When panic sets in

I was getting ready for work this morning and reached the part of my daily prep where I put my jewellery on.

Necklace, earrings, watch, ring on right hand, wedding ring, engagement ring...where's my engagement ring? Crap, where did I have it last? When did I take it off? I hope I didn't lose it at swimming lessons yesterday?

I start to rummage through the four dresser drawers, on top of which I always place my jewellery last thing at night, thinking it may have been knocked down into one. Nope, no metal clattering noises to be heard.

Shit, I really have lost it. Husband is not going to be impressed. And I kinda don't want to have lost it either - it's got 42 bloody diamonds in it! Ok, I admit, 41 of them are like fairy dust but one isn't, and anyway, I love it.

Cue Peanut who walks in to see what all the fuss is about...

Me: Mummy's lost her ring! What's mummy done with her ring???

Peanut: I got it. It’s in my pocket.

Me: What? What pocket?

Peanut: In my trousers. Yesterday.

Me: Really? [thinking to myself: where on earth are her trousers? won't it have fallen out? oh crap, they're in the washing machine!].

I rush to the kitchen and search through the dirty laundry in the machine. I locate the offending article and reach with two of my fingers into a very small pocket.

Sure enough it was there. Expensive diamonds hiding inside cheap kid trousers.

I didn't tell her off as, after all, I found the ring and everything was just fine. With its happy ending, it was quite cute and funny really.

I have a picture in my head of Peanut quietly, while no one else notices what she’s up to, reaching on top of my dresser and taking my ring as her special treasure.

Though I think tonight I'll be putting them that little bit further out of the reach of her tiny hands.