Super Heroes and Pea-Saps

Even though the weather here is more like autumn than summer, I am not ready to give up my sandals. Hence the need to continue polishing my toenails. The process takes more time than I want it to because I have this obsessive compulsive need to do my fingernails at the same time so I am balanced. I get tired of keeping up with it, but old habits die hard. Wanting something summery and hopeful, I choose a light pink and start with my fingernails.

Ev popped his head in as I was balancing my big toe on the edge of the bed, squinting to ease the blurred vision.

“Mama, whatchya doin?” he looks at me and then imitates me squinting as he examines my toes.

“Polishing my toenails.”

Putting his face right in front of mine and inspecting my toes up close, “I like it, mama. Hey! I have an idea! Will you paint my big toe, too? Please?” he pauses only for a second, “But, I’m thinking I don’t want pink.”

“HeyIknowmom! Will you paint my toe….green? This one right here?” he says as he points to his left big toe.

Green. Of course it will be green. Green is his favorite color. If there is a choice offered and green is an option, he will always choose green.

“Why do you want just that one big toe painted, honey?”

“Well, if I have that toe painted I can use it as my super hero weapon. You know how Thor has his hammer. Well, I would have my super hero big green toe.”

“I see.” I say smiling; already knowing I will do it. How can I not help him be a super hero with a super hero big green toe as a weapon?

“Oh, and Mama, put some green on these two fingers, too, please.” Ev holds up the first two fingers on his left hand. “These two fingers are pea-saps. If you paint these green, I can do the pea-saps then with green fingers. That would be super hero cool.”

Looking confused, I ask, “Pea-saps? What is a pea-sap?”

“You know, Mom!” Ev says as he rolls his eyes impatiently, “Two fingers like this makes pea-saps.”

As the light bulb clicks on in my brain, I have to stifle a chuckle. “Oooooohhh. PEACE SIGNS. Two fingers like this makes a peace sign.” I explain as I show him with my hands.

“Oh yeah,” Ev exaggerates the words as he shows me the sign, “PEACE signs… I get it.”

I finish painting his big toe with dark green polish and he decides one super hero green big toe is enough for him. He can’t sit still for more than that. As he runs out of my room, he is already using his new weapon, kicking at the air and yelling, “Watch out bad guys! Here I come! Ha-ha!”

Oh pea-saps that boy makes me smile!