Boy Dress Ups

After I had Rebekah, and again after I had Emily I frequently would tell people how delighted I was to have had girls. What I would say went something like this - "I'm so glad I have girls. It would be nice to have a boy, but I can live with out one. I would have been really sad not to have a girl."

Then I gave birth to the most beautiful 9lb 1oz baby boy the world has ever seen, and Oh baby is he different to those girls, and am I ever glad to have him!

Now I feel really blessed to have the opportunity to experience parenting both daughters and a son. People say to me "He's all boy isn't he" which really is code for "Wow he's destructive / busy/ strong & could you please reign him in." His energy is often challenging, but he is so uncomplicated. he is tender & sweet, busy, smart and full of life.

I LOVE buying "boy toys." I really always felt that our toys were very egalitarian, but having a son has made me realize we have gaping holes in that area. Reading "Raising Cane" also persuaded me to lighten up a little on the pretending too.

So all of this is leading up to the realization I made recently that we didn't really have any great dress-ups for boys. Not that I minded him wearing the sleeping beauty dress everywhere for 5 straight days - but he should have other choices! So here are some of my favorite guy dress ups.

Train driver. This is great because it is be very simple (this one was a Halloween costume - as many of our dress-ups once were.) These caps are made by Osh-Kosh, so be on the lookout for them. A simple red bandana around the neck & viola!

You know m'boy loves sharks, so this snorkle is a hit. He uses it in the tub a lot - but also enjoys just wearing it around the house when he's pretending he's shark diving (sometimes his wet-suit completes the outfit.)

Of course, nothing in the world beats a super-hero, and really all you need to transform into one, is a cape.

I saw this cape at Mormon Handicraft a couple of years ago. I looked it over & thought "I can SO make that." Then I glanced at the 2 month old in my arms, and the 21 month old beside me - not to mention the other 2 & realized it would be a while before I got around to it.
I bought it for Jacob, but all 3 younger kids have loved it.

I'm not sure if they still have them at Mormon Handicraft (they keep moving, so I didn't make it there the last time I was in Utah), but they are available at this Esty shop.

I would love to see my three be the wonder pets - but they don't ever really watch it, so I'm not sure if they'd go for it. Wouldn't it be the cutest thing ever though to add animal parts & have them for Halloween?
And I know that this is a post about boy dress ups, but I don't think we can live another day without this cape!
In spring Jacob really got into watching Super Why on PBS. I have the DVR set to record new episodes, but there haven't been any for a while. I hope they make more, it's a totally cute show.

Anyway, his pretending to be "super-why" gave me the inspiration to make a Super-J cape. I initially wanted to do a J over a lightning bolt, like Grover (Sesame Street), but it just didn't look good with the J (too long & skinny - you need a nice round letter.) Instead I ripped off the CTR shield as a guide, and did the J on a shield.

Of course Janie wanted her own too - so I made her one for her birthday. I decided to use the left over blue from Jake's cape as the liner, and orange on the outside - that way they'll be interchangeable, and hopefully encourage sharing. I decided not to do a letter - but use the lightning bolt by itself for this one instead.

Emily likes to use the more shiny cape that I made for Rebekah, when she was Super Girl for Halloween 2 years ago - so there you have it, my 3 super hero's. They seriously wear these on an almost daily basis. If you are only going to have a few dress-ups - you should DEFINITELY have a cape.

If sewing isn't your thing - than I think this book is pretty cute. Available from KLUTZ press (we heart Klutz) and includes a cape, a few cardboard masks, wrist bands & emblem stickers. I saw them at Michael's, but they are also available at the Klutz website here.

Our boy dress-up collection wouldn't be complete without the gear needed to turn Jacob into a knight. Kathryn C. alerted me to these beauties available from Nova Natural toys.



Crocheted chain mail hood. How great is that - this one is probably my favorite, although Jake uses it less than the other stuff. I think he will use it more when he learns a little more about what chain mail was, and it's uses.

Knight helmet - this is a big hit.

Wooden sword. Very rarely used - too much potential for injury. He's three. He has poor self control & two sisters who play dress ups with him. Will (hopefully) get more use as he grows up.

Pirate hat, hook & eye patch. These are great 100% wool felt (again, one of those things I know I could make, but thought of the months of joy he would have playing with it if I just bought it on the spot instead of getting around to it.)

Jacob played pirates with Colin several times a week before he moved. We really need a new pirate lovin' buddy. They also used to tie sashes (long scarves) around their waist to slide the plastic (softer) swords into. They also used those same sashes around their head a lot. Scarves, and long silky pieces of fabric are also essential dress-up box items.

Also from Nova Natural - a Viking helmet & shield. Would work with the wooden sword ..... Maybe when he gets a little bigger and we start learning about vikings (they are after all, my ancestors.) Yes, he really should have these.

So what are some of your favorite dress-ups for little boys?
I'm always looking to expand the collection.