The Cuddle Bear Meets the K-9

The Cuddle Bear was missing for 30 minutes yesterday.

The worst 30 minutes of my life. And that includes being told a tumor was cancerous.

She had gone to play in the sandbox. I checked a couple minutes after she went out. I sat down and did five minutes work on the accursed checkbook. I checked again. Not there.

It's not unusual for her to go off. Usually she sneaks back to where she's supposed to be and answers my call. Usually. I went around our property in ever-widening circles and she did not answer. I started to panic after checking at the warehouse across our busy street. I had been looking five minutes before I called Josh and had him call the police.

I knew if a car had pulled up and called her over, she would have gone. Despite my almost constant "never get in anyone's car"s and "never go away with anyone"s. She would have gone. All I could think was, "she's so pretty. Someone took her. I'm never going to see her again."

The other children were so good. They did exactly what I told them to do. Later, Buddy expresses his frustration at have to stay in the house and not help me look. But he did what I told him to do. And he led the girls in prayer.

There were four police cars, a K-9 unit, and a fire truck. I had to describe what she was wearing. I couldn't even get the words "pink cowboy boots" out without choking. We had to give them a picture. There was an Amber alert. It was terrifyingly real.

The dog began to search the outside of the property, starting with the road. Other officers searched the house. I was told to stay put. I knew my terrified screaming her name wasn't productive, but it was something, and now I had to do nothing.

She's so pretty. Someone took her. I'm never going to see her again.

They said they found her. I took off running. They made me stop and wait. I collapsed onto someone I've never met before. Josh says I was only crying, but I felt like I couldn't stop screaming.

The neighbor had left their back door unlocked. She's gone up there a couple times without permission and been sent back down, but no one was home this time. She came out because she wanted to see the "puppy." Later I asked her, "Cuddle Bear, you heard me calling you. WHY didn't you answer me?"

"I was busy. I was jumping on the bed and eating my cookies."

Sure enough, the beds were rumpled and there was an open package of cookies and a scissors on the floor. Her cookies. She opened a pack of dairy- and egg-free cookies. How mature of her.

So she's fine. She's not going out of the house without me again before the age of 35, but she's fine. We're fine. And somehow, all that other stuff, it's not bothering me so much right now. Because we're all here.

Princess is convinced one of the officers was Barack Obama.