I just had to tell anyone interested as you were all unbelievable fantastic when I appealed for help over dd's lost toy...
Anyway, dd got worse, or stayed the same, drew strawberry at school, and told her teacher that one day, she'd pick something up she hadn't used for a long time, and he'd be there. (This was something I once told her and she kept repeating and held on to the hope.) Sometimes, she'd cry a little (not a wail, more a sob) in the mornings, and so it went on... We finally decided to perform radical surgery on Emma's strawberry which was too big, and we got all past pics of him, measured, compared, snipped and tacked.. His hands were too big and his feet, but maybe....
He was going to be sewn back together THIS WEEK - then guess what?? Our washing machine broke. Today it was removed and behind the pipes, in a dark, wet corner WAS THE BOY!!
We are drying him off, then will let her 'pick something up and he'll be there' as this is how she thinks it will be..
I'll get a photo soon! Still rather tearful.
Thanks so much mumsnet for all your TLC!