Lost Friend Found!

Nope, not some long-missing high school acquaintance. This little guy:

was returned this morning to his rightful perch of honor. As a mama, there is a kind of fear in hearing your children running down the stairs yelling “Mama! Mama! MAMA!!” They were just playing quietly, did I miss a crash of some sort? Is someone hurt? WHAT HAPPENED?

Kid #1: “Mom, the best thing EVER just happened!”

Pause..(ok, that doesn’t sound like anyone is injured)

Me: “Really? What happened?”

Kid #1: “LOOK WHO I FOUND WHILE WE WERE HIDING BEHIND THE CLOTHES IN YOUR CLOSET!”

And from behind his back he pulls the little Webkinz panda who has been missing since Christmas.    I tell you, we have looked everywhere for this little guy, including calling both sets of grandparents we visited over Christmas break.   They searched their houses too, to no avail.    We checked basements, and rarely used suitcases.    Under beds and behind furniture.    We even searched the scrapcave cabinets.    No panda friend.    Though I never mentioned my suspicions, I thought he was gone for good.

Yes, my son could (and did) play with the virtual Webkinz version online, but it just wasn’t the same.    You see, in our house, all the stuffed versions sit on the computer desk and watch the screen while Webkinz is being played online.    And for 7 months, there has an empty spot on the desk, just panda-sized.

Now, as I’m typing, there are 8 (yes, 8. Thanks Aunt Annie.) stuffed creatures sitting patiently on the desk next to my monitor, waiting.    And, I imagine, tapping their little fluff-filled feet in impatience. My mama-heart is glad that the kids have their toy back…and that they are young enough that the return of a beloved stuffed panda is still a joyful moment filled with dancing and ear-to-ear smiles.

So now, my turn here at the computer is over.    My kid has Webkins to play.

And I need to go find out what they were doing in my closet.

Until next time…
C.