Darn it, Casey

This morning I prepared for work as usual and was about to leave the house -- all I needed was my ID badge, which I'd left on the nightstand over the weekend.  But it was gone.

Probably fell on the floor, I thought, so I scoured the area around the bed.  But I still couldn't find it.  I turned some lights on -- the ability to get into the office is kind of important, so I wasn't about to leave without the badge.  I didn't want to disturb Erika, who needs all the sleep the kids let her get, but I had to find that badge.  She's a light sleeper and already knew what was going on and asked if I was looking for the badge.  She said she hadn't seen it in the laundry or anything, to which I told her everything I already knew:  it wouldn't be in the laundry, because I left it on this table, and I know that for certain, and I know you wouldn't move it, and I know I didn't move it, and that means that a child has moved it, and that means that it could be anywhere.

When I hadn't turned it up myself within another minute, she got up to help me look.  I started checking the floor and the toy bins in the living room and was starting to think about whether Casey might have dropped it down the laundry chute when Erika called from the bedroom:  "I got it!"  She emerged, handed me the badge, and smiled at me.  "You have to think like a child," she explained.  "It was in the CD player."