The grinch who stole Christmas

This was a day we have been waiting for with great anticipation. Every child remembers the day they get their first "bike". For most of my children that day came on Christmas with squeals of delight--and while I would have loved to have had little man's bike under the tree this year, it didn't quite work out that way. Unlike my other children i was unable to swing into the local Target or Wal-mart to pick up his first bike. We started jumping through bike hoops back in June and were hopeful that just maybe it would be here by his birthday in September--as that date came and went we were then wishing for Christmas--and just before Christmas we received a notice that it was coming in the next few weeks---we were elated! All the patience of waiting for the communication device and the bike was finally paying off. We received the Aug com and it was a happy day--a very happy day. Today he finally received his bike
--and while he is thrilled and has had a wonderful afternoon going up and down the block(with help)
i have had a sick feeling in my gut for most of the day. We found out that the Aug com device that we waited a year and a half for has vanished--disappeared. He loves his Aug com and wants to use it every chance he gets. He loves to tell us what he wants--and when he can focus he is spot on. The idea was that he would use this device at both home and at school. We started sending it back and forth last week and then on Friday he didn't come home with it--I was hoping that it had been left in the classroom and found out today that was not the case. It had made it to the bus and somewhere between the school and home it managed to disappear. I am hoping that it was inadvertently given to the wrong child and will show up--but i am still checking Craig's list and e-bay. So while we are thrilled that little man now has wheels to cruise up and down the block-- i would trade that for his opportunity to communicate---everything has a perspective and i am trying to maintain a positive attitude about this---things could always be worse....but right now it kinda feels like the Grinch has stolen a bit of our long awaited Christmas joy......