Attention missing child!

When we are walking together, the kids have one rule they need to walk beside me aka holding on to me or walk in front of me. We stopped at the Fox Hills Mall after church and I woke everyone up. My babies are nightmares when they are forced awake. Jory was crying and saying he wanted to be carried. Stop! Stop with the crack smokin’, little boy. Stop! The baby was crying and wanted to be held and comforted. So I carried the baby with Jory plastered to my side. Praise God, Rowan was okay and happily walked alongside of me and in front of me.

The baby started getting heavy so after our return at Old Navy, I put her on my shoulders. Jory was feeling better so he was holding my hand and Rowan was in eye shot. With the baby on my shoulders, I couldn’t really turn my head around. We got on the escalator and down we went. We got off and I took two steps. Where’s Rowan? I spun around. She was no where to be found. I look up the escalator to see if she was still on it or at the top of the escalator waiting to go down. Nothing.

Jory and I quickly got back on the escalator and headed up. No Rowan. Panic wanted to ensue. Crap, she’s gone. How did this happen? How could someone grab her so quickly that she didn’t scream or yell? How did no one notice? Where could she have gone? She was there at the escalator with me. Why didn’t she get on the escalator? Where could she have gone? Maybe she went back to Old Navy. I didn’t think so, but maybe. As I walked swiftly there, I quickly imaged calling security when we got in the store. But how could she have disappeared so quickly.

I called out her name, “Rowan!” I heard something and I turned. A man approached me and I looked up to see Rowan on some woman’s hip waving to me. Are you kidding me?!

The man said, “I figured she was yours because you looked in a panic.”

“Thank you,” I said, as his wife put Rowan down and she ran towards me. “Rowan, what happened?”

“I didn’t see you get on the escalator.”

“Where are you supposed to be?”

“In front of you or beside you touching you.”

“This is why, so we don’t get separated, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Okay, Jory?”

“Okay, Mommy.”

“Mommy, you’re holding my hand too tight,” Rowan declared.

“I need to make sure you stay with me.” Really little girl keep your mouth shut right now. UGH!

Grandchildren are reward for not killing your children. Rowan better have a dozen kids.