Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Craziest Day I've Ever Had and It's Not Even Half Over, Yet

I was up late talking with Brandon, and so when my mind told my body to wake up just after 7AM this morning, I was not willing to comply. But I had to. Today, like yesterday, is one of those days that has five gazillion things on the agenda. These days are less frequent now that I've let some things go, but they are still around. In fact, when I looked at my April calendar, I realized that I would have to do the crazy-day-marathon until May. Seriously --after May 3rd, I have basically nothing to do.
No complaints here!
The irony is how much I love these days when I accomplish a gazillion things. Perhaps it's because it makes up for the extreme-lazy days? Maybe...
Anyway, this is how my morning went:
*Woke up
*Tried to blog about #1's Birthday (because TODAY is #1's Eighth Birthday! Happy Birthday beautiful daughter!) but my cruddy laptop wouldn't let me into my picture site because of some security thing (and the "picture site" where we have our "pictures" is through Brandon's "company" and so it's not some lame-o one that could "easily" be hacked "into" and don't these quotes make you think fondly of Chris Farley? Huh...).
*Sent the girls off to school
*Got myself and the boys ready --but not soon enough. We were 4-5 minutes late for preschool, and when we got there, the front door had a sign on it explaining that the new preschool room in the basement was finished and to please use the basement stairs on the side of the house. I stayed in the van, yelled at #3 to go around the side and down the stairs. I saw him go to the side of the house and I drove to that side and didn't see him, so I knew he had gone down the stairs.
*I drove like a madwoman to my Midwives' office.
*I drank the glucose test in less than one minute (I rock, yo).
*I drove like a madwoman back to my neighborhood for a visiting teaching appointment at 9:30AM. Enjoyed pleasant conversation.
*When that was done, I drove back like a madwoman to the Midwives' office and got some blood drawn.
*Drove back to my neighborhood like a madwoman to my 2nd visiting teaching appointment at 10:30AM (why they were apart like that takes too long to explain here --just know that it was needed and I was glad because how else could I have done this glucose test?). Once again enjoyed pleasant conversation.
*Noted that #4 was a perfect angel through all of the crazy back and forth appointment things.
*The second visiting teaching appointment is right around the corner from the Preschool (NOTE: The Preschool is a woman's house and she lives in our ward, which is very convenient!), and so #4 and I walked around the corner (with both my VT companion and the lady we VT --her twins are in the preschool, too).
*Get to the Preschool.
*Notice we are a few minutes late.
*Notice that only the twins are there.
*#3 isn't there.
*Wonder about it without panic until the preschool teacher says: "Was #3 sick today?"

A MOTHER'S WORST NIGHTMARE BEGINS

*I freaked out. Total freak out. Turns out, #3 never even showed up through the door. His teacher just assumed he was sick. I had assumed he went inside and then DROVE OFF.
*In sheer panic and sobs wracking my body, I grab #4, run back to the car, throw him in and race back to our house, sobbing the whole way and begging God that #3 was at home. I pulled into the driveway, grabbed #4, hauled up to the locked front door, unlocked it, opened the door, and saw #3 sitting on the couch watching the Disney channel.
*Collapse with relief.
*Grab #3 and bawl my eyes out and hug him and tell him I was scared.
*Finally calm down enough to call his teacher and hear #3's story. It went like this: Apparently, he didn't know he was supposed to go down the stairs. He went to the backyard. When he didn't seen anyone, he decided to go home. He figured I had gone to "Costco" (his words). He walked all the way home (just two blocks) and when the front door was locked, he went to the back sliding glass door.
Thanke all that is holy and just that I forgot to lock it this morning when we left!
He came inside, took off his stuff and watched TV for the next two hours. He said the phone rang once but he didn't answer it.
And thank all that is holy and just that nobody came to the door!
So, he was fine.
*After calming down, we had to get in the car and go up to get some Krispy Kreme doughnuts for #1's class (for her birthday, remember?). My VT companion was on her way to my house worried about #3, and luckily I caught her just as we were leaving.
Isn't she so sweet? I could tell she felt that same panic and we talked about how losing our kids is seriously our worst nightmare come true.
*Realized the irony--We lost #3 at Bear Lake this last weekend for about 15-20 minutes. Turns out he went to the wrong condos after playing outside. But I'll tell you about that one later.
*Got the doughnuts.
*Drove to the school, dropped off the doughnuts in the office, picked up #2 and the rest of the carpool, drove home, fed the kids lunch, and wrote this blog post.

And I still have to go to Costco, clean up the kitchen/living room, take #2 to Theater Class, make sure I have everything for #1's birthday, go out to dinner, cake/ice-cream/presents, make sure the Neighborhood Newsletter is ready to go, reserve the building for my piano recital (why do I procrastinate?!), color and cut out some things for #2's Kindergarten teacher, watch American Idol (dude, this one is pure pleasure!), blog about AI, finish the Happy Birthday blog about #1 (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, #1!!!), pray that my glucose test confirms the doctors concerns, and collapse into bed.

I swear, this poor fetus has felt every range of emotion today.

Have you ever lost your child?

19 comments:

flip flop mama said...

Phew! I'm tired just reading this post!

Glad you got so much done, but holy cow my heart dropped when you said you lost #3. That is my worst fear. I lost her for a few minutes at a church Halloween party in the haunted house. I was so panicky. She wasn't even 2.

