Devon got up just fine this morning. Maybe not perfectly, but once he got up,, he got ready very quickly. By the time I saw him, he was dressed and ready to go.
I helped him with his hair a bit, because with his winter shag, he hadn't succeeded very well in taming it. Of course I wouldn't want to be embarrassed by sending a weed seed to school.
Fixing him with a gimlet eye, I told him, "You'd better be wearing clean clothes under that snowsuit, Mister." He smiled wordlessly and zipped up the last inch rather suspiciously. "Clean clothes," I repeated sternly.
That was the last thought I gave his wardrobe till the teacher called. "Devon showed up at school wearing shorts, in -18F weather. He said he slept in his snowsuit, and forgot to change."
Forgot, my eye! Although I hastily told her that I had NOT known he was sleeping in his snowsuit, and had indeed told him to be sure he was wearing clean clothes, some impressions just can't be erased. No matter how logical the story sounds, you're just left wondering,
What kind of mother sends her son out into minus-18-and-feels-like-minus-35....in shorts???
"But at least I combed his hair," I mentally protest, "and reminded him to brush his teeth." Great, he probably didn't do that, either. What kind of mother, indeed.
Very, very humbly,
Noni Beth
yopaxton says (but has to be anonymous because I can't get wordpress or open id to work):
ReplyDeleteFirst time to your blog. Great story. As a mom of a whole bunch of kids, I feel confident saying you are a great mom -- only great moms let their kids sleep in whatever they want and trust them enough to know that shorts are ok for indoors where it is HEATED. You did not send him out in shorts. You sent him out in a snowsuit! I would let him go in shorts any time he wants (and I secretly hope he chooses to so again!)
I remember sitting in a circle with classmates in kindergarten and looking across and Linda was sitting "Indian style", in a dress, and oops, she forgot her underwear that day!
I laughed SO HARD at your comment - as a small child I used to go out in dresses without my underwear ALL THE TIME, and was not precisely careful. Once, I even rode my Hot Wheels down the street without a stitch on. Poor Mom! :D
ReplyDeleteSecret-hope all you want, but *I* am hoping that he obeys the school rules for winter attire, rofl. (If I were a betting woman, I'd put money down on you, though. Anyone who knows Devon will tell you that he has a very high chance of being a repeat offender, um, I mean a brilliant, creative, unstifled boy.)
My son (age 38) wears shorts year 'round - even when it's below zero temps. I thought it was because he was making some sort of fashion statement but now I know it's either because he's brilliant, creative and unstifled or he's sleeping in his snowsuit.
ReplyDeleteROFL!!! I'm betting on the snowsuit...
ReplyDeleteNoni Beth
When my son was little he used to run outside barefoot in the snow. He hated wearing shoes or boots of any kind. We always had shoes for him, of course, since he had to wear them when we went to church, the grocery store, the public library, etc. But his shoes got so little use that they still looked almost new when he outgrew them. I had a friend whose little boy was about a year younger than mine, and her son inherited everything my son outgrew. She used to accuse me of going out and buying new shoes for her son, rather than sending her hand-me-downs, because my son's shoes had received so little wear!
ReplyDeleteWhat a funny story - sounds like he and Devon might be cousins.
ReplyDelete