You Have Amused Me, Little Creature

Hey! Wanna see something cool? I found this moth on the side of my house today. Have you ever seen one like this? Not I! The pattern on its wings looks like an Ewok face - doesn't it?

Yeah, it does!



But wait! Look closer!


It outdid itself with the handle bar mustache

Creepy! Do you see that? There is an even smaller, furrier and slightly Asian Ewok face on the back of its head! Cool! Isn't evolution amazing? How the hell were these moths "aware" of a) what they looked like and b)what other animals would react to as well? So aware that it grew two faces on its back - that's how aware! Yup, it's a Goddamn marvel is what it is. It made an interesting chalky-grey smudge when I smashed it, too.


Kidding! I could never kill an Ewok Moth - what, you want me to be cursed for life?

Most of me wants to hug it...but there's a little voice that whispers "kick!"


About The Kid

I need a little advice. We're getting all excited about Halloween here and so we took a trip to the costume store the other day. I pointed out all the "boy costumes" to him:

Me: "Hey look, a Jedi!"
Kid: "No."
M: "Hey, A fireman!
K: "No."
M: Or a monkey!
K: "I hate monkeys."
M: "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that. Oooh, a pirate!"
K: "No - Gosh, Mom! I don't want to be a pirate - they hurt people and steal! Don't you know that already?"

(Whose kid is this? I was pretty much either a pirate or a hobo every year. And as everyone knows, hobos are the pirates of the sidewalk.)

So, it seemed to be a total bust. Finally we are leaving and he goes "Oooooh" and makes a beeline for the girl's section...where he then picks up a High School Musical Outfit. Complete with a blond wig, red headset thing, sparkly top, etc...

K: I want to be this!
M: Baby, that's a girl's costume. You don't even know who that is, anyway.
K: No, mom! It's OK, it can be for boys, too! It's alright, Honey, it's really OK.
M: Well, it's expensive - I'll have to think about it. (That part is true - the thing was 48 bucks!)

My son is the blond in the middle. No, the one in the black dress...

So I bought myself some time. Here's the thing - I want to let him be whatever he wants to be for Halloween and for the rest of the year, too. I have no hang-ups about that kind of stuff; if my son wants to be a drag queen when he grows up - I'll love it. I'll help him do his makeup and go to his shows. What I am worried about is school.

My son will tell everyone and I am worried they will pick on him. Forever. I don't want this to haunt him for the rest of Elementary school days: "Hey, remember when you wanted to be a girl? And you dressed up like a girl? What the hell is wrong with you anyway? Are you actually a girl?"

It could be awful. I don't want to set him up for misery - I want to protect him from it.

But I want him to be his wonderful self, too. What do you think?