Yesterday I had to return to the scene of the pirate sighting because I made a snap decision about a planner in my rush to escape. I decided to return the one I bought and get a refill (much cheaper) for the planner I already have.
While I was driving, I noticed that all of sudden Big Boy got very teary. He was quiet about it because I had gotten a call, but he was upset about something. When we arrived at the store, I asked him what was wrong.
Through his tears, he said, "That temperature thing... the Spider man one... I was holding it on the window and it fell out!"
He had dropped a Spiderman ruler onto one of the busiest roads in our town, not realizing that I had the rear windows of the van open.
I have known that losing something out those back windows was inevitable one day. Part of me was relieved that it was only a 6-inch plastic ruler. But it was part of a birthday present and he was very upset.
"Mom, please can you go back and get it?" You know those moments when your child's small tragedy grips your heart? This was one of those moments.
Images of walking the entire 5 miles looking for a black ruler on a black asphalt flitted in and immediately out of my head. Perhaps we could narrow the search field.
"Do you have any idea where we were when you lost it?" I asked. Big Boy is excellent with directions and spacial awareness. If we deviate from a known route, he notices and within seconds asks where we are going.
"It was by McDonalds."
That was do-able. 500 feet of search area was more manageable. I returned my planner and we headed to McDonalds to look for the ruler.
I wish this story had a happy ending. But despite walking along the road a couple times, I didn't find it. Fortunately, Big Boy was satisfied by my assurances that we can buy other rulers. He has reminded me several times since yesterday morning. (In fact, he planned out our entire afternoon yesterday: we were to go to a farm to pick pumpkins, then take his too-big birthday clothes back, and then find him a new ruler! Too bad I had a well-check scheduled for Little Boy and naps on the agenda for both Big Boy and Little Girl.)
But I did manage one impossible feat: I escaped the McDonalds parking lot without buying anything!
