I go big AND I go home...

Let's see, it has been almost five years that I have been a parent now and I have never lost a kid... until today. Wait, let me clarify that, not only did I lose a kid for the first time, I lost a second kid for the first time, on separate instances on the same day. Earning that mother of the year award is tough! Here is what happened:

This morning I woke up feeling a little stressed. I have a lot on my plate right now and I thought if I took the kids out for a walk, I could destress a bit. Well, I put Brooklyn in her stroller and had Micah on his scooter. We began the walk with a lot of complaining. Micah did not want to be in the street, he wanted to be on the sidewalk. So I gave in and we got on the sidewalk that winds around the community. Near the end of our walk the sidewalk ends at the street where you either turn right or left. Micah had gone ahead of me and as I got to the street I looked to see that he was gone. I yelled out for him and I heard him distantly say "Mom, I'm down here." So I start heading down the hill and still don't see him. I yell for him again, No answer. I run back up the hill and yell again. No answer. Now I am just getting louder. He must not hear me. No answer. I am now running up and down the street yelling out his name. No answer. I head down by my house and still don't see him. I tell myself not to panic, which has the opposite effect. I run back up the street now crying and screaming his name. I couldn't tell you how long this was happening. It felt like he was gone forever! Finally, I see him coming down the sidewalk. "I'm right here mom!" I was so relieved and mad at the same time. Uhg, my nerves were shot. He told me later he saw a guy he wanted to say hi to. Now I need to look up Megan's Law in my area!

So after finding him I decided to just go and run the errands I had been meaning to do. We get in the car hit Home Depot, the animal shelter and then decided the mall would be fun. Well, in my frazzled state, I had forgotten snacks, diapers and the stroller. Great! So I decided this would be a quick trip. We stopped in the play area for a bit and then walked the mall with one very wriggly baby. I thought we could kill some time shopping before I take them to the food court for lunch. Well, we got into Gymboree and they were having a sale. I put both Brooklyn and Micah down in front of the TV, which happened to have Yo Gabba Gabba on. They LOVE that show. So I would look at clothes for a few seconds and then look over and then look at clothes and check again. At one point I heard her get up and start to run. I immediately got her back in her seat and went back to browsing/checking. Well, I checked back again and her seat was empty! She must have put her shoes in to stealth mode because I didn't hear a thing! This was not happening again! I start looking around the racks and calling her name. She isn't there! The store clerks start looking. I run out to the mall and look both ways. I don't see her. Run back in yelling her name. Nothing. Oh my gosh I feel like I might pass out. Run back out to the mall and look again yelling her name. A man running a kiosk down the way points down another hallway. I sprint around the corner. It was her! I grabbed her, thanked the man over and over again then ran back into the store, got Micah and I was done. I mean DONE! We went right home. That will be the last time I trust my kids with that freedom at their age. Time to reign them in a bit for a while!