"Why Not Mom?"...the wallet incident

I am sure before you read this post you have already glanced the photo. What is that exactly? Well I will tell you- and then you will feel my pain....but first let me explain.

My boys are insanely different people (and yet best friends). Remember those two boys in the Highlights magazine cartoon about two boys who were total opposites? Well, they are THAT opposite- except both are a little bad and a lot good. For one example, Tucker (my 7 year old) has always always been aware of 'fashion'. When he was 2 years old- he decided and proclaimed 'no more over-all mommy. Dat for babies'...and when he was three he insisted on 'hard pants only' (meaning no sweats!)...and around 4 he refused to attend any birthday party with out a 'party shirt on'. (It took me a frustrating hour to figure out what a 'party shirt' was exactly-turns out it had to have buttons on it.) And there have been many other phases too: no shirts with pockets, only shirts with pockets, Yes I will wear a cowboy hat everyday for a month, T-shirts with writing on the front only, shorts have to be past mid thigh, FOX only baseball caps, Vans only shoes and the list goes on and on. Meanwhile Jack, my 9 year old has never cared one bit about what he wears. If I don't take away the shirts that are too small for him- he would just keep wearing them until he is showing bare midriff ala Britney Spears. He wears anything.

So today when my Tucker asked me to Google 'cool surfer-skater wallets' for him. (Apparently a first grader has a BIG need for a wallet) I was a little stunned by his choice. By now you have guessed it- he picked the leather 'Thrasher' wallet WITH THE CHAIN. I can not imagine my sweet, angelic, adorable little blue eyed, freckle faced baby is going to be walking around town with a chain hanging down his thigh. Aren't those for criminals or something? First when he proclaimed 'THAT one. THAT is it!" I immediately said "um no I don't think so"....but when he looked at me with "Why not Mom?".....what could I say? I honestly couldn't give him a reason at all....well not a politically correct, totally evolved reason. Anything I would say was gonna be racist or snobby or stupid. So if you see an adorable kid walking around the OC with a chain wallet- can you smile and say "WOW you must have a cool mom to have that!"?