Oh Look, Dad Was In Charge Today!

Maybe I used to care more, maybe the kids have worn me down, maybe it is just more prevalent when there is three of them....But no matter what the reason I seem to be the mom with 3 crazy looking kids following behind her....or off to the side, maybe 20 feet in front of her...ya know in the general area of me!

I realized this a couple weeks ago when I was taking the kids for a quick Taco Bell trip. I walked in with Batman, a kid in floods, and a lil girl in pooh bear moon boots (it was 70 degrees out). I guess I knew I was caring a little bit less about how matchy-matchy the kids were before this date but it was the true realization. I looked behind me and thought, wow I am that mom i have seen at Walmart and thought, wow really? See, the boys are finally starting to dress themselves and Lucy, well she has always had an opinion about what she should wear. Me, well I am apparently not caring as much.

I never really cared when the boys were younger if they dressed themselves super crazy. Costumes to grocery shop in have never been a biggie with me. Actually, I think it is cute and love it when they do that! It is the just almost matching or a size too big or too small that bothered me. I figured if they looked totally outrageous then people would figure they dressed themselves. But, if they just almost matched then people might think I actually dressed them like that as if I think it matches or fits. That is what bothered me.

I recall this one day when Brad got Levi up and dressed for school. What I didn't know, as I was sleeping so soundly in bed, is that he told Levi to pick out his own clothes. Then, apparently Brad was blind to him until Levi was stepping on to the bus. How did Brad send my child to school- oh in his little brothers pants- he normally wore a 6 and he went to school in 3T pants. It looked like he had little girl capri pants on. When I watched Levi get off the bus in those pants I could have died! Ok not literally but ya know. I just knew he had been walking around and every adult in the building had thought, "Good Lord what did his mother dress him in!" Later when I really thought about it I decided there were mostly women in the building and their actual thought was probably " Oh look, Dad was in charge today!"

Levi, well he likes to wear clothes that just almost match and he is the king of floods. He seems to get attached to his clothing and just can't let it go or maybe it is his clothes literally are attached TO him, because he also never changes his clothes. During the school week he has to shower and put on new clothes every morning but over the summer and weekends when things are more lax and showers aren't forced well it isn't shocking to see that kid Sunday night in what he put on Friday morning. Hey saves me on laundry right?

Wyatt, well he is king of costumes. He is the kid that leaves the house dressed as batman, a cowboy, a power ranger.... Not only will he dress as these characters but he really thinks the rest of us think he IS that character. He also is my only child dresses himself every single morning as soon as he wakes up but, he has no concept of color and matching. He is my child you see in brown cords with a black Halloween t-shirt. He also has his own fashion trend, one I have always loved. He wears clip on ties with his t-shirts. It is so he can be "fancy" ya know!

Lucy, well I have waited far too long for a girl to dress so I have say on her clothes most of the time. I do let her pick pieces and I know her style so I stick with. Yes, at 2 my daughter has a "style." Her fashion downfalls that I am learning to accept- oh Princesses and Dora on clothing. She loves to wear princess dresses out and her shoes, she is picky about her shoes. She gets in shoe ruts though where she will only wear one shoe no matter what the outfit is, hence the moon boots at Taco Bell.

So I think the answer is that the kids are just wearing me down. But, I'll play it off as if I am letting them discover their own individuality. There are and I'm sure still will be many a times I'll look behind me and think, Whose kids are these and Good Lord what did you mother let you wear today!