The Bracelet

I swear- I can't make this stuff up.
Hayden's pre-school was having a Valentines Day Potluck dinner. I'm not going to lie. I was excited. This was her first school event. They were going to have the children sing love songs. I mean, come on, how cute is that? So, like any working Mom who barely has time to accomplish anything- I had to make the decision- Do I a. Go find Hayden the cutest outfit in the whole world or b. Attempt to make a potluck dish that would astound all the other parents?... It was a difficult decision, so I did the one thing any multi-tasking Mom would do. I found the perfect outfit (complete with giant pink flower for her hair, pink legwarmers and an adorable Valentines necklace/bracelet)... and I ordered a catered dish from my parents restaurant. I made it a point to memorize all the ingredients so that if anyone asked me how I made it, I could easily lie and tell them. (One time I lied about making stuffed clams, someone asked me where I got the shells and I told them that Hayden and I gather them at the beach... Epic).
The event was cute and sweet. Granted, all the students sang their songs. Hayden was singing too... Not necessarily the same song as all the other kids, but that's why I love my child. She's independent. I call them her "remixes". She'll take all the songs she knows and mash them together... For example, this was last nights ballad- "Ol' McDonald had a baa baa black sheep, have any you any wool? And if you're happy and you know it squeeze your nose"... all to the tune of Lady Gaga's Romance song. It's not uncommon for her to tell me to sing her "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" but demand that I incorporate the term polka dot into it.
She kept taking her bracelet off. I warned her several times not to do that because she would lose it. So, of course, she lost it. She squealed that she had lost her bracelet. I gently reminded her that it was her own fault. She was distracted by a balloon and forgot about the bracelet.
Fast forward thirty minutes and we get in line for the bathroom. All of a sudden, Hayden screams that the girl in front of us with her mother has her bracelet. I immediately tell Hayden that it IS NOT her bracelet and that she had lost hers earlier. Then I look. She's right. The little girl totally has her bracelet. It was a matching set and not a common look. Please keep in mind, we are discussing a $2 plastic bracelet and necklace that is made to look like those Valentines Day heart candies. I don't know what to do. Part of me believes that it's Haydens own fault for taking it off and leaving it God knows where- the other part of me wonders if I should ask her mother for it since Hayden is now in full tantrum mode over the stupid thing. So, I say loudly- "Hayden, maybe that's the girls bracelet. You lost yours an hour ago". The little girl in front of us starts crying. Her mother looks down at her says what's wrong, I hear the child tell her "I don't want to give it back". The mother turns to me, looks right at Hayden's necklace and turns away quickly.
Now, I can't speak for other Moms, but if it was me in that situation, I would have ripped it off my childs arm and given it back to the rightful owner. Not this Mom. She swept up her kid and rushed off to another bathroom. She looked so normal too. I followed her to the other bathroom and went into an adjacent stall. Hayden wouldn't quit. "SHE HAS MY NECKLACE MOMMY- IT'S MINE. PLEASE MOMMY, PLEASE". My child is the definition of persistent. Now, I'm in an awkward position. Hayden was wrong for losing it. But clearly this woman knows her child has my kids bracelet. I don't know a lot of Mom's at this new pre-school and I certainly don't want to burn any bridges. After all, this is a dumb $2 bracelet.
I finally grow some balls, and stand by the sink and wait for them to come out of their stall so I can say something. Granted, I don't know what I'm going to say- but I had to say something, right? She didn't come out of the stall. I swear to God. I heard them whispering in the stall and they just didn't come out. After a few minutes, I realized this was way too complicated and embarassing. So, I loudly told Hayden I would buy her a new bracelet the next day and left.
Now, here's something you probably have figured out by now- I have a big opinionated mouth. So by the time I had gotten home, I had already told three other Moms.
So here's the real question- Do I drop it (which I probably will do) or do I approach her next time I see her? I mean, she hid in the bathroom with her kid to keep a plastic bracelet. I told you, I can't make this stuff up.