The Case of the Missing Coaster

We decided to hit the local Mexican food restaurant to celebrate my husband's birthday and new job. The noise level was elevated more than ever thanks to the graduation party in the adjoining room. People filled the spaces around the packed tables hoping to snag a seat as patrons finished their meals. We were crammed into a 4 top table with Ladybug and Bean barely fitting at the table in their high chairs. We screamed to hear each other talk, then found ourselves eating fast just to get out of the crowded establishment. I, being a mom of two, was the first to finish eating {embarrassingly, I can eat an entire meal in under 10 minutes.}. My hubby took over feeding duty and I ran to relieve myself from the pitcher of iced tea I had just consumed. The line was incredible. Half of the people waiting for a seat must have been in line for the bathroom! By the time I had returned to our table, a new family was already seated and dipping their chips into the complimentary salsa.

The restaurant energy followed us home. Ladybug was in rare form; nothing could calm her, not even me. She would scream from the top of her lungs and throw her body back into the car seat. This behavior lasted through bath time and the last feeding of the day. She didn't want to eat at all, which is a sure sign that something was wrong. We knew that a long night was ahead of us, and our prediction was right. After an hour of misery she finally fell asleep. No more than two hours later she was up and at it again. Pain showed across her face as if someone was pinching her little arm. The only thing that could be making her feel this way were those pesky little baby teeth making their way though her delicate gums. A little baby Tylenol and Orajel did the trick. She was out 30 minutes later for the rest of the night.

The next morning Bean was retelling her experience at the restaurant and how she and Ladybug were playing with the drink coasters. As I was listening to her story I started to clean out my diaper bag. And there it was....staring me right in the face. A drink coaster from the restaurant with a chunk of it missing. I lifted it out of my bag and held it up in the air analyzing the shape of the cutout. Bean looked up at me and started to laugh. “HAHAHA, that's the coaster from the res-ter-u-ant”, she muttered carefully. At that exact moment Ladybug let out a huge grunt displaying sounds of relief. I threw the coaster on the table, picked up Ladybug, and started to change her diaper. At that moment I had realized what was causing Ladybug so much grief. The missing piece of the coaster was staring me right in the face. Pictures, words, and all.