In the back of my mind I knew there would come a day when the unthinkable would occur. In anticipation of this dreaded day I had made preparations. Apparently, I had not done enough. The unthinkable took place last Monday. We lost a lovie, a precious, a near and dear to us. Put your hankies away. Nobody died. No, this was far worse.
For those who run with the five and under set I'm sure you're all too familiar with what a lovie is. It's a item of esteemed affection of a child. Hubby and I both had them as children. Both, coincidentally, were yellow blankets. I still have mine in all its tattered glory. When I was pregnant with Firstborn I began crocheting him a yellow blanket as well. It's a simple affair as I was, and still am a simple crocheter. Last spring I even made him a second "Yellow". A backup if you will. After having suffered the loss of my dearly beloved Panda as a toddler, I was all too familiar with this type heartache. I wanted to make sure our Firstborn never had to endure this. But the dreaded day did not involve Yellow.
We attended my niece's birthday party this past fall where the party favors were quite generous. Firstborn walked away with not only photo mementos, but a goody bag, and a handsome stuffed giraffe. From that day forward "Draff", as he has come to be known, has not left my son's side. Draff attends every function he does. And I mean every function, from potty breaks to church services.
I vividly remember the Great Jam Incident of '08. Firstborn was diligently sharing his breakfast of toast and jam with his dearest friend when things got a bit sticky. I deemed it necessary not only for Firstborn to have a bath, but Draff as well. Things went as planned during my son's bath, but a near riot insued when he saw Draff being dropped into the washing machine. He stomped, kicked, screamed, pulled all the magnets off of the fridge, and tried valiently to find a way to climb up and save Draff from what he was sure to be his very death. He pulled his stuffed chair into the laundry room and waited. He sat dutifully awaiting for his friend to emerge from his watery grave only to be tossed next into the dryer. Still, he sat. Never have I seen a more relieved look on my son's face then when I removed Draff from the dryer and handed him over.
Last Monday Firstborn, Yellow, Draff, and I loaded up the Mommy Mobile and headed to the mall to walk. We had been cooped up for much too long and were in search of some much needed exercise. After our 45 minute walk it was time to load back up and head home. This is where things began to get ugly. I quickly realized as I was packing everything into the car that Draff was not one of my items. I backtracked mentally. Where had he last been seen? I didn't actually remember seeing him in the mall, but I did remember him being next to the diaper bag at home. It's that period of time between leaving home and getting ready to head back home that was a complete blank. Drat this baby brain. I couldn't remember anything anymore. I convinced myself that most likely Draff was sitting on the kitchen counter patiently waiting for Firstborn to retrieve him.
I frantically organized a search party once home. Within the hour Hubby and I had ruled out Draff being anywhere in the house or Mommy Mobile. This was not good. I was beyond panic as I knew nap time was fast approaching. My mind was racing with thoughts of Amber Alerts: Draff: orange and white spotted, twelve inches in height, last seen wearing long eyelashes and a kind smile. While I was getting that out to the public, Hubby could be gluing recent "Have you seen me?" photos onto milk cartons. A team effort would be needed to print up fliers and get in touch with Nancy Grace. But I was certain we could pull it off.
Nap time was long and painful that afternoon. It took almost an hour to get Firstborn asleep. However, once he was Hubby and I worked quickly. I got on the horn. First I called the mall's lost and found, but no luck. Then I called my sister-in-law. Thankfully, she was home and able to tell me where she had purchased Draff. Within minutes Hubby was out the door and headed to Toys-R-Us.
While he was out Firstborn woke prematurely from his nap. I distracted him with projects and snacks. Then my knight in shining armor strode in quickly ripping price tags from a brand new Draff. I'm not sure if it was a combination of pregnancy hormones and stress, or if just seeing my son's face light up with sheer joy at seeing his long lost friend returned safely, but I began to cry. It was a look I will never forget. I know, it's a look he gives me often, and that alone makes being Mommy all worth it.
Pin It
No comments:
Post a Comment