I’ve been wanting to do a post on Logan and his love of costumes for quite a while now. Every single day, he invents a new “character” and creates something for himself from the costume basket in the play room. Just the other day, after watching a part of a spy movie, he had me take one of his zipper hoodies and cover the front in stripes of duct tape to make it look like a bullet-proof vest. Unfortunately, these costumes are usually created in the morning before school and then there are major tears as I explain that he can’t wear them and show his friends. Last week, the boys got haircuts and I was comparing notes with one of the girls who works there. Seems her son is very similar and will barely leave the house without some sort of costume on. I told her the now classic tale of Logan’s “spring school picture” and I think we declared it the overall “dress up” winner. So here’s what happened: for his 6th birthday back in March, I found several new pieces to add to Logan’s dress up repertoire including a fedora…which he had been looking for one day when he was doing some sort of rapper or singer costume. He has worn this hat INTO school on several occasions with strict instructions from me to put it into his bag before class starts.

So our school is now offering a spring picture day in addition to the one in the beginning of the year. This is not the yearbook picture, just another opportunity to get professional portraits. Logan had his fedora on all morning and wore it in the car to school. As he was getting out, he remembered picture day and said, “oh! can I wear this hat?” I said, “no honey…just do a normal picture OK?” When he got back that afternoon, I asked how school was. He gave me a sheepish grin and said, “I wore my hat for pictures”. To which I replied, “seriously? didn’t the photographer or anyone think that was kind of strange?” He said, “no…I told Miss McCluckie (his teacher) that you wanted me to wear it”. After trying hard not to laugh, and after a pretty stern talk about lying, I had to immediately email his teacher explaining the situation so she wouldn’t think I was some sort of goof who would request that her son wear a fedora for his picture. We had a good laugh about it – she knows and appreciates Logan’s personality for sure. Brian thought it was hysterical and said, “um…of course we’re buying that – total black-mail material for his teenage years!” Well…the pictures were returned last week. I guess he was so super proud of them that he had to show our friend and neighbor Kristin whose office is right across from his classroom. She text-messaged this picture to me before he came home that day:

Look how pleased he is with himself! Seriously?! I mean if you’re going to wear the hat, at least make a face that goes with it….not that sweet little grin. hysterical. Of course we bought them! Can you say “wedding photo montage?!”

Both Logan and I like collecting pictures of his costumes so I have a lot saved up. Here is one of his new favorites: I paint his face in camo for him to play “armies” (soldier). The first morning I did this, he went to look at himself in the bathroom mirror and exclaimed, “mommy! you are the artist!!” He wore makeup like this to our first TGIF of the season so his neighborhood friends could see.

This picture was taken a while ago. This is Logan talking on the phone to Nana one morning. He got a new cowboy hat and a long duster coat for his birthday along with the fedora. This is: straw hat, winter gloves, shirt and vest from a how-to-train-your-dragon costume, khaki pants and a tinker toy rifle.

Oh…and a pirate bandana

Super spy: glasses, a “camera” and his laser watch

This wasn’t really a Logan-created character, but still totally funny. The kindergarteners dressed up as old people for the 100th day of school. This is: his bathrobe and slippers, daddy’s glasses and some dry shampoo to make his hair gray.

Cool rapper guy: This is an ensemble that Logan would wear, play the song “Dynamite” over and over again in the living room and dance around with his brothers (even Brady can pretty much sing all the words). It’s: one of my winter hats, his sun glasses, his favorite long-sleeved black shirt (which now has a hole in it that he made me cut so he could put a rose in his shirt like a maitre d’ on valentines day), his “cool guy” button up and his 2nd favorite black track pants.

I was looking through some old stuff in the basement crawl space and came across this Indian-inspired belt I used to have and this giant gold ring…not sure where I got that, but anyway…Logan LOVED them, claimed them for his own and added it to the rapper get-up. He actually went jogging up and down the street one day in this outfit…probably so everyone could witness his awesomeness. Me and Aiden stood at the window inside and cheered him on.

Who could forget his 6th birthday party where he wore: his Wolverine costume and a pair of daddy’s aviator sunglasses. Need I reiterate that this costume is 1. too small and 2. has an awful run down the back exposing his cute little boxer-clad rear? After that party, the Wolverine costume “disappeared” (not well enough though because he came across it the other day under daddy’s bathroom sink. I couldn’t make myself throw it out…but maybe I will)

Even on vacation, Logan chose to spend his money at Legoland on a ninja headband and squishy nun chucks.

I’m not sure about his one…some sort of fighter with an invisible gun, his soccer shin guards and his winter boots…in his PJs of course.

Race car driver…complete with really thick “I’m going to build a snowman” gloves…and crocs.

So again…was I mad that Logan lied to his teacher and took this school picture? Actually no. I wasn’t happy about the deception part, but I’m actually SUPER pleased to have a picture that so perfectly captures Logan’s amazing personality, creativity and inner beauty. I should have had him wear the entire Adidas track suit that he puts on literally every other day. I think this picture will make for some awesome conversations with any girls who come over, years from now, who are interested in dating my son…oh ya…they’re gonna see it! …and they better love it or they get the thumbs WAY down!