Sky Pilot, How High Can You Fly

A few months ago, Vivian realized two things: she had fun little squishy things in her ears and she could reach them!

Our best defense against her curiosity is to block all access.  We have a few different hats that we've tried. 

The best basic hat for wearing on a daily basis to daycare is the Hanna Andersson cotton pilot cap.  They are $10 each + shipping.  While they work well, they leave a little to be desired in overall cuteness factor.  I call her my little water polo player when she wears one of these.  Pouli calls her "Sky Pilot."  I recently looked up and listened to the song by The Animals in 1968 to see just exactly who this Sky Pilot was. 



The Sky Pilot of the title is a military chaplain, as revealed by the opening verse:

He blesses the boys

As they stand in line

The smell of gun grease

And the bayonets they shine

He's there to help them

All that he can

To make them feel wanted

He's a good holy man

 

Sounds just like our Vivi, right?  Maybe not exactly, but I still think Sky Pilot is a pretty cute nickname :)

Below is a cute hat that my cousin, Cheri, sent when Vivi was born.  Since it doesn't have a tie, she can get it off pretty easily.  This one ends up being more of a fashion statement than a daily wear option. 

*Notice how Hudson has rigged up a kite string on little Sky Pilot's swing as an alternative to the traditional swing pushing.

Somewhere on a blog about kids with hearing loss I saw a company in Canada called SilkaWear.  It was started by a family that had a child (Silka) with hearing loss.  They designed a hat that she could comfortably wear all day. 

"Prewashed to eliminate shrinkage, these custom-made bonnets are made with a top panel of 100% cotton, binding and ties of 100% cotton, and side panels of polyester sports mesh for breathable comfort and optimal hearing aid reception."

This one was more expensive - about $35 with shipping.  It was hard to tell what size would fit her.  I didn't want it to be too small, so I ordered one that is a little too big.  The fix?  I use a little pony tail holder on the top to gather up the excess material.  I call her "Top Knot" when she wears this hat.

The most recent find was this super cute summer sun hat.  These are called modBonnets.  A fellow Mom and blogger who also has a little daughter with infant hearing loss shared this great find with me.  It has a fun pattern on each side and is reversible.  It will be great for riding in the backpack, camping or just hanging out in the backyard this summer.