Since Word Boy was very small, we have called him "The Finder." 9 times out of 10, if you are missing something, he already knows where it is, because he spotted it earlier and remembers. ("I thought it was a little odd that you put your phone inside the spare roll of toilet paper." "I didn't think you meant to throw your wallet away.") The tenth time, he can find it for you in under a minute. He has a sharp eye and a retentive mind and he misses nothing.
This morning, I was trying to get dressed for the gym. I was stuck because I could only find one of my sneakers. The Tiny Tornado helped me look: she lay on the floor and looked under the couch; I lifted up the trampoline; we sorted through the shoes by the door. Even though I had found the first shoe in the living room, she checked the kitchen while I searched the hallway and my bedroom. (I told David as I passed by, "I get so annoyed when the kids do this. It's just as annoying when I do it.") Then we did it all again, without luck.
Eventually, I called off the search and padded around in my stocking feet doing my morning chores. I was feeding the birds when I heard Word Boy climb down out of his bunkbed and head into the big bedroom to say good morning to his dad. "Word Boy!" I called. "I'm so glad you're up! I need your help."
He came into the living room. "What is it, Mom?"
I pointed to my lone shoe. "I need my sneakers to go work out but I can only find one of them."
Word Boy immediately switched into Investigator Mode. "Can I ask where you found that one?" he said.
I pointed to the spot. He looked, then looked around for a few seconds, and then turned back to me. "Are you messing with me?" he asked.
"What?" I said. "No. Why would you say that?"
He took two steps, bent down and reached behind a bin of homeschool supplies and under the dictionary stand. "Because it's right here," he said, handing me my shoe. "Are you sure you and the Tiny Tornado weren't trying to play a trick on me?"
Sheepishly, I took my shoe. "If only," I said.
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