A. Panda

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.)