Artistic License

As if a comment is necessary, I think it's important to note that this is (ironically) a Dallas Cowboy who just made a touchdown...I would say from personal perspective an earlier era - oh, 1990's. 
AND since I forgot to grab the ACTUAL picture from the restaurant table (shame), this is the last...so many puns.

We bought Preston's halloween costume this weekend -Snake Eyes from GI Joe.

He's a ninja. Preston loves ninjas. Of course, he wanted to try it on. I figured he wouldn't go for it , the costume has a full face covering, and he's really not that big on masks. He loved it. LOVED. IT.

Loved it so much, he wanted to wear it out of the dressing room.

Do you know how hard it is to convince those stores to let your 4 year old wear a costume out of the dressing room? It's hard...but not impossible. :) We got the costume home, without taking it off. He looks super cute in it - and that's not even the best part.

Snake Eyes is a ninja that took a vow of silence. P knows this, because he and Albert went to see the movie; I, on the other hand, had no idea. So when P is sitting practically silent unless forced to answer, I start wondering what's going on. The kid said 10 words over an hour time period - and he was bouncing off the walls hyper before he put the costume on. I suppose it's similar to that week around Halloween last year that he made us refer to him as Tony Stark when he wasn't wearing his Iron Man costume...either way, I love this costume, too. :)

In case you hadn't heard...

Preston got a dog. We "rescued" him (long story), and he's an absolute sweetie...when he's not being a pain in the rear; but that is pretty much the deal for everyone in our little family, so he fits in great. ;) We got him the Monday night before we left for Disney World (another long story), so we didn't have much bonding time before we left him for 8 days. Preston pretty much ignored that he had a dog while we were gone, but I don't blame him. Then, out of the blue, on the way home:

P: Mom, where is Malaki*?

Me: Um, at Duckie's. Remember, we took him there?

P: Well, when will he be home?

Me: We'll go get him once we get home.

P: I miss my doggie. (pause) I love him so much. (pause) He's my beeesssst friend.

Awww, sweet - I know, right? Except...he didn't ask about him one time for an entire week. Hey, the mouse is big competition.

Here is a pic of Malaki:P and Malaki: (it's kind of blurry, but they never sit still enough for a picture!)

And P and Malaki playing their favorite game:

As my friend Breanna put it, he's an adorable floor mop. Malaki will bring P the sock and he will just drag him all over the house! This picture was at Duckie's house - at least we have wood floors. ;)

* I don't know what your reference of Malaki is, but I am (now) aware (thanks to my husband) that Malaki is the evil kid in Children of the Corn, my sister used to teach a little terror named Malaki, and generally it's not a great name. BUT, Preston didn't want to change it. (I'm sorry Grandpa and Steph, I TRIED to push Peanut, but he said no way. His only other suggestion was Gunnar Peanut, and that was a big, fat NO.) So, Malaki is his name - and I prefer to think of the Malachi in the BIBLE ("Messenger of Angels" is what it means), instead of some demonized child. Albert thinks its funny to "demon call" him, and growl "Malaki," sounding like something out of the Exorcist. I'll admit that he does stiffen up and coming running a lot quicker...

Haircuts...

Duckie gave Preston a mohawk when he got his hair cut yesterday.

Of course, all this means I had to recreate it this morning...

I'll give myself an A for effort. Dude, I don't do mohawks; braids, ponytails, curls? - Yes. Mohawks? Unfortunately, I was too busy being a pain in the rear to enter my punk-rock phase in high school.

The Hulk

So, for Preston's birthday last year, or the Christmas before that - I can't remember - my brother got him some Hulk gloves (pictured above). Preston thought these things were great...when you smash them into something they talk and roar like the Hulk. He used to wear them around the house, and it was like he had dual personalities. If the gloves were on, he'd talk in a deep, gravelly voice, like the Hulk...but the second they came off, he was normal Preston. He was an absolute PRO and switching between the two. Here is an example of a conversation:

Hulk P: (growling) Mom, can I have some juice.

Me: Sure, here you go.

(gloves come off so he can hold the glass)

Normal P: thanks mom. (drinks and put's gloves back on)

Hulk P: I'm going to play in my room. (runs off)

So, one day we're going into his room to get dressed for bed, and he gasps as he looks at his train table. The track is all smashed up, trains are everywhere, the table is in complete disarray. Since his cousins and friends had been over playing, I just assumed they got a little zealous at the train table, and "rearranged" the tracks.

P: (very serious) Mom, do you see my trains?

Me: Yep. Did you and your cousins mess them up?

P: No.

Me: Are you sure about that?

P: No mom, we didn't do it...but I know who did.

Me: Who?

P: The Hulk.

Me: The Hulk...really...

P: Yep. He got mad, and yelled "HULK SMASH" and he smashed all my trains up, and that's why he is BAD.

Me: Was the Hulk actually Preston wearing the hulk gloves?

P: No mom, it was the real Hulk. He shouldn't come over anymore.

The conversation continued for a minute more, me questioning his honesty and him completely insisting that the real Hulk smashed up his train table. I figured I'd let it go, and eventually just told him that the next time the Hulk wanted to smash up toys, Preston should come get me first. He agreed that the Hulk needed a time out, and went to bed. The Hulk hasn't smashed up anything since then...

Naptime...

This happened for a few weeks...