Hanna’s interest in reading and her skills have improved tremendously over the summer and we have tried to encourage and promote this exciting time in her life by arming her with all of the necessary tools she needs to succeed.
We headed to the local library and she has never been happier.
Grandma even picked up on her enthusiasm and from her own library, borrowed several books for Hanna to enjoy, each bringing new opportunities for growth and a smile from ear to ear.
We returned 10 of the 11 borrowed books to Grandma and scanned the table for Silly Milly.
Stumped.
We checked the girl’s bookshelves, the basement guest rooms, the car, all back-packs, my purse, the backyard, Hornsour the cat, forts, cupboards, three freezers (I figured we would find it in one of them next to the convertor). Milly? Oh Milly? Come out, come out wherever you are….
Front hall closet, Greg’s office, the girls closets, Rubbermaid bins filled with Christmas decorations. Now, I’m moving furniture, lifting cushions, balancing on tip-toes to peer behind the t.v.’s, dressers, wine fridge. MILLY!!!!!
Where did you read Silly Milly last?
Hanna: I read it in my bed
Ellie: I read it to Grandma Schlotzhauer
Hanna: I read it in the basement
Ellie: I read it in Daddy’s car
Hanna: I read it in the bathroom
If only Milly could see how silly we looked dashing from the various check-points in the house and always coming up empty.
Grandma is coming today for a visit and to collect her books to avoid a fine. Now there’s a monetary value attached to the guilt as if that wasn’t punishment enough.
I realized during our search, the girls had no real interest in actually ever finding Milly, what they enjoy is the adventure. They drew a treasure map of the house marked with red x’s, they coloured a Lost and Found poster and taped it to the kitchen cupboards, they created a special box that Milly would one day be placed in should we ever find her to keep her safe from ever being lost again. The preparation had their undivided attention, what we lacked were their small arms to reach behind tight pieces of furniture and the concentration on the real task at hand.
When I told them they could watch t.v. after we found Milly, they were suddenly interested in helping.
Hanna: Ellie, you get the map
Me: NO MORE MAPS!! Just focus.
I began to remove every item from our bookshelf made up of 16 cubbies and at number fourteen, I struck the mother-load. Wedged in between Robert Munsch’s Love You Forever and a Baby Einstein video was our dear missing friend, Milly.
I’ll be keeping my $.25 and Grandma will be none the wiser.
