panama ben

It was a beautiful Sunday and Ben wanted to go hiking after church.  We got ready, and just as we were ready to walk out the door, Ben decided he should wear a hat.  He disappeared and I expected him to show up with a ball cap.  But instead, he showed up wearing his "cowboy hat".

Said cowboy hat is actually a white Panama Jack-ish fedora-like hat that was purchased at Goodwill a few years back as a potential accessory for a scarecrow halloween costume.  Jen ended up finding Ben a better straw hat, so the Panama Jack hat was never used and was just forgotten somewhere in our house... until recently.  Ben discovered it a few weeks ago and decided it was a cowboy hat.  It is an adult size and too big for Ben, but he is currently quite fond of it.

At almost nine years old, I still love that Ben's disabilities provide some extended childish innocence.  If he likes something, he wears it, and he doesn't care if it's not trendy or how other people view it.  I sometimes worry that this innocence will cause him to be bullied or made fun of, but I love it, just the same.

So, off we went donning his cowboy hat... looking cuter than heck!  I love this kid...