Phew!

So there I was e-mailing the Ball & Chain about "the consequences" for either The Queenager or Mr. Minimal having left an I-pod in a pocket, and allowing it to be washed and gently tumbled. (Are you impressed that we decided to present a united front on this matter? I am.) Should we make them pay the whole price for a new one? Should we meet them half way and warn them that this would be the last time? You know how it goes.

I still couldn't work out which one was the perpetrator. I had texted them both at school "Do you have your I-pod", but of course they only ever glance at their cell phones if they need me to bring something to school that they swore they absolutely didn't need that morning. (Since they know I pick up the little one at noon three mornings a week, I can't always refuse. Well, without coming across as Mean Mom anyway.)

So there we were, like Sherlock Homes and What's It trying to figure out who the I-pod belonged to:

Me: I'm not sure it's his because he wears it every day to school. Did you see him leave this morning?

B&C: No, but you're right, he would rather have been late than walk without his I-pod.

Me: It must have been the Queenager's as it had those small ear phones wrapped around it.
(Mr. Minimal has gone retro and has enormous headphones for some reason.)

Me: But the Queenager's is bright green and this one is silver - unless it washed all the colour off as well.

B&C: Hmmm. Well, that might have happened. They're probably not made to withstand the warm/cold wash cycle. (I lie there - he barely knows where the washing machine is let alone which cycle I would have used.)

Me: And it had a black fabric-type cover on it.

B&C: (Ten second pause). A what?.

Me: A sort of stretchy black cover on it.

B&C: (In a whisper) Oh.

Me: What?

B&C: (In barely audible voice.) It's mine. I must've left it in my workout shorts.

Me: Oh thank god for that. Well you can bloody well pay for a new one yourself!

This morning it appears to have come back to life, would you believe? So now we can stop making fun of the B&C. On second thoughts, I should really milk this shouldn't I? The kids certainly are.

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