Costume-d!

I remember when Delaney turned two.   I created a photo book for her that helped her identify everyone in the family. It was a good book I promised to make for all other children, but I never did. I didn't have children of my own then (read: I had a lot of free time!)
The book was a hit, and even Delaney liked it but nothing seemed to capture her two year old attention like princesses. One of the best gifts she received was a trunk full of dress up clothes....every princess gown you could hope for.
Amy would tell me stories of how she would wear some of these princess dresses to school. And, when she did not, she would dress up in her very own princess gear choosing only "formal" gowns as her everyday attire. A frilly dress, a swirling tu-tu, covered in the mess of Pre-School.
This was a phase, but it lasted some time.
In the middle of her princess phase Chase and Ryder became toddlers, then Pre-Schoolers, wanting nothing more than to play with their big cousin. And so, dressing up in princess dresses became a pastime for them as well. Snow White was a mutual favorite though, at this stage, Chase was much more into it than Ryder.
Within months , however, it was Ryder who became the dress up king donning Halloween costumes from years passed. One moment he was a lion, next a zebra, then a dinosaur, then a turtle and I was ever so grateful that I bought all of the costumes big.  He loved dressing up.

He still does!

As the boys blew out their "three" candle they blew away their princess and high school musical obsession and in floated their superhero craze.   Particularly Spider-Man.  And, particularly Ryder. If he is home he is dressed up as one of two characters: Spider-m\Man, in either the red or black costume, or Peter Parker, which means he has the Spidey costume on under his clothes.   It is serious, down to the socks.
He loves his costumes. He loves to dress up. At school, during Hanukkah, when given the opportunity to assign gifts to his family members he chose costumes for most of us: the Green Goblin for me (is there any symbolism that he chooses me as his nemesis?) Superman for Todd, (oh of course!)
The other day he insisted, demanded, I dress Turner up in his Superman costume from Halloween. I did.  Ryder loved it. Turner once again chased his cape.
Most days, first thing, he will ask, "Mommy can I play dress up?" and within seconds of my affirmative response he is off to become Spider-man.  He is now asking for a Superman costume and I am using it, because I am mother of the year, as a bribe for good behavior and for not having near misses at the toilet every time.  Whoever says bribes are bad for kids probably never raised three boys!!
It is not just Superheroes, though that is the main thing. 
He also has a "Benny" outfit. Benny is a character from the movie The Sandlot!  If you've seen Ryder in the last several months you have probably seen him in this outfit because he wears it a lot.  A LOT!!  We have to fight with him about it, when he can and when he can't be "Benny!"
This outfit is GAP jeans with an SF patch on the waist line.  I have no idea why he thinks they are Benny pants, but they are the jeans he insists on.  His Victorino Phillies shirt, and do not dare offer him Chase's Utley shirt.  A gray and red plaid button down, worn open.  His Phillies hat.  And, his black Converse sneakers.  Oh yeah, and his dress belt.  The black one he wore with his suit.  Not his cool Kingsley belt but his dress belt.  The outfit, in it's entirety, is his Benny outfit!  And, he would wear it everyday if he could because, unlike his costumes, he can wear these clothes outside of the house.
And, It's not just make believe dress up he enjoys.  He loves to get dressed up, in handsome clothes.  He seems to have a real opinion about clothes and is beginning to form his own sense of style.  He likes to wear suits and ties (not that ne needs to very often) and also prefers to pick out his own outfits, though I usually give him choices to choose from.  He has an opinion about which belt, which shoes, which socks! He changes his clothes often.  It can be very frustrating for me, the one who does the laundry!  I never expected to raise a fashionista, but perhaps that is what he is?  Or creative!  Or imaginative?  Or passionate?  Or all of the above.
Regardless of what he is, he loves dress up.  Spider-man has joined us for dinner more times than he has saved Mary Jane and a game in our house is Ryder pretending to web me all up so I can not move or talk until he unwebs me.  But, as he is getting older, as his interests are growing, it appears that Spider-man can play baseball, watch movies, play memory, build trios, and do puzzles almost as well as he can climb walls.  And, for that, I am grateful!