As soon as he said that, the thought came to mind that I needed to blog about him!
"That'll show him who's in charge."
When Jordan was much smaller, he had a companion we affectionately referred to as
"Mr. Bear."
Mr. Bear was a large stuffed Koala Bear and Jordan LOVED him! I don't remember why I gave my infant son such a large stuffed toy but the bear was pretty much the same size as the child. Mr. Bear was carted around with the baby boy everywhere he went and people would always comment on how "adorable" they were. As the child began to toddle, he could often be seen dragging Mr. Bear along. Mr. Bear and Jordan were inseparable!
When Jordan was about two, Mr. Bear was starting to show some wear and tear. His fur was matted. He was sort of losing his shape. He'd been through the washer and dryer more than any bear should. And it was becoming a bit cumbersome. Jordan was a big boy from day one (10lbs 6 oz BIG!) but now he was a big toddler with a big bear in tow. Add to the boy and his bear, his wiry, hyperactive barely three year old sister, the other two girls ("does he have to bring that stupid Mr. Bear EVERYWHERE, Mom?!") and I was getting a little loaded down trying to keep track of all the kids and toys and stuff I was hauling around every time I left the house.
One day, I volunteered to clean the toys in the Nursery at our church. A recent directive from the church administration had suggested that all stuffed toys should really be removed from the church's nurseries because they were germ collectors/distributors. As I was sorting through all the toys and separating out the stuffies, I happened across the answer to my "Mr. Bear" situation!
There in the bottom of one of the boxes was a miniature Mr. Bear! This smaller version was clearly brand new and although he was only about one tenth the size of Mr. Bear, he was an exact replica. As soon as I saw that Little Mr. Bear, I had a plan. "Can I take this little bear home?" I asked. "Sure, the stuffies are just going in the dumpster. If you want that little guy, he's yours." I hastily stowed the new baby bear in my backpack (of course I carried a backpack!) and set out to carry out my sneaky, sneaky plan.
The next morning after I had deposited the two oldest girls at school, I rushed home to get going on the laundry. "Jordan, Mr. Bear needs a wash. Let's get him all nice and clean." As usual, I pried the Bear out of Jordan's little paws and coaxed the bear into the machine for a bath with the towels. We'd done this before and Jordan had learned that he liked the fresher Mr. Bear so it was not too much of a problem. Jordan trusted me and understood that if he could be patient for the cycle, his bear would return to him fresh and huggable. As I settled my unsuspecting son on the sofa with his blankie and a Disney movie, I actually felt no guilt or remorse over what I was about to do. When mother's get worn out and desperate, they can be heartless.
(to be continued....)
HAHA! i may have only been 3 but i totally remember what you did next! you sneaky lass!
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