The Adventures of Superman’s Mom

One of the happiest days of my life occurred on a Thursday afternoon at Marshalls. It was there, browsing through the discounted designer sportswear under fluorescent lighting that I discovered the Holy Grail, or at least this mom’s version of it: a pair of 4T Superman pajamas with a detachable cape.

Faster than a speeding bullet I snatched those puppies off the rack. It was better than rescuing a helpless civilian from the clutches of Lex Luthor. I was flying higher than the Caped Crusader sailing above the streets of Gotham.

You see, my 3yo son is superhero OBSESSED. Batman, Spiderman, Iron Man, Superman, pretty much anyone ending in “-man” who wears a flashy suit and has superpowers has captured his fancy. At least 3 times a day, he changes into a new getup – a cape, a sword, some hands-on-hips swagger, and he’s all set to save the world. Up, up, and away! Off the bed or couch he flies.

Riley has been coveting his older brother’s Batman pajamas that – get this – light up and have a cape that attaches to the shoulders with Velcro. I found these wondrous poly-blend garments at a consignment store for the whopping price of $4. If I could have, I would have bought 2 in different sizes.

But it wasn’t until that fateful day at Marshalls that my shopping super-powers kicked in. Only one pair left, that just happened to be in Riley’s size? A-mazing. Sure enough, he was ECSTATIC when I presented him with the PJs. He insisted on changing into them right that minute and didn’t take them off for 2 days straight, including during a family roadtrip. I’m sure countless citizens were astounded to see a pint-size Superman racing around rest stops in New Jersey.

Except for my brief fixation with Superwoman Underoos, I can’t really relate to a lot of my boys’ obsessions. Like the giant dead beetle that’s apparently taken up permanent residence on my kitchen counter. Or the farm equipment and construction vehicles. Or the endless potty humor. But that doesn’t stop me from getting excited on their behalf whenever I come across something I know they’ll love.

My keychain is a miniature pair of men’s briefs. We have piles of sticks and rocks and headless Lego men throughout our house. We own books about toilets and bowel functions, dinosaurs who wear underpants and aliens who wear underpants. I know more about bad guys and superpowers than I ever thought possible. I am the mother of boys, and proud of it. Even superheroes need a mom.