“Mom, where’s my school bag?!?” “Mom, where are my shoes?!?” “Honey, where are my car keys?!?” Every woman has heard a version of these desperate cries for help. Why can’t kids and husbands find anything? I’m sure I can’t be the only woman whose husband asks where the milk is. I’m not making that up! I wonder if he really forgets that the milk is always in the fridge, or if he really can’t find it in there unless I pinpoint its exact location.
Most of the time these “hiding” items are actually right there in plain sight. If my adorable and otherwise bright child would only move aside the book that’s blocking her view, she would easily find her “missing” headband. Maybe our families love us so much and only ask us to find their things as ways to get in some extra interaction. Hah! I can flatter myself, but let’s be honest- they’re probably just lazy! Most of the time the missing object is easily located by ME and my superpowers in mostly obvious places. I’m sure it’s like that in your homes, too. Once in a while, though, things are found in the strangest places.
Yesterday, I was driving around with my daughter sitting in the backseat. She was all set up for our little trip. Snack- check! Drink- check! Tablet- check! But she wanted a song from my phone so I passed it back and she held on to it. I was driving so I didn’t need it with me anyway. We had a nice time together- we talked, we sang along with the music- and then we arrived at my sister’s house to spend the day with her family.
I parked and we got ready to get out of the car. “Mom, did I give your phone back to you?” Amanda asked. “No.” “Are you sure? I don’t see it here,” she said. “Of course you don’t!” I thought to myself. I told her I’d come back and I’d find it in five seconds. I came around to the backseat, expecting to see my phone as soon as I opened the door. But where was it? I looked under the seats, under all the gloves and snacks on the seats, in between the seats, under the armrest, between the seats and the armrest. I looked everywhere and I didn’t see my phone! I couldn’t believe it- I have superpowers, remember? Where could it be? We hadn’t gotten out of the car, or even opened any doors or windows; I knew it had to still be in there, so why couldn’t I find it? The mystery was driving me crazy!
How do you find a phone you can’t find? You call it, of course! I went to the house and asked my sister to call my phone, then went back to the car to listen for its ring. Sure enough, I heard my phone ringing- it sounded like it was coming from under the bag of pretzels Amanda had been snacking on. I could swear that I’d already looked there, but I moved the bag anyway, and felt it vibrating! Huh? I opened the bag, and there was my phone! It had slid off the armrest and fell into the open bag of pretzels! We’re all still laughing, and next time someone in my house can’t find something, I’ll make sure to look in a pretzel bag.
