Transitions

At the fair last weekend I ran into my friend Kristy. When she noticed Satchel decked out in his tie-dye long johns and long-sleeved race car pajama top and his Star Wars tank top and shorts on top, she couldn’t help laughing.

“You know transitioning from season to season is hard for him,” I said.

“I know,” she sympathized, being the mother of three, “but didn’t you just get him out of his long johns?” she asked.

“Basically,” I conceded. It did take well into June for Satchel to give up his multiple layers of clothing. All winter long he wore his pajamas under his clothes. Exposing his bare arms and legs was not something he was interested in. “I’m cold,” he would whine when we managed to get him out of the door in just shorts and a t-shirt.

Long-sleeved shirts are known as “warm sleeve shirts” in our house, and conversely short-sleeved shirts are “cold sleeve shirts.” I can only attribute his constant coldness to his lack of, um, padding. After one brief cold snap, it took me 8 sweltering days to get him back down to just his shorts and shirt.

Beyond being cold, I think he just likes to wear lots of things at once. Maybe because one outfit just isn't sufficient to fully express his personality. Last night we were discussing his Halloween costume. “I want to be a green Power Ranger,” he said.

“You’re sure?” I asked since the last time we went down the costume aisle at Target he said he wanted to be Spider-man, Batman, Buzz Lightyear, Elmo, and every color Power Ranger they had.

“I’m sure,” Satchel said.

“Okay, you can be the green Power Ranger at school and then do you still want to be Pee Wee Herman for Zoo Boo?” I asked, since Zoo Boo is where we like to show off.

“Oh yeah!” he said, excited. “And when we go trick-or-treating I can be Pee Wee Herman underneath and Spider-man on top!” he added.