Elephant Hunting

You just never know what you're going to find in a 10 (SOON to be 11) year old's room. I went in looking for an elephant and found some unexpected things. Let me explain the elephant: Bela is a little stuffed elephant (Playskool) that was a baby shower gift. L has had her all her life. She thought she left her at Maw-Maw's house a couple of weeks ago, but Maw-Maw says No. And Sr. Mrs. H is the kind of housekeeper that would know if an elephant of ANY size was at her house. So I knew Bela had made it home and then disappeared in L's room. I had made several suggestions about places to look, but they were all met with, 'No, she's not there!'

Last night before going to bed, L came into the living room (where I was helping M with her book project, which lasted until after 1 a.m., but that's another story) and said so forlornly, 'I guess I'll never see Bela again.' Well, I knew I had to take action. I usually let them find their own lost stuff, but I knew she really had looked. So this morning I went on the elephant hunt.

Most lost things in L's room fall in the crack between the bed and the wall. We had both looked there, but this time I explored a bit more. Down by the foot of the bed, I saw a bit of sea foam green. That's her! Then I decided to clean under the bed.

L has a little garbage can between her desk and her bed. It was overflowing with STUFF! And part of the overflow was under the bed: wadded up paper drawings, candy wrappers, a few Kleenix (does Kleenix have a plural?), bag of Easter candy (I'm assuming Easter and not Halloween), usual little girl stuff. When I emptied the can into a larger bag I found something I didn't expect: an empty Community coffee bag! I remember last week when I emptied the bag into the cannister, L wanted to smell it. She liked it so much she took the bag with her! One woman's trash is another kid's aromatherapy! Ha!

So now I am the Great White Hunter. Bela is waiting on the bed right now, but she might have to come with me to pick the girls up from school. (It looks like Grisabella missed her, too.) It will be a very happy reunion.