Three Little Words

Avalon and Sleep Panda went everywhere together. They ate breakfast together. They napped together. They played in the yard together. They even went to dance class. They decided to take up kickboxing instead. One day, they went to the zoo. Avalon introduced Sleep Panda to his Panda family. It was very exciting. Another day they got lost in the Museum of Natural History. Sleep Panda helped find their way back to the family. Avalon and Sleep Panda also shared corner time.

One day, Avalon could not find Sleep Panda. She searched hi. She searched low. She even looked inside the neighbor’s cat. No Panda in sight.

Avalon could not sleep. Where could Sleep Panda be? Outside, alone, in the dark? Or, even worse, had another kid found him and taken him home? Avalon shook mommy awake and together they searched the house for the millionth time. No Panda.

Morning came and Avalon was cranky. No Panda to share breakfast. No Panda to help pick out her clothes. No Panda to protect her from daddy’s morning tickle-fight. “Eat your breakfast, punkin, mommy needs to do some laundry and then we’ll go grocery shopping.” Grocery shopping was no fun without Panda. Mommy started cleaning up breakfast dishes and was loading them in the dishwasher. Avalon brought her plate over and started to put it in the top rack, when she noticed a little black and white ear sticking out from underneath a bowl. “Panda!” Out came Panda, a little damp and smelling like milk, but none the worse for wear. “I’m glad you found him, but what was he doing in the dishwasher?” asked Mommy. “He needed a bath?” suggested Avalon. Mommy shook her head and laughed. Pulling Avalon and Panda close she squeezed them tight and kissed them both on the head. “I’m glad you found him, but let’s keep the dishwasher baths to the dishes, ok?” Avalon nodded, and skipped off to her room, Panda by her side. She was so happy to have Panda back, she didn’t mind his new smell or wet nose. Besides, she thought, there’s always the toilet!