See this kid?
Yeah, he’s mine. He’s nearly 10 and that beret he has on… it belongs to me. This is a problem I should not be facing considering his gender. Heck, I was kinda counting on stealing his clothes in the future.
This all started yesterday when I loaned him, loaned him that beret to go outside because he couldn’t locate his own hat fast enough and was worried his snow would melt away before he found it. That and it was freakin’ early in the morning, I’d not had my coffee yet, so I wasn’t exactly amenable to looking for his hat. I grabbed mine and said, “Here.”
“Will this make me look like a girl?” He asked standing in front of the hallway mirror.
“Um, you always look like a girl.” (Hey, I’d not had my coffee yet, cut a girl some slack)
“Yeah, I know, but does it REALLY make me look like a girl?”
I surveyed my son and told him truthfully, “Yeah, pretty much.”
“That’s ok,” he grins, “I’m the only kid out there right now and I know I’m a boy. And you always say that!”
“What do you expect with hair that long. You gonna cut your hair?”
“Nope!” and out he went to move mountains of snow. Ok, inches of snow. Work with me here, people.
So, this afternoon rolls around and there is still snow. He still can’t find his hat, and as he dons mine he gives me that grin. I swear, he enjoys messing with people.
“That hat looks good on you, kiddo, ” I start.
“Yeah! I think so too. So, you gonna donate it to me?” His grin is getting wide now.
“Well, you do look pretty cool in it.”
“I KNOW! But are you going to donate it to me?” Presses my future Goodwill employee of the month.
“Hmm… I don’t know. That’s my beret.”
“Yeah, but you have your red one. The one dad bought you. You don’t need this one too!”
“You’re really digging that hat, aren’t you?”
“Uh-huh, so, can I have it?” At this point the grin is a mile wide and he’s resorted to batting his long eyelashes at me. Yeah, way to go boy, steal my clothes and rub in the fact you have better lashes than me.
“Let’s just say I reserve the right to wear it when I want to–but sure, you can keep it for now.”
And off he went. I’m so not ready for this.
How very French of him. He’s just living into his heritage, that’s all.
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Hmm, I should buy you one. What color do you want? Grey to match your peacoat? We should have given him the family name as a middle name. 🙂 ~W
it does match his jacket. gotta say that my papa wears a berret, so i don’t think of it as all that girlie. put a pin or flower on it and then we’d be talking…
hey, do you still have your red coat you spilled coffee all over, btw?
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Yeah, I managed to get all the coffee stains out of it. Thankfully, as it was my only coat and I wore it all last winter. 🙂 I was thinking we should put a skull and cross bones on his beret. ~W
laughing.. I say that to myself every day.. “I’m not ready for this.” It doesn’t help.
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I know. I told someone recently that I was going to have to start making the kid lie about his age so that the lies I’m telling about mine seem plausible. :) ~W
Benoit Magimel! Looks just like him! Well, younger but frankly, the child looks great in this beret. As long as he doesn’t move on to your top drawer seems fine. From the view posts I’ve read, he seems like a neat kid, Wende. And I think from about the age of 10 on they start to go through a “what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine” phase- lasts until they get their own refrigerator so you have time to negotiate. Seems as though every tool, pair of scissors, knitting needle and table knife in the house was designated “skate board repair kit” for years.
Speaking of hats, my son is now mostly grown, out of college and usually on tour as a jazz musician. He won’t perform without wearing one of the handknit skull caps I knit for him. So this post made me smile.
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Oh! You nailed it. He takes off with everything… usually under the label of “it’s for art, MOM!” And how cool is it that your boy still wears your hats? I love that story! ~W
I can’t think of anything smartly sarcastic to say … so I’ll just say that he IS cute and I think it’s great that he has the self esteem to wear it with no problem. And probably tell his friends he stole it from you 🙂
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Yeah, self-esteem is not an issue with this child. And I thought the same thing about my last comment on your site… I was too tired to be funny. :) Glad you commented ANYHOW. Although, your sarcasm usually cracks me up! ~W
I love berets and think they look good on everyone and every gender (maybe it’s a “Monica thing”). There’s a distinguished looking gentleman that I frequently see walking about in Astoria and I think, “wow… he’s so smashing”. You son looks very smashing in
hisyour beret!____________________________________
😉 Thank you! I’m so with you! ~W
I love the French look, and he is a roguishly attractive young man with beautiful features. (that are not unique to girls) I can’t wear hats very successfully; they annoy me and destroy my hair.
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Yeah, it’s really his hair that’s the issue. Which is why we play the little game, “Does this make me look like a girl.” Because he already knows his hair is LONG. He thinks it’s funny. I’d say anyone who met him would know better, he seems like such a boy to me–but people at church even after a year were calling him “she”. ~W
Two words: Awe.Some.
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I’m laughing, English teacher! I hope you are holding on—thinking about you as I slog through what had better be the last thing I ever write! :)~W
Interesting to read a post about hair when my son just cut his today. He donated it to Locks of Love. I was proud of him for doing that.
You son is a cutie pie. Just wait–when he hits puberty he is going to have that rock star face and break hearts…
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Good for your boy! (I’m assuming it was Sky?)  That’s so cool. And, you’d better be around when he gets to puberty to talk me through it! ~W
Hoping that snowball was aimed at your Grinch neighbor’s window…
Berets are unisex. Haven’t you ever seen that John Wayne film?
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He’s still wearing it… 😉 It’s really his hair that creates the girly look. ~W
I think he looks MAWWWVELOUS!! 🙂 I don’t care for long hair on MEN, but I kinda like it SOME boys. He looks cute! 🙂
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Well, I figure, why fight it? Long hair is NOT a tattoo… perhaps if he’s allowed some self expression NOW, we’ll avoid the piercings later. Not that I’d have an issue, but his dad is a different story. :D Thanks for you comment, hope to see you here again soon! ~W