“It’s got to be in the back of the car,” I huffed.
“I wish you would have let me go back and look for it,” Scott muttered.
“WHAT? Were we going to just comb back through the entire park and parking lot? If it’s there… it’s gone,” I hissed.
It was 10:30, the night of Kendall’s birthday party. We just got home from the baseball game.
And we couldn’t find Lambie.
The Lambie Leyna’s had since before she turned one. The Lambie my dad gave her. The Lambie she has grown increasingly attached to over the last 1.5 years.
The Lambie we all rely on to help her sleep.
Defeated, Scott insisted it had to have fallen out of his pocket in the parking lot on his way into the party hours earlier. Of course, the blame game was in full swing.
“THIS is why I never want her to take it out of the house,” he rattled.
“Dude. There is nothing we can do about it now. We packed it because we knew she’d be tired. What’s done is done,” I sighed, and headed straight for the office.
I scoured the internet intently for about 30 minutes before I found it. I couldn’t remember what brand it was. I had no idea where my dad got it. I googled “wool lamb head blanket blue plaid.” I think that was the lucky search term that lead me to an Amazon link.
Eureka! Prime shipping and everything. I purchased it within minutes.
Of course, it was great that we could order a backup (though it wasn’t cheap to replace). But Scott and I were both so sad that the original was gone. A replacement just wouldn’t be the same… for any of us.
Leyna actually slept okay without it that night. My mom, the quick thinking, ex-preshcool teacher, found a smaller bear-head-on-blanket that Kendall had. It was cream colored, also. She told Leyna it was “little tiny lambie,” and that, combined with the sheer exhaustion from the day, was enough to get her to sleep.
The next day, I called the RoughRiders office, not at all expecting them to actually have Lambie. Just more out of obligation, to say that I tried everything. I mean, had we left it in the park, I felt it would have had a good chance of being turned in. But the parking lot? Somebody would have had to pick it up, walk into the ballpark with it, and find the right person to give it to. That’s an awful lot to expect from most people these days, especially when it comes to a grayish, ragged little lamb head stuck to a worn blanket.
I described what it looked like to the man on the other line, and for the first time Leyna came running up to me asking, “Where’s Lambie?? Where? I talk to him, momma?” while she reached for the phone. My heart almost started to break all over until the incredibly kind man interrupted.
“Yeah… yeah! I have it. Yup. Exactly. It’s right here,” he seemed as happy as I was.
I left immediately to bring him home.
I don’t know who took the time to pick him up and take him into the park, who took the time to find the right person to turn him into. I don’t know who looked at that thing and figured someone might miss him, but thank you. Thank you so much. And thank you, Frisco RoughRiders, for keeping him safe.
We have a new Lambie now. He was delivered today. I don’t quite know what to do with him. Scott thinks we should hide him, and only break him out in case of emergency. Like maybe we should put him in a glass case with an ax next to it. I feel like maybe we should start rotating him in, so he gets to be just as worn, loved, and indistinguishable with time. My mom suggested having one “home” Lambie and one “car” Lambie.
No matter the method, I feel very strongly that I must somehow make it clear which one is the original. And then I must protect it with my life. The decoy can come and go, but the original carries a piece of MY heart with it. I know this now.
Reunited and ready for bed… after an episode of Wonder Pets, of course. I bet Lambie could recite every Wonder Pets episode if he could talk.
Edited to add this amazing video of a reunited lovey and his boy. Oh my heart, get the tissues.
- 89Shares
34 comments
New post! Little Lost Lambie Finds His Way Home- A Lovey Story http://t.co/i2DGJntSTZ
I am so happy lambie was found! When I saw your initial post that he went missing, my heart just broken for you and for Leyna. I am 37 and still have my lovie. Not saying I need it like my toddler needs his, but I have it. My parents helped me make sure it survived and stayed with me. I will treasure it always because of that.
Geez I feel like crying for lambie being found!
RT @babyrabies: New post! Little Lost Lambie Finds His Way Home- A Lovey Story http://t.co/i2DGJntSTZ
We “misplaced” my son’s “Wolfie” at the Ft. Worth zoo a few years ago. You have NO idea how happy I was to drive back out there and get it when the women on the other end of the phone said she had in right there next to her. Oh wait, you do have an idea… 😉
SO glad Lambie is back! xo
Sweet story! @babyrabies Little Lost Lambie Finds His Way Home- A Lovey Story http://t.co/O8fxHYh3GT via @sharethis
Oh this makes my heart so happy. It feels like a children’s story. Little Lambie goes on an Adventure. So glad this story had a happy ending.
My son has his favorite blankie. What is it with kids and blankets anyways? He never cared for any of his stuffed animals and this was just one of the blankets we rotated, but one day he decided it’s his favorite and he drags it with him everywhere since. I went online a few months ago to get a backup in case of an emergency and guess what – they don’t sell it anymore. So I can only hope we will never lose it. (Haha…right…)
my now 9 year old has attached herself to a tiny little lamb that is only about 2 inches tall. We have lost her more times than I can count…we even broke out the replacement only to have her find the original. Now Tiny has a sister 🙂 I have one more replacement stashed away just in case. Maybe she’ll get it when she goes to college.
Aw the hair twirling. I also have a hair twirler. It’s a small little thing she does that I’ll always remember. (Partly bc half of her head is bald from pulling out hair).
My 6 year old grandson has a lovey named Mr. Cow. Out of all the expensive, nice stuffed animals people gave him, he fell in love with Mr. Cove who my husband got in one of those machines where you pay to try to grab a cheap, crappy stuffed animal. I even told my husband not to give it to him, but he did, and it was instant love. To show what a great mom my daughter is, she has sewn Mr. Cow’s mouth, eyes, nose, etc. back on many, many times. We have searched every machine we see for another Mr. Cow just in case, but have never seen another one like him. Kids are funny, and precious. I am so glad you got Lambie back and I am glad to think that there are wonderful people out there who would understand how valuable that worn little lamb was to someone.
