Where is the shoelace?

[CookingApron]

12yo dd got some new shoes. She and dh were in the living room unlacing the way I had done them and trying to figure out how she wanted them. They are high tops so it was taking a few minutes.

Dh did one and asked her to pass him the other lace. It had gone. They were looking around for it. Everyone joined in. We quickly reached the "this is silly" point. She has retraced her steps methodically. All five of us hunted for an hour and a half. We have looked everywhere it could possibly be, and a whole load of places it couldn't possibly be.

There definitely was another lace because I had laced them both up a few days earlier and me doing it wrong was the starting point.

Dcat is a possible suspect but we all agree we would have noticed her playing with it and she has never stolen anything or made off with anything sneakily before. She is about as sneaky as a baked potato. And it went missing in seconds.

No one has taken it for a joke or to be mean. Even if it was an ill-judged joke (very unlikely - older siblings are too old for that sort of thing) they would by now have 'found' it.

WHERE IS THE SHOE LACE??

In someone's pocket? Inside one of the shoes?

Good suggestions.
Checked both.

I think it was under something. A cushion or a hoodie that was on the floor - it's then got scooped up and put away in the drawer or chucked in the washing basket. Or it's somehow been threaded in the other shoe as well as its own lace.
Or - probably the most likely, a time space continuum opened at that exact moment. Your other dimension 'you' is currently posting on mumsnet, wondering where a 3rd shoelace appeared from.

Scooped and put is possible... but scooped and put where? We have literally been checking the sleeves of clothes in drawers and coats in cupboards.

Space time continuum rip is looking increasingly like the only sensible answer.

I subscribe to the theory that when you lose something, you do sort of 'know' where it is. A little part of your brain knows. And I'm convinced that it's in the living room. I had all the rugs up, and all the cushions off the sofa. This is driving me batty. DH thinks it's in the hall cupboard and is methodically checking for the third time.

Cat

I was going to say cat.

I've watched one of mine jump about 3 foot to grab it from the washing line and then run off with it.

Did you have (say) a board game or a puzzle out, could it have been tidied into a box?
I love threads like this

Inside the shoe??

Down the side /under the sofa or chair?

Used both laces to lace up shoe number 1?

Inside the shoe? Down the side of the sofa? Under the sofa? Mixed in with laundry?

Draped over the loo roll in the bathroom?

💯 CAT

Have had all the sofa cushions off. Even looked inside openings of small cushions.

Looked in both shoes. Checked laces of laced shoe. Nope.

Looked under everything.

Yes puzzle, but I checked.

Cat denies all knowledge. She is a stately old lady, not a shoelace leaper.

Have even sat quietly with dd and done mindful visualising of where it is. She keeps coming back to the doorway between the living room and the hall... but it's not there! I have scoured every inch!

Checked. No!

Checked loo roll, hand towel, even bathroom bin.

It's hiding with my mooncup.

That could be ticklish!😀

😆

It's stuck to someone's sock or trousers.