I am NOT my brother

Grayson, did not say exactly that. Not using those words anyway.

But what he did say, meant the same thing.

The boys were overdue for a haircut. I had meant to cut it the previous weekend, but, as usual, I got sidetracked and did not get to it. So this past weekend, before I came home, I scheduled my Saturday so I would know exactly what I needed to do, and have the time to do it. As I had a long drive on Friday night, I did not fly home until Saturday morning. The first thing scheduled upon my arrival was cutting the boys' hair.

Theresa (and kids) picked me up at the airport Saturday morning at about 8:45. We were home before 9:30, and on the way home I asked who wanted to get their hair cut first. Noah piped up quickly, so he was the first in the chair in the middle of the kitchen, which is our primary hair cutting station. When I asked him how he wanted it, he said that he wanted tiny hair. Tiny hair is fine with me, because it's easier to cut it that way. Put the 3/8" guard on the clippers and just start shaving away.

With newly shorn tiny hair, Noah got up and headed upstairs to take a bath, as there is always hair everywhere after I get done with them. When Grayson was asked how he wanted his hair cut, I fully expected to hear that he wanted tiny hair also. I was more than mildly surprised when Grayson said that he wanted long hair.

Noah and Grayson turned 5 on March 31. This is the first time that either has expressed an interest in separating himself visually from his brother. We have never really made an effort to dress them alike, although we have from time to time. We almost always buy two of everything for them, but they rarely wear the same thing on the same day. Sometimes we will get them different colors of the same pattern, and sometimes we will get them similar, but not matching, items. But this is the first time that one really wanted to look different from his brother.

Actually, that is not quite exactly true. Last weekend, when we tried (yet again) to get a new iPhone for Theresa, and (yet again) were not able to (we just ended up ordering one at the AT&T store), we went over to Mervyns in search of some new shoes for Noah and Grayson. Noah wanted Wall-E shoes and Grayson wanted Spiderman shoes. They were both on sale, so the boys got lucky! But this was the first time since they have started requesting their own clothing items that they wanted different shoes.

So with Grayson, I put on the 1" guard and started cutting. I had to do additional trimming around the ears, as well as in the back so he didn't end up having a tail. But it turned out reasonably well. As I've said since I started cutting their hair - it'll always grow back. And this is the first time since they were born that you can look at them and instantly tell them apart, even from a distance, which wasn't always possible before.

We think what has prompted this new desire is the transfer from their previous day care center (which they had been attending for five years) to their new school (where they will start kindergarten next month). Not all of their teachers can tell them apart. And I'm pretty convinced that not all of the kids can tell them apart either. The other day I asked them if they liked it when they got called by the wrong name, and they both said no. So, in his own style, I think this is Grayson's way of saying "I am NOT my brother".

By the way, pictures were meant to be included in this blog post, but I forgot to take them. They weren't on my schedule.