Gone

First it was my phone, then my favourite pearl studs and now we're missing one of Eloise's slippers. Eloise has a new habit of making things disappear and it's not a good one.

When Eloise is having a serious meltdown in the car I turn to videos on my phone to give me a little peace and quiet (thank you, Wonder Pets). When I handed her my phone in a time of crises last week she watched a bit then dropped the phone to the floor in frustration. "Mama, I'm done," she said. I didn't think much of it until I tried to locate my phone when we got home, again while she played with Chris, once more after she went to bed, and finally, in the morning. Of course the ringer was on silent. Meanwhile, I kept asking Eloise if she could remember what she did with the phone after she finished and all she could tell me was "I put it down Mama, I was done."

"Okay, Eloise, but can you tell me where you put it?"

"Gone. In the car," she said seriously. It turned out my phone was wedged between the driver's side and centre console, in the seat mechanism.

Next it was one of my pearl earrings, my very favourite earrings, that my parents gave me for university graduation. I had set them down, along with the other precious jewelry (ahem, wedding rings) that I keep on a tray on the bathroom counter, and asked Eloise to please not move anything. She promised she wouldn't touch, only look, but when I assessed that everything was in its place after I finished cleaning one earring was gone. "Eloise, have you seen Mommy's other pearl earring? It looks just like this one and they're my favourites. Poppy and Gaga gave them to me."

"Favourites from Poppy-Gaga? It's gone, Mama."

"Seriously? Mommy is very concerned, Eloise. This is not good at all. I need you to think, really hard, where you may have put it. Remember when the jewelry tray was right here? Remember when Mommy asked you not to touch? I am very concerned, Eloise."

"Mommy, it's gone."

By this time I was flustered and mad. I bumbled around the house searching feverishly for my earring and finally thought to check the last place I wanted it to be: in the bottom of my cleaning supply bucket. Bingo, it was next to the toilet brush.

And now we're on the hunt for a lonesome slipper. It doesn't help that Eloise has popsicle toes when she wakes up in the morning and constantly asks for her slippers. This time she is going to help me find the missing item and in the meantime, she keeps telling me that she's "really quite concerned where it could be." I can relate.