Searching For Baby Jesus

Have I mentioned that Aubrey loves playing with Baby Jesus. She hauls Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus around the house teaching Baby Jesus her most revered knowledge. The other day she read him "her book" filled with pictures of her that she got for her birthday.

And this is me in my daddy's hat. And this is me with Brownie the Cow.

Oftentimes, Baby Jesus does very human things and his mom, Mary, needs to step in whether it is to change his diaper or pat his back because he's crying. She really knows a mother's role. And when Baby Jesus wants to go visit other characters, like the shepard or the donkey, Aubrey is clearly aware of the fact that Jesus is a baby and cannot walk because she is very diligent about making Mary carry him wherever he needs to visit.

As with most toys, no matter how loved, they tend to get discarded when Aubrey is briefly distracted by something. She's like a dog with a squirrel but the squirrel could be anything from a rabbit in the yard to a mom washing dishes at the sink to the prospect of a cup full or milk. So from time to time approximately 6 times a day baby Jesus is lost and we need to find him. No matter how hard I try to keep him and his play contained to the dining room where the nativity sets, he still seems to disappear again and again. New Year's Eve was a particularly rough day for Baby Jesus.

Me: Aubrey, where is baby Jesus?
Aubrey:  I don't know!
Me: Well, you better find him. I told you to be very careful with him.
Aubrey: I don't know. I sorry mommy.
Me: Well, look for him.
Caton: (From across the kitchen) What is this conversation?! I want to videotape this and put it on youtube.

A little later in the evening just after people have arrived and I once again am looking for baby Jesus to tuck him away safely for the night.

Me: Has anyone seen baby Jesus?
Kelly: Let me go look.
Me: (entering the billiard room - so fun that I can say that!) Has anyone seen baby Jesus in here?
Alex: Is everyone looking for baby Jesus at this party. People keep coming in here asking about him.

But somehow, he always turns up. I'm torn between wanting to pack up our nativity while we still have all the pieces and wanting to keep it out because Aubrey enjoys playing with it so much.