Laura sighed and wiped a flour-covered hand across her forehead. This, of coarse, left a streak of flour across her face that her infant son seemed to find immensely amusing. Peter giggled with glee and raised a chubby, mashed corn covered fist toward her. She laughed at his antics and leaned over to kiss the soft curls. She finished getting dinner prepared for herself and Kwai, slid the baking sheet into the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes. Then she freed Peter from his high chair and carried him to the bathroom to clean the homemade baby food out of his hair and clothes before his father arrived home from the Temple.
Unfortunately, Peter seemed to have other ideas. Never one to sit still for even a second, he immediately began trying to squirm from her grasp. The idea of a bath apparently paled in comparison to the myriad of toys he had spotted on the floor in his bedroom.
"Oh no you don't, sweetie. Mommy has to clean you up first. Don't you want to be all clean for Daddy?"
Peter paused at the last word and looked up at her, his smile threatening to engulf his tiny face. He gurgled happily and tried to mimic her words.
"Deee aaaahh"
Laura shook her head in amusement and continued with what she referred to as the 'Trial of Bathing Peter'. To keep him happy, she started to sing his favorite song, even though she was still blissfully unaware of all of the words. It was really only the last line that counted anyway.
"All around the mulberry bush The monkey chased the weasel."
She touched the tip of his nose with her index finger
"Dum de dum de duh duh duh dum"
She paused and watched his eyes grow wide with anticipation.
"POP! goes the weasel."
At the word 'pop', Peter splashed his hands down into the water and laughed.
"Ah, I seem to have arrived home just at the right time," her husband's voice startled her momentarily and she dropped the soap on the floor.
"Kwai!" she scolded, teasingly, as she bent down to retrieve the slippery bar. As she straightened, she handed it to the priest. "Here, now, you can finish up. I certainly wouldn't want to hog all the fun."
She smiled innocently and Kwai Chang grinned back.
"Pahhhp!"
The tiny, but loud, voice broke into their shared moment and they stared in amazement as Peter splashed his hands down into the water once more.
"Pahhp, pahhp," Peter repeated.
"Pop? His first word is 'pop'?" They both started laughing.
Peter reached his arms out toward his father, smiling, "Pahhhp!"
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