escapee and other horrors

i was hoping that i'd get to relax in my pj's this morning. mosiah had been up teething and up again at 5:30am. he wanted to be fed and i'm currently trying to ween him off those early morning feedings.

anyway, my morning didn't go as planned.

sam texted me some trampoline info. there was a guy on craigslist selling his trampoline that was used for only 3 months. i'd have to go to lacrosse right away if we wanted to take advantage of this hot deal.

so, i fed the babies, got samiyah dressed, and mo as well.

i put them on the couch, turned their cartoons on, and went upstairs to throw some decent clothes on. i was upstairs for maybe 3 minutes, 5 minutes - tops.

i came downstairs and the living room was empty. i immediately looked over to the sliding door, which was open...and there was mo on the patio. no samiyah.

i ran outside. she tends to run away, and i've placed numerous child locks on the door handles trying to keep my runaway in, but she has successfully broken and torn off each and every one.

i did a quick glance around the yard. no samiyah.

i ran around to the front of the house calling for her. nothing. the streets were empty, the sidewalks, empty. the backyard, empty. i ran back inside the house, hoping to have missed her. i yelled in every room and i began to panic. just recently, she's been on this hide-n-go seek kick and i really just wanted to lift a bulging blanket and hear her say, "boo!"

but the house was quiet and empty.

i panicked and fell to my knees on the staircase saying a prayer begging to please just let me find her safe and sound.

i ran back outside calling her name.

my landlord, who is our neighbor, asked if i needed help. he came out and began scouring streets.

i ran down our lane and came across some other neighbors, asked if they saw a little girl in a red dress with white flowers. they hadn't, but they quickly got inside their cars and helped me look as well.

the dread was taking hold and i ran back to the house, not sure where else i could possibly look. i ran back to the patio where mosiah was now snotty-nosed and bawling.

i ran back inside, i'm not sure why, and when i ran into the living room i heard cartoonish noises.

i walked towards the noise coming from behind the couch. 

there she was watching cartoons on my phone, crouched between the couch and wall, a space too small for me to even think to look in the first place.

i threw my head back, 

"AGH!"

i ran back outside and let everyone know that i had found her. 

this girl is gonna send me to the mental hospital someday.

but today, i'm so glad i found her.

the rest of the day played on in a sort of weary blur.

i picked up the trampoline.

i picked up a 2x4 for sam to saw to fit the empty space in the sliding door to keep samiyah from escaping. while i was there, samiyah was pushing buttons, again, and would not sit down on the bottom of the cart. she sat on the edge and i was counting down from 3 for her to get her bottom down when i heard, "ma'am, i need you to get her to sit down in the cart."

"yeah, that's what i'm trying to get her to do right now, thanks."

i was snippy. i shouldn't have been, but this day had already been too much for me.

some time later, the kids were doing their chores when they got home and samiyah found a bottle of nail polish. makayah screamed from the kitchen. i ran and checked. there was red nail polish splatters on the linoleum...

a day later and they're still there. i know how to get them out, but it seems an impossible task to have to add to my to-do list right now.

it was tuesday night, sam was out for the evening with his golf league.

so, i made an easy dinner of leftover chicken salad, bathed the kids, popped some popcorn, and we played games outside until bedtime.

the kids were in bed at 7:10pm.

the sun was still bright and streaming through their windows. they asked why they were going to bed so early.

because it's bedtime. i hope that was a good enough answer.

tonight it will have to be.

***

today i am grateful for:

*answered prayers and helpful neighbors.

*safe children

*hairspray...eventually, when i feel like it, i'll get that red nail polish off the kitchen floor.