Those Animal Hats With The Gloves Attached

Posted by Jacq in Blog, Parenting, Photos | 12 comments

We were at our local market just before Christmas when the kids first saw these. Of course they all wanted one.  And of course I said no. They would make a perfect stocking filler and the price being asked was quite high. I felt sure that I could find something cheaper online. And I did. Santa managed to bring the kids one each.

We now have a monkey, a wolf, a fox and a lion in the house. It seems fitting that I can now accurately describe my children as a pack of wild beasts.

For those of you who haven’t seen these hats, this is what I’m talking about.

They are like a soft toy animal head that forms the hat, with two long flaps which have pockets at the ends to keep hands warm. So a hat, scarf and mittens all in one. Perfect for the cold weather.

At the time we first saw them, it was freezing and it seemed likely they  kids would get plenty of use from them in the months ahead. Of course, since then, the weather has warmed right up and it’s done nothing but rain. They have worn their hats out and about but I have discovered that children really hate getting their lovely soft toy hats wet and muddy. I can, however, now report that these hats can be machine washed.

I’ve been waiting for some cold weather, so I can get a photo of all four of them wearing their hats outside. This morning I had my chance, and this is what I got.

Aww, what a lovely photo.

But there is one thing missing- DD2. She’s standing to the side, refusing to get in the shot because I made her put her trombone in the wagon properly, rather than allowing her to balance a £300 instrument on top of a pile of bags and lunchboxes. I actually made her take everything out and put all back in again properly. What a mean mother I am!

This threw my second born into such a strop that she refused to stand with the others for this photo, which will evermore be held up as proof that I love  ’them’ more than I love her. We have a number of photos of only three kids where I really wanted to have four in the shot. It’s not always the same child missing, I hasten to add.

I’ve learned not to spend too long trying to persuade the refuser to take part in the photographic opportunity. A couple of minutes tops is  the maximum, otherwise the other kids get restless and refuse to pose as well. Parenthood is all about picking your battles and sometimes you just have to take what you can get!

But today I had enough, zoomed out and took a photo of her anyhow.

She didn’t know she was in the shot but I intend to use this picture as evidence that I love all my children equally and want a photo that includes all of them, even the cheeky monkey who refuses to co operate with the photographer.