The Many Adventures of Curious George

Well, Monkey has had an adventurous week. Let me begin by explaining who Monkey is... Hmm, I think pictures would do a better job explaining:

Monkey is Jazlyn's snuggle-buddy-go-everywhere-together-comfort-security-best-friend Curious George doll lovingly known as Monkey. Jaz sleeps with Monkey every night. She brings him with her everywhere she goes. She even shares her lunch with Monkey.

I'll start at the beginning... On Tuesday morning, Jazlyn had her 18 month vaccines, so naturally Monkey came along to provide moral support. That was the last time I remembered seeing Monkey for 3 days. By Tuesday night, Monkey was missing. We searched the entire house, repeatedly. We searched outside. We searched in the car. Nothing. Monkey was nowhere to be found. On Friday morning, we were leaving for New York for the weekend, and I was getting frantic. We needed to find Monkey before we left. So we walked the entire perimeter of the town home unit, and found Monkey on a neighbor's back porch 3 houses down!!! It was a grand reunion... that only last for a few hours.

We made it to the airport, with Monkey tucked safely in Mama's backpack. Just moments before we boarded the plane, Jazlyn was pulling at Monkey, begging to hold him. In my inexperienced motherly un-wisdom, I gave her Monkey. And THAT is the last time we saw him. After we were safely buckled into our seats and soaring high, I turned to the seats directly behind me where Jared and Jaz were sitting to make sure she had Monkey. She didn't. We beckoned the flight attendant and told her we left Monkey in the terminal and asked if they could call the gate agent. They wouldn't do much to help and told us Monkey would probably be thrown away. I spent the next half hour battling tears, occasionally loosing the fight and letting the tears stream down my face.

Cut to Buffalo. We arrived in NY, and Daddy set to work. He tried everything. He even called his coworkers in hopes that one would be willing to go search the gate we just left. They were too busy. But he is a determined man (which I love about him!) and worked his magic on a lost luggage employee. After a dozen calls, we found the person who found Monkey!! We were promised that Monkey would be on the next flight to Buffalo (along with our carseat that never made it on to the plane, but that's another story). When we returned to the airport at 5am this morning in Buffalo, the lost luggage office was closed. No one would open it for us (even after Mommy lost her temper and yelled at a certain unnamed airline employee because we needed our carseat that they lost) and we were just told repeatedly "It doesn't open til 9." Not even an apology. My BP was so high I think I could have had a heart attack. No one would help. After we boarded our plane, Gary was able to convince someone to open the lost luggage room, only to discover that Monkey never made it to Buffalo.

The only hope we had left of ever seeing Monkey again was checking at the lost luggage room at home. But it is closed, for 4th of July. On the 5th of July. Awesome.

The story doesn't end here. Jared is going to stop by the lost luggage office again. We are hoping beyond hope that he comes home tomorrow night with Monkey in hand.