Funny little kids and the things they wear

Opa bought Clara a pink John Deere hat and she has worn it everyday since.  She cried when I told her she couldn't wear it to church but agreed to leave it in the car.  Today she wore it with fairy wings, rain boots and a beautiful beaded tunic and chiffon scarf from India.  She is modeling it in "tree pose".

Maryanna also got a matching tunic and scarf.  She chose to wear her's with white capris and red cowboy boots topped with a long sleeve waffle knit "love" tee.  It was Mary's neighbor who passed on these beautiful pieces and it has always been Maryanna's dream to dress up as an Indian princess.

They spent the day playing at Uncle Bry's farm with Oma and Opa.

Henry's been dressing up like Captain Hook for weeks now.  He usually wears an eye patch and pirate hat and carries around a clothes hanger for the hook.  But today he chose to be a knight.  The armor actually served as an extra layer of protection against the nasty mosquitoes at the farm. 

In my early years of motherhood I use to carefully dress my children, layering them like Gap or Crewcuts models, as if how well my children were dressed was a symbol of what a good mom I was.  I have since moved in the opposite direction and take great joy in the early expression of their personality, or what they want to be just for the day.  This is liberating.

That said, I stand by certain boundaries such as cleanliness, modesty and reverence when our outings take us beyond simply playing.  But on the days that we play the clothes seem to be half the fun and so I am recording it here.