Lesson Learned

Okay, I'll admit it.  I used to be one of those people who would see little kids dressed in mismatched clothing and (what I consider to be) ugly shoes and wonder why on earth their parents would let them out of the house that way.  I would wonder, "Don't they love them and want them to look adorable and well cared for?"  Shallow...I know.

But, that was before.  Before Jack got Toy Story cowboy boots for his second birthday.  When he opened the boots, he was not excited.  But then, something clicked in our little man, and all of a sudden he loved them.  Some of you might remember a Snapfish album when I sent a few photos of a little boy in diapers and his cowboy boots...yeah, those are the ones I'm hiding until he graduates from high school:)  Remember how he slept in them that night?

These boots go EVERYWHERE.  We even took them on our beach vacation.  Remember when he wore them to the pool?

                                             

He even wore them to dinner one night while on vacation, and on our way into the restaurant, a man at the bar said to us, "He must really love them boots."

"Yes - yes, he does."  What else could I say?  And finally - I got it.  It's not that those parents don't care what their kids look like or what they might wear...it's just that they want their kids to be happy.  (And also, sometimes with a todder, you really need to pick your battles.)  In fact, maybe those parents were so proud that their children were just glowing with having made their own choice about what they really wanted to wear.  Now I know...and I never judge.  Because, darn it, as much as I hope he doesn't grow up to be a cowboy, he looks so stinkin' cute in those boots:)  I just can't help myself.

But he does wear them all the time.  In the morning, he wakes up, and asks for his boots.  "My boots are in my room, Mama."

He zips and unzips them all day long.  So much so, in fact, that he now as a callous on his thumb.  A boo-boo he showed me tonight while we were getting ready for bed..........while wearing his cowboy boots.  That's right - he's sleeping in them.  Again. 

He often takes them to bed at night and tucks them in next to his pillow.  See?

                                      

He even put his little hand over there so he would know if I tried to remove them!  No, I'm kidding - I made that up, but seriously?!

I'm having to edit them out of some of our photos so people don't think we're crazier than we are.  Remember the water fun pictures I posted the other day?  Yeah - this is what Jack was actually wearing the entire time:

                                                

I know, I know.  Don't laugh.  Don't judge.  Just enjoy.

I know that this is a phase.  When it's over, I'm going to cry.  Probably not as hard as Jack, but I may really cry.  Does anyone know where I can find these exact boots in a size 9 or 10 because when they don't fit anymore what on earth are we going to do?