Nathan wears his "Ralph suit" every day! The ironed on emblem on the shirt was getting so bad from all the wearing and washing that I made a second shirt for him. I don't think HP intended their iron on printer paper to go through so much use.
I had a hidden agenda with that second shirt hoping to have one to put on him while the other one was in the wash. It didn't work. He packs around his spare shirt while wearing the full outfit. If he spills on his shirt he will take it off and put on the other one whether it is clean or not. He does occasionally change out of his suit during the day but it is never for very long and he is usually carrying it around with him when not wearing it. He never wears it to bed though he does sleep with it.
The suit had been worn for 5 days straight and could nearly walk by itself with the amount of spilled food and dirt that it was accumulating (not to mention the skin cells, but that kinda gives me the heebie jeebies). So as he got ready for a bath I tossed the suit into a pile of laundry that was in the hallway - thinking (or just hoping) that he was distracted enough not to notice.
He bathed, we read, he said his prayers, he climbed into his bed. He didn't notice! He was all snuggled into bed and I was working in the office (if you can call blogging working) and I heard his sweet little voice, "I need to go potty". Without any fuss he independantly took care of bathroom business and climbed back into bed. Later that night I went to put that pile of laundry in the wash. As I picked it up I thought to myself that I was sure it was a bigger batch than that but hey, it was past 10:30 so I wasn't really concerned about the size of the batch, just that it got done.
Some time around 11:30 I went to check on the little boys before I went to bed and as I covered Nathan I found a pile of clothes in his bed, all from that batch of dirty clothes that had been sitting in the hall. He was curled up in fetal position with his arms wrapped tightly around a red ball of fabric. It was the suit that I was supposed to have washed and ready for wearing the next morning. I gently tugged it from his grasp and put it back in the hallway with the other dirty clothes that had been in his bed, thinking that I could still get it washed in the morning before he woke up.
Boy was I wrong. He was up unusually early and the first thing out of his mouth was, "where is my suit". Even coming out of his groggy slumber he was well aware of his missing treasure.
He refused to let me wash it. I let it go assuming that I would get it washed during the coming night. No really, I would this time.
Later that morning he set his suit down (I'm not sure why he didn't have it on) to do hand actions to some songs that we were singing. He seemed distracted enough while singing that I thought it might be my chance to get out of some midnight laundering so when he wasn't looking I tossed it out of the bedroom into the hallway again. After the song was over he turned to pick up his suit, saw that it was missing and demanded from me in a very disgusted, bordering on panic, voice: "where did you put my suit?".
He stomped out of his room, found it in the hallway, scooped it up and held it tighter than ever before and in the strongest three year old commanding voice bellowed, "don't touch my suit ever again!". I tried to calmly explain that it needed to be washed. I had him smell it, hoping that his 3 year old nose could understand the stink. I showed him the food and mud spots on it. He was slowly giving in.
But on his terms. I was NOT allowed to touch it. He put it in the washer and watched the entire time that it filled up with water.
When I wanted to close the lid he stomped his feet on the clothes basket that he was standing on while I explained that we didn't want water to splash all over. He didn't go any further than the kitchen while the washer was running so that he could hear it the whole time. As soon as the washer stopped he ran in thinking his suit was all finished. Then I had to explain the drying process.
I was still not allowed to touch it and had to help him reach into the washer to get his suit and put it in the dryer. Once again, he did not leave the kitchen/mudroom area until the dryer buzzed. Then he ran to the dryer, nearly climbed in looking for it and pulled it out . . . without me touching it.
Reunited at last!
He then ran to the kitchen, pulled off his clothes and put on his suit. It was "warm and all clean".
I had a hidden agenda with that second shirt hoping to have one to put on him while the other one was in the wash. It didn't work. He packs around his spare shirt while wearing the full outfit. If he spills on his shirt he will take it off and put on the other one whether it is clean or not. He does occasionally change out of his suit during the day but it is never for very long and he is usually carrying it around with him when not wearing it. He never wears it to bed though he does sleep with it.
