I blinked and he was gone.
My heart beat wildly as I briskly walked the aisles, my eyes darting all over the place, scanning for any sign of him. I wanted to scream. I wanted to ask for help. I wanted to stop the world. But I couldn’t afford myself the luxury of a tantrum. I needed to be calm. I needed to stay focused on the task at hand.
I turned a corner and caught a glimpse of something gray. My heart fluttered. Is that really him? OH, THANK GOD! THANK GOD ALMIGHTY!
I found the cat.
Not our pet cat; we don’t have one. Max’s lovey, a gray cat named Twinkles. Our family can’t function without him. Each boy has two loveys: a small blankie the size of a cloth napkin and stuffed animal. Jack’s is a dalmatian named Spot.
I love loveys! As I write my little ones are snuggled up to their respective loveys, snoozing in their cribs. They nuzzle their little faces into these soft bits of fabric whenever they want to be cozy. When we go an an outing, loveys make them feel secure, and they certainly cushion the blow of nap scheduled in the middle of fun. When my sons look at their loveys, I can see that they see an animation , a life, and a love that I don’t. It’s just so sweet. Also, I think the fact that our babies have loveys definitely helped them sleep through the night from an early age.
The trouble is: we can’t lose them. To complicate our lives further, the precious beloved items that we can’t function without are in the hands of absent-minded toddlers. After a few harrowing moments of lost loveys, I decided to create security tags in the hopes that when lost, someone could return them.
It’s simple. All you need are:
Iron-on transfer paper ( fabric, craft and some superstores carry it)
100% cotton ribbon
a printer
a needle and thread
clear nail polish
1. Type your message. I wrote : My lovey. If found, please call Mama. (cell phone number- because we will probably be nearby if we lost our lovey.) Write whatever you want, but think twice about writing your child’s name. Pedophiles sometimes use knowledge of a kid’s name found on clothing or backpacks to gain trust.
2. Go to print set-up. Click on properties. Click on the advanced tab. Scroll down and turn your mirror image function on. Print on the iron transfer paper. Remember to turn your mirror image function back off for future printing.
3. Follow the directions on your transfer paper. You will basically hold an iron on the ribbon and transfer paper for a few seconds, then gently peel it off. Once you’ve created your tag, dab a bit on clear nail polish in the cut edges of your ribbon to prevent fraying. Sew your tag on top of the toy’s tag or a secure corner of your lovey.
4. Tags are washable. Breathe easier, but still watch those loveys like a hawk. With a little vigilance and this extra precaution, they might just make it all the way through childhood.
Mine did!
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