The Story of the Lost Book

In the midst of all of our unpacking from getting our mail from our American mailbox(which is always as exciting as it is a pain, because the mail stacks up for 6 weeks to include bills, junk mail, packages, magazines, the umpteen-million catalogs because of all the online orders I place, etc., etc.), I opened this Easter package from my parents. They gave Jackson this darling Bambi book and Tonka truck...SUPER, something to keep him busy! And busy it did. It was great...it gave me some time to go through the mail and groceries that we acquired from a quick trip down to England. In the haste of our evening, I chose to forgo having Jackson pick up his own toys, as we usually do every evening (you know, so as to teach him some responsibility for his toys and the mess they create), and pick them up myself after he was in bed. So, as I walk toward the playroom for the wonderful chore of "organizing" the room/toychest, it occurs to me that I haven't seen the new truck or book since I gave them to Jackson. So, I look. I find the truck...in the toy box with his other trucks...perfect. Can't find the book, so I ask Cody. Nope, he hasn't seen it. Oh well, as with so many other toys, it will show up eventually. And I go on about the evening, night, next morning and afternoon (Saturday, now)...forgetting about the book. I go to do a load of laundry that has needed to be done...quickly throw it in the washer and skeedattle to the next thing. An hour and a half later, I come back to get the laundry (yes, it takes about that long for the "quick wash" cycle on the U.K. washers). OH MY GOSH!! WHAT IN THE WORLD!! I must have left something in my pants because there seems to be shredded paper on the edge of the washer. Oh dear...but no big deal...right??? WRONG! I walk out to Cody, who is sorting out the boxes in our garage (because, praise God, our last shipment is due to be delivered to us on the 30th of April...and probably most of it will start in the garage, so we need to make space), "Uh...I think I found Jackson's book." He looks at me, "What?" (because, like me, he has forgotten about the book)... "I found the cute Bambi book that we never read together," to which Cody turns around and looks at me..."Apparently, I didn't have the door to the laundry room closed yesterday and Jackson threw his book in the washer," as I stand there with the pieces of the book in my hand, full well knowing that the SHREDS of colors are waiting for me all over our clothes!! Cody's response, a burst of laughter!! So, then, I start laughing. Kinda funny. I thought, I best go get Jackson up from his nap...as he's been down for 3 hours. He comes in the laundry room with me as I begin taking out the clothes and shaking them...IT LOOKED LIKE WE HAD OPENED UP CONFETTI EGGS IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM!! Jackson thought it was hilarious and was laughing hysterically as I shook the clothes!! I have learned my lesson...look in the washer BEFORE placing clothes inside or you might have an unexpected surprise later!! (Oh, side note, obviously the washer opens in the front, where Jackson can get into it!!) The other lesson I learned...sometimes what initially seems like a pain ends up being entertainment for all!!