Lost And Found

Today, while trying to get things somewhat organized for Ruth's birthday party this weekend, I discovered that an essential bit of wardrobe for the stick-horse race was missing. So, I looked in all the dress-up bins in Ruth's room--although in retrospect, I'm not sure why on earth I thought it would be where it actually belonged. Then, I looked in all the nooks and cranies of her room. Then, I searched the nooks and cranies of Weston's room, as he has been known to take things from her room on occasion and deposit them in his room (or some other unidentified place). No luck. I looked in the playroom, the living room, and even my room, while periodically re-checking the party supply closet to see if I overlooked it. Nothing. So, when Ruth got home from gymnastics, I asked her if she knew where it was. Yep...Uh, maybe not. She looked in all the places I had looked-- and was also shocked not to find it where it belonged--and a few extra ones. After the kids went to bed, I decided to give it one more try, before I just chalked it up to that mystery place where the socks from the dryer go. You can't imagine what I turned up on my search. I found the living room coasters, which have been missing for over a month, in the bottom of the play kitchen box, along with one of my African napkin rings. I found Weston's Bible under the loveseat. I found a single flip-flop of Ruth's under the couch, the partner of which I threw away maybe six months ago because I thought it was a lost cause. I found two balls and a Portuguese picture dictionary under the cushions of the sofa. I even found a sippy cup in the yard. And finally, wedged between Jeff's guitar and the wall, over on the far side of Jeff's chair, where the sun doesn't shine, I found the cowgirl vest I was looking for. What a relief. I will certainly sleep better tonight.