A Mommy Story

We had a minor crisis this evening: Blue was missing.

Cordy has become very attached to her Blue’s Clues beanie, and somehow during the day it had disappeared. Luckily, she didn’t seem concerned about it, but the adults in the household were scrambling to find this fuzzy comfort object before bedtime, when she would surely be looking up at us and asking, “Ware Bwue?”

I heard the report from Aaron as I drove home. My mom didn’t take Cordy out of the house today, so Blue had to be somewhere in the house. I was able to leave work a little early today, so I made it home just before bedtime. Cordy smiled at me as she finished her french fries, but I quickly sat down next to her to start the inquisition.

“Cordy? Where’s Blue?” I asked her. She’s a smart kid – she has to know where she last left her best friend in the entire universe.

“Ware Bwue?”

“Yes, sweetie, ware Bwue…I mean, where’s Blue? Where is she?”

“Where ih shheee?” The conversation was bordering on a Who’s on First schtick, so I stood up and started looking around. Cordy, of course, followed me.

I tried the usual spots – in the toy box, behind her slide, under the chair, in the couch cushions, under the kitchen table, in a kitchen cabinet, etc. As I checked out each possible hiding spot, Cordelia followed behind me, calling out “Bwuuuuee?”

As I walked into the dining room, Cordy said “chaaiuh”. I looked on all of the chairs, asking her again where Blue might be. And once again, the only answer I got in return was “Ware Bwue?”

Finally, I gave up. Thoughts of her screaming in her crib filled my head, but I could not find this stupid toy. I wondered if a cat had run off with it, or if Cordy had thrown it in the trash can. Either way, Blue was gone, and tonight she was going to have to go to bed Blue-less.

I crouched down to Cordy’s eye level and leveled with her. “I’m sorry, baby, but I can’t find Blue. We’ll try to find her in the morning, OK?”

Cordy gave me a serious, thoughtful look for a moment. She then turned around, walked two steps over to the phone stand, opened the cabinet door at the bottom of the stand, and pulled out Blue. “Bwuuuueee!” she exclaimed triumphantly, with a large smile.

Someday, when mommy is in the looney bin, Cordy will read this and understand why.