I Don't Have a Crazy Dad

As part of our move to Florida, I took down the shelves in Trooper's room while he was out of the house. Being a child who has a hard time coping with change, he was a bit bothered. He came charging out of his room to throw himself into my lap. With his face four inches from mine, he growled at me with saliva hissing out of his teeth.
"Stop that!" I pushed him away, grossed out by the spit.
He stood, giving me a hard look. "I did it intentionally because you took down all my shelves!"
Jonathan and I laughed at his choice of words. I often find myself surprised that a boy who can't remember the name of the color 'orange' uses words like 'intentionally' and 'temperature' and 'evaporate'.
"Yes, Trooper," I said. I saw that he was once again holding his new glasses instead of wearing them, and turned my attention to that. "Now put on your glasses or put them on the shelf and sit on your bed."
"Yeah, Trooper, put your glasses on the shelf," Jonathan teased.
"But I don't have a shelf!"
"I don't care, just put them on the shelf!"
"But Dad!"
And that went on for a minute or more, them mock arguing about the missing shelves. I shook my head, giggling. I hadn't meant he had to put them on a shelf that wasn't there, just that I didn't want them on the floor.
"Trooper, come here," I said, and I pulled him to sit with Jonathan and me, hugging him onto my lap as I laughed at their silliness.
"Isn't it fun to have a crazy dad?" Jonathan asked.
"I don't have a crazy dad," Trooper answered. "I have a bad mom."
"What!?" Jonathan and I almost shrieked in tandem.
We laughed for a while before I understood where the statement had come from. "You're saying that because of the shelves, aren't you?"
"Yes."
And that got us laughing again.
"O.K.," Jonathan said. "Here's your glasses case. Go put it on the shelf in your room."
Trooper got up and dutifully started toward his room. Then he froze. Turned around. Gave us a dirty look. "I don't have any shelves."
Laughing is good.
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