Friday, April 07, 2006

A. Panda

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This is the most important member of our family. She doesn't pick up after herself. She doesn't help with any other chores. She doesn't bring in an income or run errands or go to school. Be not deceived, however. A. Panda is entirely indispensible. She eats meals at the table. She plays outside with the girls. She goes to church. She goes to Grandma's house. She goes shopping. She oversees baths. She is present at nightly story times. She sleeps in the bed with our younger daughter every single night. Life cannot go on without her.

Wednesday we lost A. Panda somewhere between the schoolhouse and the girls' room upon arrival home. We ransaked the car. We traced our paths from the car, across the yard, into the house and in every single room wherein the younger daughter had set her foot since entry. A. was nowhere to be found. In desperation, I called the local convenience store back in town where we'd stopped for Icees after school. The girl working the front counter walked through the store and even looked out in the parking lot. She was very sympathetic, but she found no panda.

Eventually we did find A. Panda. She was upstairs in the girls' room sitting on a shelf. Well, no wonder we couldn't find her! The younger daughter had put her up! There was, I assure you, much rejoicing. Especially as Mama was just heading for her car keys to drive 15 miles back into town and scour the streets and parking lots for her.

Later that afternoon we found something else that added to our pandaic celebrations: the Panda Cam at the Smithsonian National Zoo.

We share our joy.

(Note: The Naked Mole Rat Cam is pretty interesting, too, although perhaps a large part of the attraction is the shock on people's faces when you tell them what you've been watching on the internet.)

7 comments:

Jennifer said...

The same thing has happened to me, except it was with my keys. One day when I was at home, preparing to leave for CoMo, I discovered that I had lost them. I looked everywhere imaginable, even highly improbable places like the bathroom. I finally stumbled across them hanging mockingly from the key rack in the hall. By the way, I have an A. Panda as well.

Beth Impson said...

Oh my, oh my! I'm laughing so hard I'm crying! Isn't that the way of it? Never, ever bother to look in the "proper" place for something . . . it's never going to be *there*!

So glad A. was found. Don't you know she must have been quite amused listening to all the fuss over her as she sat quietly on her shelf?

That panda cam is indeed really cool. You can watch quite a while with nothing happening, however, as pandas are not exactly the most active critters. However, they move more than sloths or koalas . . .

love and blessings,

Beth

Fieldfleur said...

I'm glad A was found! Whew! Btw, I like the word 'pandaic'. :)

I hope you're doing well.

Teri

Lucindyl said...

Jennifer--I love the concept of your keys "hanging mockingly," waiting for you. Next time you're over, you need to tell the younger daughter about your A. Panda. She will be very impressed.

Beth--Scott cracked up thinking about the concept of a sloth cam. Thank you for the amusement.

Randy--Hey! Pandas are the coolest. Don't mock the panda! (Or as our daughter says when she's telling us to chill out: "Smell the panda!")

Teri--Pandaic. It seemed like a good word at the time. I think it was just waiting to be discovered. :) We're all doing pretty well, just not a lot of time for commenting or blogging. I have been reading, though, and loved your post about the poetry group meeting.

Meg said...

I can't imagine what I'd do if I lost my Teddy Bear Snockers...I'm glad you found your other family member safe and sound :)

Lucindyl said...

Meg--Snocker, huh? Quite the name, that. I like. Does it have a story behind it?

Meg said...

Yes it does, the boy who purchased it for me had a last name similar to smuckers...I took his last name and nicknamed him Snockers...we didn't last..but his bear has :) and even made my senior pics with me..lol not a super interesting story but that is where the name comes from :)