“There’s a problem with the clothes Ari picked out for tomorrow,” Marc warned me last night just before bedtime.
I looked on Ari’s chair. It was a sea of Kelly green. In other words, “He’s planning to dress like a frog.”
Marc nodded.
“It’s fine. He’ll at home all day tomorrow,” I replied.
I decided not to say anything to Ari about it. I pick my battles when he’s going out in public.
This morning, I was putting on makeup when Ari legitimately hopped into my bedroom clad in Kelly green sweatpants and a Kelly green and gray baseball tee.
“What’s going on?” I inquired.
“I’m a frog in my green suit,” Ari replied.
“I see that!”
“Ribbit!” He paused. Then, out of nowhere, Ari declared, “I am also a pear! Nomnomnomnomnom. Juicy!”
At that, I burst out laughing. While I know he’s heard us refer to all all-green outfit as frog clothes, he’s never called it a green suit or referred to himself as a pear. That was brand new and quite adorable.
A few minutes later, I was brushing Ari’s hair when he said, “And if I wore all red, I’d be a tomato or a strawberry.”
“You don’t like tomatoes. But a strawberry would be on-brand for you.”
“What does on-brand mean?”
“It means it would fit exactly with who you are since you eat a lot of strawberries.”
“Yeah, I do.”
Raising Literate Humans 
The snippets you share are so funny and rich with expression. I cannot get over “frog in my green suit” and “on-brand for you”. I’m so with you about picking your battles.
I made him reenact it so I could send it to my husband. (That’s the only reason I was able to get so close to his actual initial words.)
He really is adorable. I’m glad you let him wear all green, if only to hear him say “green suit” and “I’m a pear”. I wonder if he’ll aim for strawberry tomorrow?
He’s wearing what Marc calls his “jelly bean outfit” today, which is a blue-green sweatpant with a similarly colored shirt. (He’s going to need some fashion help before Kindergarten. He used to love dressing up — and even wore bowties for special occasions — before the pandemic. Now? He loves his sweatpants!)
Your post about this is what inspired my post yesterday. My sister and I had questionable fashion sense when we were younger, but we’re okay now 😉
And this post is on-brand for YOU! I love reading the snippets and moments between you and your children. Thank you for this Slice. =)
Yeah, I try to stay focused on kid-related things here. One of these days they’re going to be teenagers and I am going to have to start a new blog since they probably won’t let me write about them when they’re older. We’ll see…
I chuckled at the image of him jumping into the bathroom, and I loved the laughter that followed. There’s a whole lot more joy to be had when you pick your battles!
I don’t have the energy to battle over anything anymore. Enjoying my life is so much more important!
Don’t you just love being witness to your child’s growing mind? I’m sure it was because of my experience in special ed, but I remember being astounded when my daughter drew her first closed circle and engaged in fantasy play, when my son connected his knowledge about skeletons with wonderings about octopi. Those brain sparks are amazing!
It is wonderful to see how kids develop and engage as they get older. Such fun!
Stacey, this is so cute. Ari has me thinking about my “on brand” fashion style. I wore an RBG t-shirt yesterday even though I’m in Europe right now where it seems only tourists wear attitude t-shirts. It was on-brand for me.
Love a good homage to RBG! (I bought my mom a pair of her lace collar earrings — from Dissent Pins — shortly after she passed. My mom wears them with pride.)
I love Ari stories! Frog suit, pear, and perhaps a strawberry when he is wearing red. Great verb choice – hopped into my bedroom- in his “frog suit.” Ari certainly keeps you entertained!
He does, he does!
BTW: The kids want to know when you and Ralph are coming to Hersheypark. Isabelle wants to go on roller coasters with you!
I love the picture of Ari in the green suit. You allow so much room for exploration and creativity. Kudos!
Thanks for saying that. Sometimes I feel like I don’t give them enough time for it. It’s helpful to have it pointed out to me since I don’t always feel like it’s happening.
Love imagining you explaining on brand to Ari.
Oh this is such a great slice. It’s so good to share these moments of you with your kids when they do unique things like become frogs or pears and it’s all part of life! You capture the dialogue between you so well.
Thank you! This one was as fun to write as it was to live it.