The blue cloudless sky and bright shining orb in the sky is reflective of what the weather report promises for today, sun and warmth. I pull out the boys’ shorts from the plastic storage bins under their bed and they put them on with glee. The approaching summer in the Pacific Northwest is greatly anticipated and thoroughly enjoyed.
We prepare for our walk to the school bus stop. Cody has his backpack but also dons a jacket; he is skeptical of my proclamation of warmth. It has been a long stretch of gray days and those distance warm days of last year seem almost dreamlike.
Carter pulls out his sun hat, rain boots, and little red mittens to go with his outfit of shorts and short sleeved polo shirt. He is quite the fashion statement with his boots on the wrong feet and his sun hat inside out. But his outfit makes perfect sense for what he has planned. He grabs a plastic bag from the basket by the front door, a left over artifact from walking Rosy and Dexter our dogs who are no longer with us.
The bag is for the trash he wants to pick up.
The boots are for protection from “pokey thorns” found in the many ditches where the trash tends to congregate.
The mittens are for keeping his hands “a little bit cleaner”.
The sun hat is to “keep the sun or maybe rain” out of his eyes while he works.
The shorts are for the “nice sunny day”.
Carter’s assortment of clothes, while appearing perhaps odd to passersby, are a perfect combination of practicality and fun. Although I don’t know what function is provided by having the hat inside out and the boots on the wrong feet. Maybe those are simply a part of the flair that is Carter.
Shoes On The Wrong Feet 
Just when we think there is no rhyme or reason. It all makes perfect sense!
It makes sense to me because I know Carter and his thought process but I sure do wonder what our neighbors think about us! There are not any kids of Cody and Carter’s age in our neighborhood so we are the baseline for “normal” children in the hood – scary! 🙂
you make me homesick for the days when my boys were little and had their own unique styles–I had one son who wore the same vest (from cowboy Halloween costume) over everything for months and months; the other child would not wear jeans until he was 18–who knew why? anyway–I love your little tale
Thanks. It is so much fun to see what they boys come up with when they pick their own outfits.
Shoes on the wrong feet – of course. He is living the blog.
🙂 What is that saying about life imitating art? I wonder if I changed my blog name to Shoes on the Right Feet if Carter would finally figure out which shoe goes with which foot.
Something to consider. Maybe, I’ll change mine to ‘Winning the Lottery.’
Hahaha – let me know if it works and I will follow suit!
I’m sure you will.
Too cute…there’s always an explanation, if we’re just willing to ask 🙂
Angel wore ONE Dora garden glove to the farmer’s market on Saturday. In case her hand got cold.
80 degrees and sunny, but the memory of Winter is pretty fresh!
You are right about that, they usually have what they think is a good reason behind what they do. If we ask and listen a little more, perhaps the world of kids would make better sense to us.
One glove – she is much to young to know that she was pulling a Michael Jackson, only with a fashionable Dora glove.
Carter has Northwest style DOWN. He could star in one of those Pemco ads!
That he does – maybe I should contact Pemco. 🙂
Its great to be prepared…very cute.
He usually pairs sunglasses with pretty much any outfit – even if it is raining (apparently the glasses keep the rain out of his eyes). Always prepared for any weather!
That’s a beautiful picture. And your description of the beginning of summer is exactly what I feel today… though I’m a bit older, as you know.
Thank you – I do so love the changing of the seasons, especially the ones where we move from gray and cold to yellow and warm.
I love how he paired the stripes with the plaid too, it is a uniqueness all their own, the fashion style that children have. I’m impressed by the thought that went into that outfit.
Carter usually has a purpose behind his actions. As for the plaid and stripes – I think the busy nature of his outfit reflects the busy nature of himself.