Is someone keeping score?

Yesterday we went to one of Sam's favorite restaurants for lunch. I won't embarrass Sam by revealing which restaurant, but I will say that I ordered a steakburger and strawberry shake. Our waitress was an elderly woman who kept trying to make friends with Paolo, but Paolo was only interested in making other diners uncomfortable with his pointed stare. Toward the end of the meal, she brought over a paper hat for Paolo, which he refused to wear. Either because he didn't want the waitress's feelings to be hurt or because he has genuine affection for disposable headgear, Sam wore the hat the remainder of the meal.

Ever since we picked up the new Lego Star Wars II video game, Paolo has been on a big Star Wars kick, especially since we now play as a team and he has his own controller. So when I took Paolo to the park on Saturday, he insisted on bringing both light sabers and wearing his Jedi cape. His Jedi cape is a zip-up hooded sweatshirt that he wears just the hood of because a Jedi craves not inserting his arms into sleeves. So, we've each got a light saber hooked onto our pants, and Paolo's "cape" is dangling from his head, and I went out in public like this. Not just "anywhere" public, but the PARK: where other normally dressed and unimaginative children and parents tend to congregate. Now I'm not saying I care what, if anything, other people thought of us. I'd do it again tomorrow. Lord help me, I may have to. I just think there should be somebody or something Out There taking notes. I want points for this, Big Bonus Points. Took caped child to public park, wore light saber, pretended kiddie playground was spaceship: what's that worth - 350, 500 points?

Back at the restaurant, after telling Sam the park story and my parenting-points theory, I asked him if that was where the paper hat thing was coming from. He said, "Exactly."