LOST!

LOST! Have you seen this child???

So I am one of those mothers that dress her kids in the same bright color when we go to well populated places, just in case I loose one. I always envisioned I would be talking with the mall security guard and would say, pointing to the one son I had in custody… “See this here green shirt, he is wearing one just like it!”

Well, it didn’t quite work out that way but I am thankful that they were wearing a bright shirt….

So, the story of course has a happy ending but I was terrified for probably a good 2 minutes that felt like an hour. We went to the Deerfield Fair with my good friend Laura and her daughter and I had my two boys in tow, each dressed in Kelly green t-shirt. We went into a barn with lots of cows (and tons of people looking at the cows!) and in the barn there was a large petting area. You know, one with the double gates so the animals don’t escape. Well, the kids loved this area so we were in that area for quite a while.

Then in just seconds after I last saw him, Kael was gone. I had no idea where he was. Thanks to the Kelly green shirt I was able to scan a bunch of kids in a far off corner and easily tell Kael was not in the bunch. Then my eyes scan the next corner of the petting area, and the next…. and then I spot a hiding house for the goats… maybe he is in there…. I run over… but only find goats. In a matter of seconds I knew for sure Kael was NOT in the petting area. That is when the crazy mom (me) starts shouting down the hall of the barn… “Kael” “Kael” KAEL!” KAEL!” I felt like I was just on the verge of total panic, my heart is pounding, and my head is just thinking “no. no. no.” And then I spot him… he is running to my call, he comes close to getting stepped on by all the people around, but my relief sets in. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…………..

I have no idea why he left the petting area. Didn’t he know we were still there with him? Did he see someone that looked like me and left? Did he want to go pet the cows (no way)? But I am thankful for the Kelly green shirt. If I had spent any more time in the petting area by the time I was shouting in the barn, he could have been too far to hear me. And for the record, I felt like I was watching both my boys so closely. I still don’t have a clue how he got out of my sight.

We did enjoy the rest of the day. A few fun rides and some ice cream. A perfect day for the boys I am sure.

Ride Kaiden Ride

Kaiden can tear it up with training wheels. All summer we thought he just might be ok with taking them off his bike for good, but no. But the other day I asked, so you ready to learn to ride a bike? "Yes." was the answer.

So I prepared myself for a few falls, complaining, frustration, and disappointment. I am not a half empty kind of person, but you know, it is tough to learn to ride a bike. We have tried in the past and it didn't go well.

This time... it took all of 7 seconds. They are recorded on video... see below. And he was off. If you listen closely he says... "don't touch, I can do it myself". Ah, music to my ears. And after about an hour on non stop bike runs down (the flat part of) our driveway, he had mastered stopping. And now, all he wants to do it ride. After school, in the morning, before and after lunch, ride ride ride.



Click here to see the FIRST atempt.
And Click here to see a few minutes later...

It is so much fun to see him ride. He can go faster and do many more crazy things but I just close my eyes and keep the doctors number handy.