Cinch it in

What do you do with a son who, inspired by his Robin Hood book (thank you, Sherilyn!), proudly steps out of the house with a belt cinching everything in tidily at his bellybutton, if not above?

"Mom...", he said with bright eyes and an expectant smile, hands in his pockets. That's when I saw it. Aaah! So at first I admired it a little, then I went right into why that look wouldn't work for him. 

"You see, it's more like something ladies would wear." (note to self: walk him through the Michelle Obama fashion blog which I unabashedly follow)

"No, Mom! Don't you remember those pictures in Robin Hood? They were all men."

Oh dear. How do you argue with an illustration? I was torn. How good to know Joseph won't bend to the whims of fashion. He is his own man. But noooo, not this! 

Well, that Saturday, he wore that belt with pride. Sunday morning (this very morning), when he came out once again with the dreaded belt, I said NO. 

"I'm drawing the line here, buddy" I pumped all the authority I could into my tone. 

"Well, I'm crossing over that line." He intuitively knew I couldn't dictate that deeply into his affairs.

"I've already built a brick wall on the line." 

By this time Anna piped up, happy to be on Joseph's side. "Joseph, say you break down the brick wall! Say that!" I think he said it. Anyway, yes, he wore it to church. He pointed it out to some of his friends. He was completely oblivious to the fact the some thought it a bit odd. In his world, he was Robin Hood in all his broad-shouldered, muscled-thigh glory...with a sturdy belt to cinch all that power in.

I tremble to think how long this might last...