dressin' up

I don't know if you have this, but there are things I looked forward to as a parent. Before I was a parent, in my dream fantasies of the kids I'd have and the thing I'd do with them, playing dress up was way up there. I planned to have a tickle trunk full of fabulous dress up elements, hats and vests and skirts and wings and feather boas - the works. But then, you know, I actually had kids and it turns out it is way busier and much less dream-like than one imagines. Not that its not great, but you end up spending a lot of time on the general care and maintenance stuff (reading books while sitting next to a small child on a potty) and not as much on the dream-fantasy business (there's less running around in soft lens filtered daisy-filled meadows than I'd imagined). All the figuring out what school they are going to and making doctors appointments and trying to bake gluten free pitas (epic fail by the way) just kind of got in the way of filling up a tickle trunk. That shit takes time. Because you know how I don't like the commercial, pre-packaged Disney costume stuff. The plan was that I'd look for and find lots of perfect little child-sized treasures at the thrifts but I kind of forgot. I just haven't been proactive on this whole dress-up trunk plan. Good thing the kids are. Because little kids aren't stuck on details and prefect plans. They live in the moment and don't sweat the small stuff. My boys can find all they require for playing dress-up around the house. Necklace: check. Hat: check. Shoes: check. Random accessory: check.

 Basically it all starts with the necklace. If I leave a chain or a string of beads lying around they are on it like a pig on a potato. Then they hit the basket by the door that (barely) holds all our winter hats and mits and add to that. And voila, they are a whole different person. And they run up to me, all full of giggles and secrets. "Look Mom, Look! Guess who it is?" And after I wonder and hem and haw and fail to recognize them, the hat comes of and Whoa. The big reveal. "It was me all along!" Hilarity ensues.

And I love it. I love it just as much as I imagined I would. I love that they are discovering the transformative power of costume. I love their resourcefulness and creativity. Plus also, its hilarious.  I LOVE it when the Baby puts together his own costume.

He's always so pleased with himself.

I got tired of seeing all the toques and winter gloves the other day (not to mention tired of trying to find them back from wherever they've been discarded the next time we need to go outside) So I quickly dug in a box and found a few of my old hats.

You know, real hats. Vintage Lady hats from back when I was a devil-may-care teenager with a budding fashion sense and no self-consiousness whatsoever. Oh, and also a couple of little suitcases. All the better to cary your hats and lego in.

It cracks me up how unintentionally Flavor Flav this outfit is.

And this Baby sure knows how to put a look together. I think I may start wearing that hat again. Tres chic.

And often, as with most games around here, things can quickly devolve into craziness. We go from being in disguise to being monsters. Raaaawr.

And as the Little Dude would say "See monkey, Do monkey." Little Rawr.

Big Rawr. Yep, thats the close-up of my day. Hope that there are hats and necklaces in your day too.

Comments

[Cynthia]

Thats The Best!!!!!!! The baby's face with the upside down glasses made me laugh out loud and the rawrrr at the end makes my day, hugs and high fives to the nephews, Auntie C

[Marcia Van Drunen]

freakin' fantastic
love the look of GREAT (almost astonished) delight on the little guy in the first pic
sweet series of pics
good night to big rawr and little rawr :)

[Suzanne]

my necklace!!

[fingerthumb]

You're right Suzanne! So funny. You totally made me laugh.