last night, when i was getting my daughters ready for bed, i noticed that one of b's earrings was missing. when she got her ears pierced, we bought her some ladybug earrings. ladybugs are one of her favorite things right now. she was so happy to have them. so when i saw that she only had one left, i asked her about it.

"where's your other earring at, b?"

"i don't know."

"you don't know?"

"nope."

"were you playing with it?" i ask her.

"no."

"so, it just decided to up and leave?"

"yeah."

then she decides to tell me that it might have fallen down the drain.

"it fell down the drain?"

"maybe."

getting a little frustrated, i say "did it, or didn't it?"

"yes," she says sheepishly.

so i tell her that it is gone now. if it fell down the drain, then it is probably gone for good. her mouth starts contorting a little, trying to hold back the painful expression of loss. she fights back tears. but it is hard for her. finally the dam breaks and the waterworks begin...

"but daddy, i want it!!! pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaassssssseeeeee!!!"

what's a daddy to do? " i'm sorry b, but you have to be more careful. that's why i tell you not to play with certain things."

she starts calming down and says as-a-matter-of-factly, "if we get a fishing pole, we can get it out." i'm still trying to figure that one out. after the chaos is over and she settles down, we say our bedtime prayers with her and put her to bed.

after breakfast this morning, i went to look under the sink and see how the piping was put it. lo and behold, a nice elbow joint. "maybe, just maybe," i think to myself. don't tell b though. i don't want to get her hopes up. i start turning the nuts and water starts leaking out. i get a cup to hold the overflow and finally the elbow comes loose. i start dumping out the water that is trapped between the two points and along with the water comes greyish, brownish, greenish stuff that i have no idea what it is. then out comes the earring. "thank you Lord." i start putting things back the way they were and after i'm all done, i go to b.

i hold it up and show her the ladybug. her eyes get big and gleam with excitement. her mouth turns up and out into a huge smile. "thank you daddy...thank you!"

sometimes, that what being a daddy is all about. . .