Remember how I said I wouldn't take a week to update again? Well here you go.
LL got the Fisher Price Little People Nativity Set for his birthday. I just love the idea of having a nativity scene that he can get his little hands on and run around with. Put in his mouth. Drop. Hide.
Hiding is LL's newest and most fun game yet. Of course I keep a good eye on him all day, but
somehow an item or two gets hidden everyday that I can't account for. He has a good handful of hiding places that I check every evening, and that usually solves any mysteries. But this nativity set...
First it was the Virgin Mary. She went missing for 4 days. Maybe it's the dull colors of her outfit? She doesn't stand out like the brightly colored wise people (one is a woman). Maybe it's her quiet nature? She doesn't like to draw attention to herself.
You'd never expect Mary to cry out from under the couch, "Here I am! Please get me back to the stable! There's a dust bunny under here that's larger than I am!!!"
That's where she was. Under the couch. This isn't one of LL's usual hiding places, so I suspect Mary was accidently (or not) dropped under there and was rendered unretrievable by LL's limited problem-solving skills.
So for quite a few days our Holy Family was happy and together. Their smiling faces warm and comforting. Oh sure, a donkey or camel would go missing here and there, but no one had to spend a night alone or scared.
But what is a nativity scene without Baby Jesus?! I'll tell you what. There's a big empty hole in the stable. All the people and animals are gathered around... nothing. A bright silver star and shimmery angel mark the birthplace of Someone special. But that Someone is nowhere to be found.
He's not in the dog's toy basket. He's not in the Tupperware cubboard. He's not under the seat of LL's ride-on firetruck. He's not under the dog's bed. He's not tossed over a baby gate. He's not between the presents under the Christmas tree.
DL is
convinced this is just the story playing out. Baby Jesus will reveal Himself on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning at the very latest. I know He'll turn up. I'm just worried that He might need a little help. From me.
Every night I sit here and gaze around the room. If I were 12 months old, where would I hide something that fits just right in my little hand? I scrutinize every drawer, every cupboard, every container. But I've checked them all. And I know I'll check them again.
Afterall, this is why we got this particular nativity set. So that LL could have a decoration of his very own without any "Don't touch!"'s attached. I just hope Baby Jesus knew what He was getting into.