Anonymous said...

Wow.

I've thought I've lost my child. They've always ended up being safe, but for those few moments, man.

Wow.

Happy Birthday to #1! Have a fun birthday/thank all that is holy and just my child is safe celebration!

Brandon said...

It's donuts.

Susan M said...

How old is #3? I was always super paranoid about stuff like that. Maybe because my oldest didn't talk until he was almost 4. He went to a preschool and there were other kids whose mothers would drop them off before the teacher had opened the room up---we're talking 3 and 4 year olds! But maybe it's different when your kid can't talk. He wouldn't have been able to tell anyone anything if he'd gotten lost.

Cristy said...

Oh. My.

I'm taking some deep breaths for you cause girl with a day like that you need one! I am so proud of your little boy for going home and hanging out! I'm frantically trying to imagine what my kids would do, and it ain't painting any pretty pictures in my head! We lost Natalie at the car dealership a few weeks ago for about five minutes and I think I had a small heart attack. It's the worst.

Unknown said...

Oh, Cheryl! I'm bawling my eyes out for you even though I know everything turned out fine. I lost Chani at the Children's Museum of Houston one day for about 30 seconds, but it was enough to know that sheer panic that races through your veins and seeps into your bones. I hope that all is well with your glucose test and that everyone enjoyed their Krispy Kremes!

Mother of the Wild Boys said...

That's a crazy busy day, I'm so grateful that you have the energy for it all! I'm really glad that you have fostered such independence in your kiddos over their lives, otherwise #3's story could've been a lot worse.

And yes, we've misplaced each of our boys at one time or another. I must stress to all your dear readers the importance of talking with kids about Plan B, ie: what do do when something unexpected happens. It has saved my boys from worry/confusion a time or two.

Cardalls said...

Lost my then 2 year old at the county fair. He was dancing with me one minute, I turned my back to get the baby and he was GONE> Thousands of people. I started bawling and freaking out, thank goodness my husband stayed calmed, listened to that quiet little voice and walked right to where he was and brought him back. It was 3-5 minutes of sheer hell! I am so sorry it happened to you.

Cheryl said...

I'm glad I'm not the only one to have lost a child (in fact, I have lost several. Sigh.). Wait! I mean, I'm not happy that you have all lost your kids --just glad we're all normal together? Yeah, that's it. :)

Susan, he's 4. He'll be 5 in August.

Oh, and I should have mentioned how glad I am that we walked to school a lot in the fall, so he knew his way around the neighborhood. So smart!

Janelle said...

I thought we talked about taking it easy yesterday.

This is not what the Dr. ordered.

Ryan and Missy- said...

I've obviously never lost a child, seeing as how I don't have one yet...but when I was about 10 my little brother and I got lost at Disneyland for 7 hours.

See, we were supposed to meet my mom at Big Thunder Mt. after she took my baby sister to the bathroom, but we never saw her. I was too stubborn to tell anyone we were lost and I was SURE we'd find her if we wandered around enough (it always worked at the grocery store).

Finally after about 7 hours of wandering and having NO fun at all, I told an employee and they took us to Town Hall where my mom had been checking in every 30 minutes since the second she lost us.

What a waste of a day...luckily the park refunded our tickets after hearing the story.

Summer said...

Oh MY GOSH! I am so glad he was okay!

Happy Birthday to your eight year old!

Michelle Catherine Walker said...

Cheryl, I think I had a mild heart attack reading your post. Hope everything's calming down!

Dorri said...

what a heart racer, you poor thing. I lost Miss Magoo at Shopko last year for about 15 minutes of pure hell. She had wandered off and then got scared so she crouched down and hid behind a underwear display. I was so scared, they did the code green thing and had everyone looking for her. Some nice lady with her kids had over heard me talking to one of the clerks and went looking for her too. She said she heard her crying and found her behind the display. She didn't leave my side in public for a few months after that. Unfortunally it didn't last and since then she's gotten lost in Walmart, target and somewhere else can't remember. So now we talk about if she gets lost in public to look for a police officer or a mommy with kids her age.
And I agree with Janelle, take it easy!!!

Jocelyn said...

I'm totally freaking out right now.

My girls both walk around the corner to preschool by themselves, but I'm always really hopeful that the teachers would CALL!!!!! if they didn't show up. I shall be having a talk with them today about that very thing.

I'm SO SO SO glad that everything worked out.

So glad, in fact, that I can hardly remember what the rest of your post was about...

Anonymous said...

Sister, I can't even tell you how many times I've lost my children.

I'm glad #3 is okay.

Richelle said...

How scary that you almost lost your child! I would be a wreck. Good thing he knew how to get home by himself!

I hope your test turns out OK. Knowing how Gest. diabetes is, I hope you don't have that. But at least it is manageable and you would know what the problem is!

Leslie said...

Ok...I read this and my heart stopped. So glad everything is ok!

m_and_m said...

Yeah, wasn't this the day you took time to talk to me? Seriously, girl. That was intense. Worst nightmare, indeed.

We lost #2 once. She was playing with a new friend. I wanted to track them down. Not at friend's house. Not at neighbor's house. Not outside playing, not inside playing anywhere we could find. Asked neighbor kids. No dice. Freaking out, I was this close to calling the cops when we got word that she actually was in neighbors' house but no one knew it (all the kids were outside helping, and I guess they had been downstairs).

It was awful.