Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Hide and seek - Mom version

Most moms, I'm sure, try to keep a reasonable idea in their heads of where all their kids' Stuff is. If for no other reason than to prevent those frantic searches 2 minutes before the school bus arrives. If, like me, you have a child with special needs of any sort - you get to be their Alternate Brain. And sometimes, the best laid plans..... well.... succumb to Mr. Murphy and his annoying Law.

This morning I got to play Hide and Seek, adult style. Right after I discovered that Son's baritone horn mouthpiece did not seem to be in his backpack - or, in fact, anywhere. Did I mention his winter concert is TONIGHT? Frantic search in all reasonable places ensues, cut short by franticmaddashtobusstop. Which he caught by the skin of his teeth this morning.

Mom comes home - distractedly gets Daughter ready for school. Daughter gets mad that Mom has to rush her because Mom is still searching for Missing Mouthpiece. Daughter catches bus not-quite-by-the-skin-of-her-teeth.

Mom comes home and begins more thorough search of unreasonable places. Mom proceeds to tear apart front hall closet (where backpacks were stuffed before weekend company arrived), dining room secretary desk (where mouthpiece is kept for usually-safe-keeping), front entryway (where wayward backpacks, shoes, and purses flock), basement practice area (around the piano where Husband and Son keep/lose various musical instrument related Stuff).

Found - 2 pairs of Little Son's missing gloves, 1 doll outfit that Daughter was looking for months ago, one of Mom's books that somehow slid behind the piano, and a whole bunch of Junk that did not belong in a front hall closet. Front hall closet now cleaner. Mouthpiece still AWOL.

Mom realizes that Husband was cleaning, assembling, labeling, preparing Son's musical Stuff for performance tonight. Begins checking all possible places Husband has been known to absentmindedly put Stuff down in, on, or on top of (Husband is very Tall and puts things out of sight quite often). No luck.

Finally, oh-so-Finally - email from Teacher saying mouthpiece is FOUND! At.... School?

Mom sits down to (finally) drink Coffee and ponder the Mysteries of the Universe.....