"Is it the LONE Stranger, or the LONG Stranger, Mama?"

Nope. It's the Lone Ranger.

Lately, my son, being, well...a SON, has been very into all things boy. Pirates, cowboys, bugs, animals, dinosaurs, dirt, finding the mouse in the rosemary bush (his newest adventure). But there is one thing that he loves the most, out of all these things. One thing he asks to do everyday. Every. Single. Day. He doesn't always get to do it every day, since he is in school now. And some days, he doesn't get to do it, just because I don't feel like putting in the time to make it happen. It's a very time consuming process, with layer upon layer of preparation. And, here it is:

Yes, my son likes to dress up like a cowboy. He asks to do this every morning, as soon as he wakes up. Some days, like today, he had to wait until after breakfast to get dressed. Some days, until after naps. And some days, he has to wait until Daddy is available to help, because I can't stand to tie on his chaps and pull on his boots one more time.

"Layer upon layer of preparation?", you ask. How much can there really be? Well, here's the breakdown:

-Socks and underwear
-Jeans
-White t-shirt (if it's not too hot out, he will want to wear one of his button-up cowboy shirts)
-Cowboy belt with big buckle (if he is going to be playing outside, this cannot be threaded through his belt loops, just put around his waist)
-Holster on the belt, with toy pistol in it
-Velcro and tie-on chaps
-Vest (WITH SHERIFF'S BADGE)
-Red bandana around the neck
-Cowboy boots
-Old, crushed and reshaped, black cowboy hat
-He's also got another toy pistol with a holster, a toy rifle (his "huntin' rifle"), and a toy shotgun that he occasionally uses

As you can see in the picture, he is not wearing his sad black hat. It was over at G.G.'s and he headed over after the picture to get it. His Sheriff's Badge is also missing. We weren't sure where it was, so he went without it. His chaps are too small, and his vest is too big, even though they came in the same set (explain that one to me...). He's got a left-handed holster, even though he shoots right-handed (I think the other holster is lost in the toys at G.G.'s house).

So, he's not a perfect cowboy. But, he's MY cowboy. My little Lone Stranger.