What’s In Your Wallet?

Today I was looking for something in my black and white canvas NACADA bag (aka “my purse”), and I ended up pulling out everything in the search process… and this is what I had:

1. Juicy Juice reusable bag that I got in a HouseParty party pack.  This particular bag had a Pyrex container with remnants of leftover breakfast casserole and a fork.

2. Both kids’ winter hats.  They took them off while at the dentist’s office today.  Why the hats didn’t make it back on either head when I returned them to school is beyond me, but it puts me in contention for Mother of the Year on a cold, rainy day like today.

3. Auntie Mariah’s pink umbrella

4. Boo

5. Pink & white cosmetics bag filled with pens, dead batteries, lip gloss, lipstick, Chapstick, and a memory card for my lost camera

6. Crest toothpaste that I bought at Walgreens with coupon and Register Rewards offer

7. Walgreens weekly ad and December coupon book

8. American Girl catalog – CyberMonday was a flop for me.

9. Manila folder with eclectic assortment of papers

10. My TimeMine day planner (I ♥ these!)

11. Wallet

12. Checkbook.  Yes, I still use one of these, but it will be a loooooooong time before I need to reorder new ones (if ever)!

13. Bic 537R Pen – the best pen I have ever used!!!  I prefer the 0.5mm extra fine point, but the 0.7mm will suffice.  I watch like a hawk when this pen is borrowed.

14. Empty green envelope for dentist’s office.  Got the bill in the mail and paid in person.  Saving 44¢ for that bill was really not that exciting.

Pix of The Bubs

Uploaded from my cellphone…

The Bubs and The Dog

Sticker Book Entertainment

In the Driver’s Seat

(Is it just me, or does it look like he’s projectile vomiting?)

Asleep Standing Up with Boo and Hanny

Grinning with an Underbite

Walking in Elkader with Daddy

(Yes, those are Vibram 5-Fingers on his feet!)

Asleep in the Truck with Boo

First Full Day of School

Today was Moco’s first full day of school.  She described her day in one word, and only one word: “Good.”  On the Moco Scale of Understatements, that means “I had a really great and fun day.  I spent all of recess swinging on the monkey bars and during lunch I laughed at one of the boys who put the end of my powdered drink mix-in into his chocolate milk.  I really like my teacher and my new puppy Friday take-home folder and my new shoes.  What are we having for supper?”  Perhaps I should provide a Moconish to English dictionary?  (Or should it be Moconese?  Memphish?  Mocokaans?  Suggestions?)

The kids crashed hard tonight, and I don’t blame them.  If it weren’t for my nervous energy and the endless to do list that runs through my head, I would crash at 8:30 too.  However, I don’t look quite as cute and peaceful as these two while sleeping:

Moco and Bubba and their random assortment of blanket, a giant princess comforter, Boo, Mr. Bear (as Moco’s pillow) and other stuffed animals.  And apparently a little pad of paper.

Boo Watch – Day 2 (PM)

The afternoon started with a phone call to Sears in another attempt to track down Boo, after two more “Where my Boo go?” moments from Bubba.  Unfortunately no one answered the phone, so the kids and I set out in the rain (again!) to the mall.  I drove the exact same route, parked in about the same spot, and we walked the same way into the store.  The first employees we came across were in the sporting good/tools checkout area, so we stopped to chat:

Me: “Do you have a lost and found here?”

Employee Tim: “Um, kinda.  What are you looking for?”

Me (pointing to Bubba): “His baby blanket.  We were here yesterday.”

Tim: “Did it have, like, baby tigers on it?”

I wanted to kiss this kid on the cheek, cry, and shout “Hallelujah!” all at the same time.  Moco let out a little “Yeeeeee!” in excitement, while Bubba examined lawn mowers and power tools.  Tim led us through the store, then he disappeared into the merchandise pick-up area for what seemed like an eternity.

When he reappeared with Boo, I seriously fought back tears and thanked him about twenty times.  As soon as Bubba touched Boo, he started the mouth thing again.  I signed a form to claim Boo, thanked Tim about sixteen more times, then scooped up Bubba and Boo and nuzzled them together.  For just a brief moment, I didn’t mind Boo’s stink.  But honestly, Boo, you’re getting the royal spa treatment when my new washer and dryer are set up and ready to roll next weekend.

Let’s all give a shout out to Tim — thanks, dude!!!

Boo Watch – Day 2 (AM)

At some point between 2am and 7am, Bubba ended up in bed between me and Daddy.  He was tossing and turning and crying out, “Where my Boo?” in his sleep.  My heart broke a little more.

Bubba made it through breakfast, coloring with Moco, and a morning snack before he realized again that he doesn’t have Boo:

Bubba: “Mommy, where my Boo go?”

