The Plight of Green Blanket

When we go away, I usually let the kids bring one blankie and one "friend" to keep them company. If we bring more than that, they're expendables (sorry, toys!) and if they get lost in the shuffle, well it's not that big of a deal.

(Amazing how watching Toy Stories 1,2, & 3 millions of times just made me feel guilty typing that.)

Anyway, almost every parent I know can sympathize with the plight of a lost blanket, too, in one form or another.

As soon as you say the words, "We lost the blankie," the words are met with a drastic gasp, followed by, "Nooooooooooooooooo!!!"

I'll never forget my lost blanket. When I was a little girl, I had a ratty old white blanket. We lived out in the sticks of upstate New York and every restaurant was a kajillion miles away.

Of course, that's where I left my blanket. At a restaurant a kajillion miles away. I think it was Easter. I remember my dad ordering the lamb.

I remember my beloved blanket's holes and its dirty offwhiteness that made it the perfect blanket. It was torn and ratty but it was thin and fit nicely in my hand when I sucked my pointer finger. I know, pointer finger? Oddly enough, my husband sucked his pointer finger too. (Match made in heaven!)

My daddy of course turned back to get it. I don't remember, but I was probably a wreck. I must have blocked it out.

Eventually, my mom empowered me subconsciously to eventually give up the blanket, and one day I just walked over to the trash, said, "I'm a big girl!" and tossed it in.

In hindsight, whaaaaa??? Why would I ever do that!? Poor blankie.

My son is not there yet. He's 5 now and he's had "Green Blanket" since he was a baby.

It's sort of brown-green now. We should really wash it more.

When we went to Disney last week, we left the hotel, enjoyed a whole day at Hollywood Studios, and right at that time where the kids are really spent and things are going downhill fast, we got to the car and made the discovery.

Green Blanket was gone.

It really could not have been worse timing.

My husband had already gone home because we drove separately and I was on my own with two tiny hot messes at dinner time (with no dinner in the near future) with the face paint half-smeared off by the mix of sweat and tiredness. Getting to the car without any crying or yelling had been a feat in and of itself.

There was a point earlier on where I knew we should have left (ya know, when everyone was still happy...) but I pushed it.

We overstayed.

So when we realized the blanket was missing there were tears. Even the little one was crying over his brother's blanket. His heart was broken too.

Then there was screaming.

And flailing.

The missing green blanket had indeed shoved him right over the edge that we were so delicately teetering on when we left the park.

I turned around on the highway before we got too far, called the hotel, no one was left in housekeeping; they were gone for the day and were sure to be listening to the madness in the background on their voicemail when they got back and got my message.

I felt for him too. I remember buying it, wondering if that would turn out to  be his "beloved" and lo and behold! It has!

When we got home and he longingly described his blankie, he even knew where the softer patches were and the rougher patches were. It was surprisingly detailed for a five year old.

Luckily, long ago, my mom bought the same blanket and we kept the spare at her house. It was a much cleaner, less worn version of it. I explained to him that we would get that and would that be ok? I knew just "switching it out" would not have worked.

He was sad but he said yes, that would be ok. (He's a trooper. Or any old blanket in the storm I guess?)

So.

He's been loving on that blanket for more than a week now, full well knowing and telling everyone that's not his "real" green blanket, that the "real" one is at the hotel. (I really was proud of myself for getting everything together and everyone out of the hotel in a timely manner, too! How could I have left one of the most important things!)

The "lesser" green blankie. I love how he rubs it on his cheek like that though. Sooo cute.

However.

On Thursday I got a call on my voicemail. It was a really excited head of housekeeping (who I thought said also had a 5 year old but it turns out she said, she also once had a LOST BLANKET, how I mixed that up I don't know) but either way, she was happy to report that the laundry service that does their sheets found the blanket all tied up in the sheets! And a tee-shirt too! (I still have no idea which tee-shirt.) But HELLO!

GREEN BLANKET WAS FOUND!!! I'm seriously thinking about sending a thank you card!

We had all resigned in our heads to the fact that it was gone forever, but it has miraculously turned up!!!!!! And it is in the mix of the U.S. Postal Service as we speak. We are just waiting, it could be any day now, it could even be today! It is just making a short trek from Orlando!

OOh I can't wait to see his face! Hooray!

So do you have any blankie, stuffed friend tragic losses and/or miraculous reunion stories? How heartbreaking ARE they?! This was quite an ordeal!!