Saturday, April 14, 2007

So far away from me - Special Saturday edition

So two Kiwis and two Tongans pull up in a truck.

Seriously, this isn't a joke.

Two guys from New Zealand and another two from that South Pacific island nation picked up my husband and took him to yet another rugby match. I would not mind if it was a few hours to play and then come back to be a fellow co-parent. But no. There is this lovely tradition of the "drink-up" in which after the bloodletting the teams bond over beer. So European. So being in your 20's.

I took the kids the one mile into our town center for a mid-morning snack at the locally owned coffee shop. The boys were on their bikes while little lady walked her "tubby bear" in its stroller. I told the boys how to handle a particularly big hill but otherwise didn't give them any instruction. And when I couldn't see them I wasn't worried since they always wait at the next big street for me to help them cross.

They had always waited. Until today.

Today they decided to keep going. And going. I got to the intersection. No boys. I'm trying to get a nearly 3-year-old to hustle and she's getting tired. I turn the big corner. Still no boys. Now she's starting to cry from exhaustion. I tried carrying her and run but still no boys. Over 10 minutes pass as I run and she stumbles.

We get to the center of town and the local bank has set up a table to finger print your kids in case they go missing. I fly by it. I'm seething because if there were two parents one would have the 6 1/2 years olds while the other had the younger one.

The entire time I'm hoping they will be waiting for me on the bench outside the coffee shop. I turn the corner and they are not there.

I fly into the coffee shop and tossed my daughter to a neighbor. My little lady doesn't really know her but I need to find the boys. I throw a $10 and tell her to buy my daughter anything to calm her down as she screams while I literally run out.

I run past all these people holding signs for the seven candidates running in a special election for state representative. I run past the police station and see one of my guys carefully looking both ways as he crosses the street with the other one not far behind.

"Where WERE you?!?"

Said by him. Yes, him.

We all talked about how to handle being separated, how far is too far, and reviewed crossing streets. Then after scones and water, I helped them get back on their bikes and watched them ride off to a dead end road with an agreement that I would meet them shortly. Then I rejoined my little lady for the rest of my latte.

And later we stopped by the bank table to make finger prints.

***

Another set of questions were answered! Alex Elliot, who is a fellow UU, took the plunge (couldn't resist. Be sure to read her answers to #1 and #5 ). I find her blog one of the funniest, and most affirming, around. She pokes fun at herself and manages to make me (and I hope others) feel like we are all in this together. And I keep trying to rig, err schedule, a meeting near her house since we are both citizens of the Commonwealth.

7 comments:

Alex Elliot said...

I felt myself freaking out for you as I read your post. You must have been so scared! I can't even imagine and then on top of it to go by the fingerprint table! I lost my older son in the Hallmark store when he was two. I let go of his hand to check the price on an item. One second he was standing next me and the next he was gone. I ran straight to the door and was shouted out that I lost my son. I found him make towers out of votive candle holders a couple aisles over. I later found out you're supposed to additionally shout out "Amber alert" and a lot of stores will shut down the doors.

Thanks for the wonderful words! We definitely should get together sometime!

soccer mom in denial said...

AE -

As always, thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one who "loses" my kids. A candle holder tower. That is an important thing to do.

Anonymous said...

That would be totally SCARY! I am so glad everything worked out ok!

Anonymous said...

AAAAAAAGGGGHHHH! What a trauma and terror. But I have to know, did the bloodletter get a chance to be in on the chat as well?
I hate it when I feel like I am single parenting under duress and some anxiety producing experience occurs. I pride myself on being calm in the face of crisis, but really? Why does crisis have to occur when you are the ONLY set of hands around? ugh.
So happy that it worked out JUST FINE and that no one is the worse for the wear. Well, except perhaps your heart muscle which got an exceptionally good workout yesterday!
Bless you.

FENICLE said...

I'm so glad you stopped by my blog! I loved reading thru your posts!! I would have been so freaked if my little one took off like that!! I can't imagine your panic. But I found humor in the fact that while searching for them you raced past a booth set up to finger print your children :) And then went back to indeed do that. Sounds like you have your hands full, but are handling it all very well. I'll definately be back.

Brillig said...

That is so terrifying. Glad things worked out, but Gosh! What a scary few minutes!

Anonymous said...

You are unblocked.

I'm not!

Sigh.

I'm glad everything turned out ok.