Comfort has its place, but it seems rude to visit another country dressed as if you've come to mow its lawns.

The shorts battle continues.

Jordan is a pretty flexible kid, but he is stubborn, and when he takes a stand, he can be intractable. (I'm certain he gets this from his father. Don't you think?)

There are some pieces of apparel to which he is adamantly opposed.

There's a pair of blue pants I got him that he calls the "crunchy pants" and he refuses to wear. He loves the "cold pants" - which are nylon track pants with stripes down the side. I can't figure out why he dislikes the jeans, although on the really cold days we forced the fleece-lined ones, and after initial resistance, he was fine.

Generally, the softer and more pliable the material, the more he likes it. Pockets help. Immensely. The better to spirit home these weird pieces of plastic fruit with velcro on them from daycare.

No clue what's so compelling about the plastic fruit.

So this morning I was downstairs making tea when I heard the shrieks and wails through the monitor. "THESE PANTS ARE LITTLE! I DON'T WANT THE LITTLE PANTS!"

I went rushing up with a pair of lightweight pants that had been sitting on the dryer. (I'm good at the clothes washing and drying. I suck, however, at the folding. I hate the folding.)

Nick stopped me cold. "It's going to be in the 80s. He needs to learn how to wear shorts." He was angry, he was on a mission, and he was all kinds of bound and determined to send Jordan off to daycare in shorts.

I wanted to point out that in hot countries all over the world there are plenty of people who NEVEREVER wear shorts, and in fact criticize American adults for the shorts-wearing. One of my favorite David Sedaris lines is about an American couple on the metro in Paris: "Comfort has its place, but it seems rude to visit another country dressed as if you've come to mow its lawns."

But I have learned that engaging in battle is not helpful when one parent is mad and determined and the kid is screaming his head off. I know, because I've been the mad and determined parent faced with a logical argument. It just makes you want to stab the other parent and then everything goes all to hell.

So I went back to my tea, and they soon descended, Jordan in shorts and sobbing hysterically. Very upset about the little pants. Beside himself upset.

Jordan was so angry he shoved his milk off the table, which then put him into a time out. And then, when Nick was out of the room Jordan took of the shorts ("I DON'T WANT TO WEAR LITTLE PANTS!") and begged for good pants.

I found him some good pants.

He used to like shorts. He's fine with his swimsuit. I feel confident that as it gets hotter, he'll wear shorts. And if he doesn't, we'll put him in light cotton pants. NON-CRUNCHY light cotton pants.

Just because Nick was forced into humiliating British shorts outfits, no matter the weather, doesn't mean our son needs to be. I'm OK with the no shorts until he's ready.

And you know, looking back at the look on Nick's face in that shorts photo, he was none too delighted about his get-up.