More on my "haircut"

Last night Christopher comes running up next to me. I reach over to pat his head. And when I move his hair, I discover that he's missing some! I can't tell if the original hair was his hair, because mine is darker, so I'm pretty sure it's not his. I am suspcious that there is an incoming scissor ban in my house, because after realizing that he's missing hair, I also realize that I'm missing scissors. I can't find them anywhere. Kinda like the time he brought me a picture that he said he drew with crayons, but I could tell for certain that he'd used my paint pens because the paint on the paper was still wet and shiny. But I couldn't prove it because I couldn't find the pens. And then the next day Bryan found them tucked way back in a cupboard where Christopher had hid them.

Today Bryan was sitting with the baby, and I looked over at them. I was so shocked that all I said was, "Bryan, poop!" He looked down in horror to see what I was seeing. The baby was covered from his toes to his chest in poop, and Bryan's lap and chest had poop all over them too. I picked up the baby and walked off, while Bryan sat there with his arms up looking down at the mess, probably trying to figure out how he'd get out of those clothes without getting even more poop on him. I cleaned up the baby. And it wasn't his diaper's fault he'd made such a mess. I think he'd been saving that batch all last night and this morning just for Bryan, who always seems to be the one to get thrown up on or pooped on. After I changed my clothes, taken Bryan's clothes, and cleaned up and redressed the baby, I put stain remover on all the above and the changing table cover, and threw them all in the wash.

On a related note, I have never used this much stain remover and laundry detergent before. This baby produces more dirty laundry than I thought that we own. And more than once I've thought of my friends who use eco-friendly cloth diapers and said to myself, "I'm so grateful right now that I'm a wasteful, disposable-diaper-using mom, because I'd never make back the amount I'm spending in laundry expenses!" I'm already doing a load or two a day out of necessity, I can only imagine what it would be like if I had to wash as many diapers as I throw out each day. And on a related note to that, I'm SO grateful that when Bryan's family had a baby shower (I think it was at least in part just to get to hold the baby!), they all gave me diapers. It's such a relief to not have to be buying diapers right now. And I have suspicions that the Lord is secretly restocking the supply that Bryan's family gave me, because in spite of Alexander's talent for making messy diapers, I've used less than two bags, which is a small portion of what I have.

On another semi-related note, when I tossed all the dirty laundry in the washer, I tossed in a few other clothes to fill out the load. One of which is a shirt of Christopher's. This particular shirt is amazing. I now suspect that it actually has permanent stains, but they only show up once I put the shirt on him. The reason I think this is that every time I go to wash it, I look at how dirty it is and say to myself, "Well, I'll try to clean it, and if it doesn't wash out I'll throw it away." Each time I wash it, it comes out clean, in spite of looking like Christopher did a mud derby, and a painting contest, and a food fight in it. So I put it back in the drawer. And the next time I go to wash it, it looks as bad as the time before, so I repeat the process. It never ceases to amaze me. Like my kids.

A last memory to store away: I was already in bed, but was thirsty so I came out to grab a drink. I had thought Christopher was already set up and going to sleep on the couch (yes, I still haven't cleaned his room, but I take chunks out of it every day, it's that bad) but when I came out I saw him standing next to his daddy's chair talking to him. I walked into the kitchen and got my drink. I hear the mumble of Christopher's voice from the living room, then I hear Bryan say, "A hot dog?" I hear Christopher mumbling again. I walk out and see a blank look on Bryan's face, and Christopher looking up at me earnestly, like I know something. I ask "Does he want something to eat?" (Christopher always gets voraciously hungry right at the moment we want him to sleep, and we usually just plan that he's going to ask for food and juice.) Bryan says, "Yes, but I already asked him if he wants all the usual stuff, and he said no." I look at Christopher who is still looking at me. I think through the list of foods that we usually offer him at bedtime, check those off my list since Bryan said he already asked, and tried to think of something different that Christopher would like and was fast. I said, "How about peanut butter bites?" (This is peanut butter on graham crackers.) Christopher, still looking up at me, smiles and says "Yes!" Then he bounces happily over to the couch, and as he bounces up on it he cheerfully proclaims:
"She always knows what I want."
I walked right over, hugged him, kissed him, and told him he was the most wonderful boy in the world, and I love him! What a perfect thing to say!