Great news! I suggest rotating it in. I have a back-up pink elephant for my daughter, but she knows the difference. Enough that when I try to give it to her, she just throws it out of her crib. I’ve even tried to sneak it in her crib when I thought she was sleeping (when the original was left at daycare), and she sat up, turned around, and tossed it out. Then laid back down with tears. At this point I’m considering running it over with the car a few times just to give it that worn-in look 🙂 lol….glad Lambie’s back.
Sniffle. I am a quarter crying because you found Lambie, a quarter from that video and half because I lost my own blankie at the ripe old age of 24. I am so happy that you guys were able to find Leyna’s lovey.
I saw on a blog I read someone had to replace a lovie because the original went missing. She told her daughter that lovie got a bath and a make-over (or something like that, the original was well worn, so replacing with something brand new was obvious) whatever she told her daughter, it worked. So glad you found Lambie! That video make me tear up!
So glad Lambie was found. It wasn’t until I watched the video that I remembered that I lost my “Teddy” at a place called Wild West City (about 200 miles from our home) when I was about 6. Luckily, the park staff found him pretty quickly after we left and mailed him back to me. We called it Teddy’s big adventure. 27 years, many moves, a wedding, and two kids later, I still have him.
One of the best pieces of advice I received prior to having my son was that if he started to get attached to any one stuffed animal or lovey (we received 7 at the baby shower!) find a back up! We now have a home pooh and a travel pooh this way no matter what he has one.
We had a similar situation with a special blanket a friend made for Abby. We went to the zoo and it was cold-ish so we brought it to put over Abby in the stroller. It was put back in the stroller. And when my husband folded said stroller up he didn’t empty the bottom of it so we got home missing the blanket…and a bag with some souvenirs. I drove 30 minutes back to the zoo after Abby was napping, and right at the parking spot where we were, someone folded up the blanket neatly, and placed the bag on top. I think when parents see things like this, they know. It’s something special and a kid is sad because it’s gone. I bet a parent found lambie and knew it has a special owner who was missing it. There are truly good people in this world.
So happy Lambie was found! My heart would break and our lives would be over if my daughter’s blanket disappeared. We are on our third as they fall apart eventually, but she is okay with them being broken and placed in the closet – being lost would be a whole new ballgame. I feel ya and am so happy for the Lambie Reunion!
Love a happy ending!
My quite nearly 16 year old has “go-fish blankie” and “good dream bunny.” Her blankie is a Gymboree blanket (of which she had many) but THIS was the one. Pink and white goldfish with a pink edge. No. I could never find a back-up and no other blankets made the cut. It is tattered and loved to a faretheewell. Her bunny was bought when she was having bad dreams. Rather than wake me up I suggested she tell the dream to the bunny and let the bunny protect her. It worked (s?) like the magical charm it was meant to be. I fully expect them to go to college with her. I am delighted you got back Lambie, And really, that video… xo
So Sweet! I am ordering an extra green monkey as we speak so Harper Grace never has to be without him.
I am so glad Leyna was reunited with her Lambie. My daughter has “Baby” a pink teddy bear my parents gave her as newborn. She got really attached to it around 9 months and “baby” was one of her first words. We quickly bought a second and started to rotate so they would always have the same amount of “loviness” about them. At almost 2 1/2 she just uncovered our ruse and now will not let Baby or Udder-Baby out of her site.
We had a similar experience when my daughter lost her lambie at Target. We also got it back and now have a second on hand. I rotate them each week when one goes into the wash to get scoured clean.
yep, tears down my face
Awww…. My little boy’s lovely is a big plush dog called Macaroni – thankfully he’s so big he hardly ever leaves the house!
Love this! And – is it ok to say this? – Love the Ah-Ah video just as much.
We lost my son’s pooh bear in a bathroom (in a backpack) during a diaper change at Midway airport. He made back to us, amazingly! We paid $$$ to have him shipped back to us overnight. We looked all over the Internet and couldn’t find a replacement.
Definetly have two lambies going at once. When one is grubby swap it for the clean one and wash the dirty one. I’ve been doing this with “Pinky” for about 1.5 years now. She knows there are two and will even ask for a “clean Pinky please” it one gets dirty. I would buy a third if I could find one!
RT @babyrabies: New post! Little Lost Lambie Finds His Way Home- A Lovey Story http://t.co/o28azVmpPD
Don’t let her know there are two lambies or you will have to keep two lambies safe. There are plenty of places in the house to lose them, too
So glad you got Lambie back. I’m willing to bet it was a mom or dad who turned it in. I’m betting they had/have a child that had the same attachment to a lovey. I found one in a bookstore once and turned it in knowing that it was VERY well loved and would be missed.
So glad lambie came home! Once my son became attached to his bear (blue blankie with a bear head attached) I tasked my mom, the original purchaser with finding spares. She bought two more & I started rotating them in. My son is now almost 5 & still sleeps with his bear(s). Unfortunately he found the spare bear stash in his closet about a year ago & began sleeping with all 3! One is allowed to leave the house with him if he’s staying overnight somewhere.
constantly i used to read smaller content which also clear their motive, and
that is also happening with this paragraph which I am reading here.
So sweet! It is so nice to read about someone taking the time to turn in your Lambie to lost and found- the person who found it must have understood how much a child might be missing it. Sometimes it helps to label the plush with a cell phone number because people really will try to locate the owner of a found stuffed animal- a cell phone number makes it easy! http://www.blueberryplush.com/blogs/news-and-updates/9222843-before-the-lovey-is-lost
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