Captain’s Log. Daddy Chronicles. Diaper Date 2143. There is a fair amount of dress-up involved with fatherhood, or parenthood in general. Sometimes it involves you donning a costume. Sometimes it involves helping the kids put something on…and sometimes they just do it themselves.
I am a big superhero fan. I have ALWAYS loved Superman (we are both from Cleveland). I have enjoyed Batman, Spiderman, and the Hulk. Superheroes take fragments of our personalities and exaggerate them. Superman was always a way to fight for justice and expect more from myself. Batman supported the paranoia and search for details (and sometimes allowed me to shout “Bam” “Pow” “Kapow” while I fought ghost villains. My parents were so proud.) Spiderman always let me take my imagination/curiosity for a spin while pretending to be a daredevil – and I got to play with yarn. The Hulk allowed me to unleash the aggression that I held inside and pretend to be a monster.
The coolest thing? Capes. I know that some “experts” would argue against capes, but I love the look. Always have. And now my kids do too.
On our walk this morning, The Eldest noticed that The Diaper Dweller was wearing a cape, so she wanted one too. She hasn’t worn one in months, but she needed one this morning because he had one. And when we got back they frolicked in the street with their capes. My dynamic duo.
When it was time to go to the grocery store, she again asked if they could wear their capes. So I was the dad that let his kids wear capes out in public. And no one messed with us. They obviously knew that we were greater than the Avengers or the Justice League. The Captain’s Caped Crusaders are nothing to mess with.
The dynamic duo and I made quick work of our grocery list and made it back home in time to play some more. School is around the corner, and I do hope that my daughter decides to dress in a more conventional manner (she does not have a good sense of seasonal appropriateness – the rest I could really care less about).
But these days that they are running around the house and street in capes? I’m gonna enjoy these days. My kids do a great job using their imaginations. I am just glad they let me come along for the ride.
Now we just need to work on our secret identities. I think I will be Joe Fabitz, mild mannered SAHD. Might need some work.
For now…Captain out.
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