The suit had been worn for 5 days straight and could nearly walk by itself with the amount of spilled food and dirt that it was accumulating (not to mention the skin cells, but that kinda gives me the heebie jeebies). So as he got ready for a bath I tossed the suit into a pile of laundry that was in the hallway - thinking (or just hoping) that he was distracted enough not to notice.
He bathed, we read, he said his prayers, he climbed into his bed. He didn't notice! He was all snuggled into bed and I was working in the office (if you can call blogging working) and I heard his sweet little voice, "I need to go potty". Without any fuss he independantly took care of bathroom business and climbed back into bed. Later that night I went to put that pile of laundry in the wash. As I picked it up I thought to myself that I was sure it was a bigger batch than that but hey, it was past 10:30 so I wasn't really concerned about the size of the batch, just that it got done.
Some time around 11:30 I went to check on the little boys before I went to bed and as I covered Nathan I found a pile of clothes in his bed, all from that batch of dirty clothes that had been sitting in the hall. He was curled up in fetal position with his arms wrapped tightly around a red ball of fabric. It was the suit that I was supposed to have washed and ready for wearing the next morning. I gently tugged it from his grasp and put it back in the hallway with the other dirty clothes that had been in his bed, thinking that I could still get it washed in the morning before he woke up.
Boy was I wrong. He was up unusually early and the first thing out of his mouth was, "where is my suit". Even coming out of his groggy slumber he was well aware of his missing treasure.
He refused to let me wash it. I let it go assuming that I would get it washed during the coming night. No really, I would this time.
Later that morning he set his suit down (I'm not sure why he didn't have it on) to do hand actions to some songs that we were singing. He seemed distracted enough while singing that I thought it might be my chance to get out of some midnight laundering so when he wasn't looking I tossed it out of the bedroom into the hallway again. After the song was over he turned to pick up his suit, saw that it was missing and demanded from me in a very disgusted, bordering on panic, voice: "where did you put my suit?".
He stomped out of his room, found it in the hallway, scooped it up and held it tighter than ever before and in the strongest three year old commanding voice bellowed, "don't touch my suit ever again!". I tried to calmly explain that it needed to be washed. I had him smell it, hoping that his 3 year old nose could understand the stink. I showed him the food and mud spots on it. He was slowly giving in.
But on his terms. I was NOT allowed to touch it. He put it in the washer and watched the entire time that it filled up with water.
When I wanted to close the lid he stomped his feet on the clothes basket that he was standing on while I explained that we didn't want water to splash all over. He didn't go any further than the kitchen while the washer was running so that he could hear it the whole time. As soon as the washer stopped he ran in thinking his suit was all finished. Then I had to explain the drying process.
I was still not allowed to touch it and had to help him reach into the washer to get his suit and put it in the dryer. Once again, he did not leave the kitchen/mudroom area until the dryer buzzed. Then he ran to the dryer, nearly climbed in looking for it and pulled it out . . . without me touching it.
Reunited at last!
He then ran to the kitchen, pulled off his clothes and put on his suit. It was "warm and all clean".
With the separation anxiety gone he is once again a very happy hero!
Though I love the smile in this picture I think I'll skip the rerun and just get it washed while he is sleeping.
5 comments:
It's really fun to hear of his attachment to something that other kids would have no idea about. Makes him all that more unique to have something all his.
Maybe a bit hard for you at times, but that's what makes it so cute. "don't ever touch my suit again." How dramatic is that!!
LOL.....So Adorable!
Even after hearing this story last week, the pictures add so much-a picture is worth a thousand words thing :D
you are a fantastic story teller!!! even though i had heard the story, i could just imagine it all and then the pictures! man did they add to the visions in my head! what a cutie!
I agree with the above statement that you are an sweet story teller! I love the play by play that happened. I think this would tell you that your birthday present was THE BEST PRESENT ever in his little young life! hahaha
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