Me: “I don’t know, buddy.  Where did you put him?”

Bubba: “In here?” (pointing to a kitchen cabinet)

Me (opening cabinet in hopes that maybe I just missed it the first time, but no, Boo’s not there): “No, not in here.  Do you remember where you had him last?”

Bubba: “Yast night.  In my bed.”

Me (knowing full well that wasn’t the case): “No, Boo didn’t go night-night with you.  I don’t know where Boo is, Bubba.”

Bubba (walking off, mumbling): “Gaw-dammit.”

Daddy and I tried not to laugh, but, hey, at least he used it appropriately!

Boo Watch – Day 1

Dear Boo,

Where are you?  We have been looking all over for you.  Seriously, please come home, like, right now.  I’m having a hard time coping with your absence.  The last time I remember seeing you, you were tucked between me and Bubba as I was carrying him through Sears.  I remember thinking you smelled really awful and that you needed a bath.  I didn’t say it outloud, and I’m sorry if maybe I mumbled it and hurt your feelings.  Maybe you jumped ship in the furniture section of Sears when I walked Moco to the bathroom.  Maybe you fell out of the car when I was strapping Bubba into his booster outside the mall.  Or maybe you decided you wanted to hang at Qdoba a while longer.  I don’t blame you.  The nachos were pretty darn delicious tonight.

Or maybe what Bubba said a few hours after we left Sears is true – that he put you in a dryer in the appliances section.  He thought the front loading washers and dryers were pretty nifty (as did I, which is why I ordered a set, but that’s besides the point, even though that trip probably got us into this predicament in the first place).  The point is, I know Bubba opened a lot of washer and dryer doors today as part of his highly scientific “research” process… but did he set you in one just to test it out, too?  Did you sign a release acknowledging your participation in this ”research” project of his?  When I called Sears, Kelly said she would look around for you.  She left a message saying no one found anything in the front loaders in appliances.  Did you maybe end up in a top loading washer by mistake?

Boo, you don’t understand.  I’m heart-broken about your departure.  Bubba fell asleep pretty quickly tonight without you.  Did you guys break up?  There was no weird mouth thing combined with Boo-fringe-twisting, Boo-fringe-going-up-nose-or-in-ear-or-in-between-toes at bedtime tonight.  In fact, Bubba really didn’t ask for you but maybe twice.  He just, well… (gasp!) he just fell asleep!  How do you feel about the fact that he’s moving on, only hours after your separation?

You have been Bubba’s most prized possession, his most trusted lovey, his source of comfort and security.  And he barely even asked about you tonight.  I, on the other hand, have been tearing up the house in search of you.  I braved the rain three times to search the car.  I called the only two places we were today (Sears and Qdoba), and no one has seen you.  I’m about to request an APB and take out full page ads in the paper:

Have You Seen This Blanket? Responds to "Boo"

I know that people probably think this is silly, that I’m just a crazy mom who doesn’t want to hear her kid shrieking because the only thing that calms him down is this one particular lovey.  But the fact is, for the past eighteen months, you have been a part of our family.  Bubba doesn’t go anywhere without you.  He doesn’t sleep without you.  For a while, he wouldn’t even eat without you (remember when we used to have to hang you on the back of his highchair during mealtimes?).  I know you smell funny and your fringe is all twisted up, and you’re crusted with boogers and sometimes damp with warm milk.  And I know that you get dropped in puddles and dragged across floors.  You’ve been used as an umbrella, cape, pillow and a tug o’ war rope.  Sometimes you get stuffed into Lego buckets and purses, and one time you were trampled by horses on a Colorado trail the first time we seriously misplaced you.  I’m glad the porcupines didn’t get to you before Papa and I did.  But that’s what makes you Boo.  And I’m really, truly nervous this time.  You’ve never been gone this long.  Ever.  It’s been 12 hours.  Are you trying to set a world record for longest absence between child and lovey?

Honestly, I’m afraid this time you might be lost for good.  If you don’t come back, I fear that my Bubba is going to grow up too quickly.  He won’t be a toddler with a lovey.  He’ll just be a big boy who doesn’t carry a soft, fringed pastel colored, baby animal face printed security blanket to survive in this big world.  I’m not sure I’m ready for that, Boo, so I’m asking that you come back.  I’m not ready for Bubba to be a miniature adult.  Not yet.  I mean, he just got rejected for story hour because he’s not three.  He’s still little, don’t you get it?  He still needs you.

As Bubba would say, “Where my Boo go?”  We miss you.  Ayot.  Please come home soon!!!

Love,
Mommy

P.S. If you come home, you can be the first one to test out my new front loading washer.  I promise.