desperately seeking my backpack

名称：desperately seeking my backpack
内容简介：
about how grown up I was, there was no way I could admit that I had less than zero idea of where my homework or anything else in my backpack was.

“Think hard,” I told Cow. “If you were my backpack, where would you be?”

Cow paused, then confidently strolled into the living room. He looked so sure of himself, I was positive he’d lead me right to my backpack. But instead, he led me right to the person I was hoping to avoid. My mom was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper. Cow jumped onto her lap.

“Hello, Mr. Silly Cat!” Mom laughed. “And hello, grown-up daughter. Are you done with your homework?”

“Um,” I said, “kinda almost sort of?”

“What does ‘kinda almost sort of’ mean?” she asked.

And that’s basically when I let it all come tumbling out.

“I can’t do my homework ’cause I can’t find my backpack, and now you’ll think I’m ridiculous for baby name, and besides, I decided I do like Zonykins after all, and my teacher’s going to be so mad ’cause my reading book is in my backpack, too, and we have to pay for lost books, and that would be all the money I have in the world, and—”

“It’s OK,” my mom said, giving me a hug. “Everybody misplaces things once in a while. Just try to calm down.”

She fixed me some chamomile tea with milk and honey, and soon I could think straight again.

“Let’s retrace your steps,” she said. “When is the last time you remember seeing your backpack?”

“This morning,” I said. “No, wait! I had it in school.”

“Do you think you might have left it at school?” she asked.

I closed my eyes so that I could concentrate. “No, I had it when I walked out the door. Dad picked me up to drive me to karate. Then I put my backpack in the car.” I opened my eyes. “That’s it! My backpack’s in the car!”

We went out to check, and . . .

“Eureka!” I shouted.

“We should go into business as professional lost-thing finders,” my mom said.

“Mommy,” I said. “Thanks for helping me.”

“I love you, Zonykins,” she said, then gave me a kiss.

“Love you, too.” I smiled.

So, dear Losing, unfortunately I’ve had lots of experience in the losing-stuff department. But fortunately, all this experience has taught me a few things:

1.It’s not such a bad idea to ask people for help.
2.Try to retrace your steps.
3.Have a particular place where you put your stuff.
4.When you put something down, make a mental note. (Say, “I’m putting my backpack—or whatever— right here.”)
5.Don’t count on your cat to do anything other than be a cat.