Finders Keepers

Last week we went on a family road trip. It was a big event, all four of us in the car, heading out on the road (insert your favorite Jack Kerouac quote here). The destination for our big voyage was “New Concepts Hair Salon (and Retail Center)”. Yes, that’s right. We loaded up the car and headed for an hour ride to get a hair cut (actually three hair cuts since Maggie doesn’t have any hair yet).

Why so far? Hasn’t Boston discovered the scissor yet?

No, it was because of Laurel, who has been cutting my hair for 7 years now. The ride is only a few minutes from work, but Betsy likes the way she cuts her hair too. And Sophie has gotten into the game as well, treating the barber’s chair as her own personal throne (although ruling a kingdom while wearing a smock seems less than regal).

While on this journey, I tried to come up with a game to keep Sophie occupied. The last time she drove down she didn’t last the whole way before throwing a fit (this is a kid who knows her T stop yet can’t sit in a car for an hour). So, what’s the typical game you would have for a child? Of course, a “Do you see a something?” game!

On the road to Middleborough, there isn’t much scenery, at least that you can describe to a two year old. “Can you see a capped landfill?” “Can you find a State Trooper pulling me over?” “Can you see the suburban sprawl?” None of those worked.

We ended up focusing on signs, cars, and bridges. “Can you find a red car?” “Can you find a green sign?” Sounds like a hoot. Until she gets hooked, like a kid on crack – or the bahbah. A few minutes of the game, and all of a sudden, she starts calling out, “I find something else!” And we have to come up with a new goal for her.

Can you imagine how many green signs and red cards we found during the hour ride? And don’t think you can give her something that’s not easy to find – she gives up after about thirty seconds, and starts up again. “I don’t see it. I find something else!”

The good news is we don’t use the card all that often – once a week going to gymnastics. The bad news is that the 80’s music I listen to on the ride gets drowned out – “Daddy, I find something else!”.