Hello fair...good-bye bankie

Well, we had a major catastrophe -- at least a catastrophe in a 2 year old's eyes. Our county fair was in Columbus last weekend so we took the girls on Friday evening. Abbie never likes to go anywhere without her favorite pink "bankie", so of course we took it to the fair with us. We had a great time and didn't realize the blanket was missing until we arrived home around midnight. She carried it at various times during the evening, but I can't pinpoint exactly when she might not have had it. She didn't take it on rides, so we're thinking it fell out of our double stroller, which was hauling a cooler, diaper bag, balloons, popcorn, cotton candy, some bouncy balls, and other various game prizes that cost about $10 to win but are worth about 10 cents(you know the ones -- right?). Anyway, we searched the van when we got home with no success. We tried giving her a blanket that seemed similiar, but she would throw it down, and say "NO! YUCK!". She was so tired, she eventually went to sleep. I went to bed also, but sleep would not come because I kept thinking that maybe her bankie was laying in the parking lot or somewhere just waiting for me to come and get it. So I get up at 1:15a.m., John happens to be in the kitchen, I tell him where I am going, he hops in and back we go to the fairgrounds. The whole drive, I'm thinking it will just be there in the lot, we will pick it up, and head home. Not the case. We end up parking, and walking through the now deserted midway just in time to see all the beer garden patrons trying to find there vehicles. Needless to say, we saw and heard some interesting things, but of course no blanket. At least I got to spend some quality time with John. The next day, I head back, check lost and found, leave my name, number, and description of the missing bankie, ask around at a few different game booths and carnival employees, and you guessed it -- no sign of it. In the meantime, at home Abbie is getting increasingly more upset. We received her favorite friend along with some clothing and other items handed down from some friends, so I have no idea where it actually came from. It is a pink woven material, with satin sewn around the edges, and a bear/angel emblem on it and says Angel Baby. Did they have one at our local Walmart? No. Schweser's? No. Anywhere else in town? No. Although I did find a plain pink woven blanket with satin sides at JC Penney's. I took it home, snuck it in, wrinkled it up a few times, asked Shawn if he thought it would pass, to which he wisely replied "I don't know", presented it to Abbie and said "Look Abbie! Mommy washed your bankie! Now it is all clean!" I held my breath while she reached for it, grabbed it, hugged it, smiled and said "Bankie!" Thank goodness! Problem solved! It will be okay! This lasted for a few precious seconds until our adorable Emma piped up and said"That's not Abbie's blanket! Where is the bear! That's not Abbie's blanket! It always had strings hanging from it!" My mama always said there'd be days like this....