Finding Tito

For those of you who know Peyton, you know he doesn't go ANYWHERE without Tito, his puppy blanket. Notice in the picture how Tito is wedged into Peyton's harness. Well, last Saturday we had the case of the missing Tito. We were at the Fairhope Arts and crafts festival along with thousands of other people out enjoying the spring weather. About an hour into the walk, after we had eaten lunch and were about to stroll Peyton to sleep I discovered that Tito was MISSING! Mom, Erich, and I split up to retrace our steps, ask vendors, check the lost and found...to no avail. I was in tears and Erich was sad. This was his little blankie that I was going to save forever and give to his first child. It was the nastalgia because we had an exact replica of Tito at home just in case this very thing ever happened.

We searched all day for Tito and Peyton never went to sleep. Mom bought him a little replacement, but it didn't quite have the same feel as a Tito tail that has been rubbed for two years has. At the end of the day I wanted to check one more store to see if someone had turned him in there. The lady said she hadn't seen it. I walked out so sad. I searched a couple of more minutes and went to find Erich. When I looked up, I saw Mom standing outside the same store holding Tito. I ran yelling with excitement. A lady had come looking for me because when I checked earlier the girl didn't know they had found Tito. Someone had thrown him over their fence near the dumpster...just like in The Velveteen Rabbit. Peyton then looked up, grabbed and yelled, "Tito", knocked all the bags out of the stroller seat, sat down, and closed his eyes. All he had been waiting on all day to sleep was his Tito!

NOW, we wedge Tito in wherever we go to avoid having to find Tito again!