First Favorite Color

I just put Jack to bed- a little late (8:30). Whenever Jack has to change into his day clothes or pajamas, his eyes clothes tight, his mouth wails a long 'nooooooo' and the tears spill out. It's a production similiar to the one he re-enacts (and re-enacts and re-enacts) when he leaves for daycare or when he can't have a cookie ('cook') for breakfast. It's an act that, if I had the emotional stones to engage would leave me exhausted. And it's an act that I'm hoping he can parlay into a stellar broadway career (film's fine, too).

Tonight, I was quite happy to get his pajamas on without the usual tear fan-fare. Of course, the fact that he was down right (over) tired, watching his new favorite show 'the Wonder Pets' and digesting a strawberry popsicle helped a bit.

But Jack put tonight's bedtime dress routine to shame about a few weeks agao. This was back when the weather was warm (near 80 degrees). I had pulled out his "Incredible" pajamas Nana W bought for Christmas because they are lighter than his wool one-pieces. They are also predominately RED. And red is something Jack can't get enough of. He wears this RED sweater Nana K bought before we moved (nearly a year ago), and even though the sleeves are half-way between the elbow and wrists and the bottom of the sweater barely touches the top of his pants, it's the coat he chooses to wear in the morning (and that's a choice we're not about to give up because who knows what other drama festival we'd have to endure). The first color Jack could say and recognize was RED. And because of that, and maybe just because he likes the color, that's the color he seems to like best - for now at least.

Anyway, I casually pulled out Jack's RED p.j.s, showed them to him, and asked if he wanted to get dressed in his new RED pajamas (to really understand the full affect of this word, you have to say it out loud slowly, slightly rolling the 'r' like a cabaret dancer would; this is how Jack says it, as if it's the most important word in the world). He looked at me, started to contort his face into the great third act of the evening, but then looked at the pajamas and exclaimed an exuberant "RRRED!" Before Ed & I could fall on our knees and praise the night-night gods, Jack actually lay down on his back (not before hurredily shoving aside all toys in the way), stuck his legs up in the air and looked at us as if, "let's get this show on the road, folks; I got red pajamas to wear."

The only thing that might make me happier is if, one day, I was able to get the picture above printed in the back of his senior yearbook just like all those preppy popluar kids to in order to embarrass the hell out him.