Laundry Talk

“I wonder what Spiderman looks like when he watches his You Tube videos?” Declan wondered as I was walking by.  Declan, in full Spiderman costume, picked up his kindle to begin his video routine.

I shrugged in thought, put down my herbal tea and continued past Declan to the laundry room.

I unloaded the clothes from the dryer into the laundry basket.  In the next room, I heard the You Tube videos begin. “Hi everyone!  Today we are going to show you how to make green sparkle slime!”

“I know this one,” I think, “This lady has the soothing voice.”

I carry my basket past the room he is in and peek in.  Declan is sitting on the sofa watching the slime come together, no longer wearing his Spiderman gear.

“Spiderman doesn’t watch You Tube?” I venture as to the reason why he took the costume off.

Declan looked up, but did not appear to hear me.

“I like slime,” Declan announces.

I carry the basket up the stairs.  As I reach the top I hear the video nearing, “Just give the mixture a gentle stir…”

Declan does not like to be left alone.  Like a shadow, he is always near.

I dump the cleaned laundry onto my bed to sort and fold.  I hear the kindle give two quick beeps.

“Oh no!  The kindle is running low on battery!” I inform Declan.

Still intent on watching his slime video, Declan does not hear me.

And 4 shirts later, an exasperated Declan tosses his dead kindle on the bed.

“Ugh!” he moans and starts to sway around in circles for a few seconds.

“Mom, I got a question.”

“Yes, Declan.”

“I need Gold bond.”

“Gold bond?”

“Mmm-hmm.  Because if I have a scratch it will help.”

“What?”

“Gold Bond relieves intense itch fast.”

I stop my search for the other sock to the one I am holding in my hand and look at my little walking commercial.

“Declan, do you have an itch?  A bug bite?”

“No.”

Declan looks at me confused and then continues his circle sway.

As I continue to fold, he starts,

“Hi everyone!  Declan here about to show you an awesome Spiderman Halloween Party!  If you like this video be sure to hit the thumbs up button below and like this video.  Thanks everyone!  Bye!”

The one thing I have learned, as Declan has, that most You Tube videos start and end the same.  And they are on repeat in Declan’s head.  And now in mine.

As I begin to deliver clean laundry to drawers and hangers, Declan stops his circles to jump on my bed.  He walks to the bottom of the bed to see himself in dresser mirror ahead.  He realizes he is not in costume and jumps off to rectify the issue.

One minute later Spiderman Declan is back and at the bottom of the bed, looking at himself in Spiderman character.  As web hands are out, Declan bends his knees and JUMPS!

He lands and lies on the floor.  I walk past him to put the laundry basket back in its place, ready to capture the laundry of the day ahead.

“Mom, I got a question.”

“Yes, Declan?” I answer as I walk towards him.

“Guess what is in my heart?”

“What?” I ask as I stand above and look down.

“Jesus.  Jesus and God are in my heart.”

“They are?  That’s great, Declan.”

“Mmm-hmm.  They are in my heart.  Jesus is on a trampoline in my heart and God is on the treadmill.”

He got me.  I smile.

“Oh!  Well, they are pretty active.”

Declan stands up and starts to sway in circles again.

I pick up the dead kindle and turn.

“I’m headed downstairs, Declan,” I call a few steps ahead.

And sure enough, steps behind my shadow follows.