Ever since Ryder was a tiny boy, he has looooooooved to dress up.  There was no shame in this kid’s game when it came to sporting his super hero cape and mask or construction hat and tool belt to Costco… or In & Out, or Target, the doctor’s office or anywhere else for that matter! So when he started preschool, I was shocked when he was hesitant to participate in Pajama Day.  And in kindergarten, he got all excited about wearing Gigi’s amazing punk rocker wig for Crazy Hair day, but as soon as we got to school he refused to put it on.

It caught me off guard how young he was when he began to feel self-conscious around his friends, and it really made me sad for him.  Most of the time, once he sees that other kids are enjoying it, he’ll join in but it’s hard to watch my silly, adventurous boy worry so much about what others think of him.  When his arm first went weak, I feared that his confidence would be completely shot… that he’d bury his head in the sand and never come out of his room, especially if it meant wearing his sling.  While there have been moments where he’s expressed embarrassment or fretted over what other people would think of his condition, he has put on that signature brave face of his and marched right into some really tough situations.

It’s Homecoming week at school now, and this means every day is a dress-up day of some kind.  Yesterday was Crazy Hat day.  He wouldn’t do anything “crazy” but did enjoy wearing a baseball cap to school.  So imagine my surprise when he requested to go to school dressed like this today:

Crazy Sock Day!

I’m sure it helped that I allowed him to wear shorts (a battle we’ve been fighting all winter!), but still… he did it!  And he didn’t even think twice about going to the chiropractor or getting out of the car once we got to school.  He did say, “Since I’m dressed like this, I still have to look cool… so could we spike my hair?”  🙂  And not to be outdone, Evan (who really dislikes having gel in his hair) asked for spikes too.  “But just in the front, Mom.”  So here they are, growing up before my very eyes; being tested in ways I never imagined at such a young age, and handling every step with integrity and courage far beyond their years.  To most people, it’s just silly socks and spiky hair, but I am one proud mama!

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”  (Hebrews 13:6)