"Check Caroline's closet!"

Yesterday we realized we were missing our new cell phone. It is a prepaid phone that we have only had about three weeks.

First of all we checked Caroline's closet. We have learned from experience the last few months that 9 x out of 10 a missing item will be found there. When something goes missing, I always say, "Check Caroline's closet!" My makeup, our cell phone, tons of pilfered food like chocolate chips, stale bread and cheese, candy wrappers. . . It is a veritable smorgasbord in that closet if I don't keep a close eye. But Alas, it wasn't there. And she of course had the standard no responsibililty response, "I do not recall" in four year old langauge.

But we kept looking throughout the house, since the little girl is getting smarter, more devious, and realizing she needs new hiding spots since her closet is routinely regulated. Brent felt pretty confident he had put it on his dresser the night before. The problem was Brent had also biked 25 miles that day all over the city with the phone in his pocket. Maybe it had somehow wiggled out then.


But after all day, we had no luck and finally decided that some lucky city resident had found the dropped cell phone and we were out $140, thanks to Brent's undependable pockets.

Last night we were feeling the usual stress we all feel about wasted money as we went to bed. Along with the lost phone we were discussing the cost of several car trips we had been compelled to make in the last couple days for others. We are so stuck on biking ourselves, but find that because we have a car we end up transporting other people around. Brent started talking about a rickshaw as a possible option. I am obviously not even close to the possible spelling since nothing comes up to help me with that last one. The idea I am talking about is building a cart that hooks on to the back of his 10 speed to cart these people around in. We wouldn't tell them, just surprise them when they came out to climb in. Hilarius! I'm sure they'll wonder why I tell them I'm picking them up an hour in advance then mention they should apply plenty of sunscreen.

Anyway, it was bedtime and I carried Marcus into his room for bed. For the first time ever, I asked Brent to open up the babies cupboard and get me out a thin blanket for him. There are about 20 different options in there for baby blankets on three different shelves.
Brent grabbed one off the second shelf and then cried out. Underneath the blanket was his lost phone.

He actually thought it was some kind of joke of mine since I had asked him to get it and that is exactly where he needed to look still. He swears it is the only spot he didn't look through in the house.

What do you do with a child like this? My checkbook has been missing now for the last week and I just know it has something to do with Caroline. But it isn't in the usual spot -Caroline's closet! So what do I do now? We have a small house, I know, but still there are many spots to conceal items if that is your intent.

She also likes to hide herself. A couple times a day I panic because I can't find Caroline and think this time she really is lost. I am running all over the house hollering, "Caroline, Answer Me!" She finally pokes her head out from behind the shower curtain, under the bathroom sink, or behind a bed. And of course she is laughing with pride about how bad she scared me.

She of course has no recollection of relocating the phone in the cupboard when she was quizzed this morning.