Upon being told where she was, he skedaddled off to find her.

After about 5 minutes, something clicked and I remembered that sometimes my kids and the kitchen sink don't always make the best combination unless I'm looking to mop in there, so I went to the doorway to sneak a peak.  At first glance, everything appeared to be fine, absolutely normal.  There was no excess water on the floor or counter tops and the dishes were actually finished except for a few in the sink that were waiting to be rinsed off and set in the drainer.  A sigh of relief escaped my lips and I smiled.

A microsecond later, I took a second glance because something in my peripheral view caught my eye.  The 10 ounce bottle of Dawn dish washing liquid that I had filled last week had about 3 ounces left.  Now mind you, when I first left Nyssa in the kitchen, the bottle was mostly full.  My first comment to Nyssa was to remind her that she only had to use a couple short squirts per sink full of water.  Then I remembered that I was the one who had put the soap in the sink in the first place.  Then I saw the back of Benjamin's head.

Then I looked more closely at all of Benjamin's head.  See, he has blond hair and an army crew cut so I didn't notice at first the dampness that covered it.  Nyssa was standing behind him, smiling sweetly as she continued to rub the Dawn into his hair.  It was only then that I saw the amount of soap on his head. 

I was at once very concerned because my children always use the no tears type of shampoo and they absolutely detest getting water in their eyes, so you can imagine the dismay I felt as I foresaw the possibility of the dish washing soap burning those of my unsuspecting four year old son.  Awareness of the fact that the only way to get the soap out of his eyes would be to actually run water in them gave me cause for great apprehension.  I decided then and there that the only solution would be to have Benjamin lay down face up on the counter with his head over the sink as I rinsed out his hair.  I have never been more grateful for our sink sprayer than at that moment. 

The soap was so thick on his head that it took about 15 minutes to get all of it out.  Thankfully, none of it got in his eyes and he remained calm the entire time, even with water flowing so close to them.  Even when I wash his hair in the bathtub, he usually shows a little fear by saying, "Don't let water in my eyes, Mommy."  But yesterday, he just lay there, smiling serenely, enjoying the head massage.  I lifted him back up, took off his shirt that had gotten wet from the rinsing, and towel dried him off.  All in all, in spite of my concern, it was one of those nice memories that I will be able to look back upon through the years.

Nyssa and I did eventually play beauty shop.  I painted her fingernails and toenails.  I brushed her hair all pretty and put a sparkly headband on her.  I put Yankee candle strawberry scented lipgloss on her lips.  We talked and had a blast!  We both went to bed content and happy.

I enjoy the snippets of time I get to share with my children, the little "Kodak" moments when no camera is around.  Whether cleaning the bathroom together, teaching them how to mop a hardwood floor, or playing beauty shop, I don't think I realize how much they are watching and learning from me.  But these are times that are important, and memories they will have as they grow older.  When they look back, I hope they will remember them as fondly as I do.