The lost boys...

After a day spent watching conference, peeling potatoes, roasting garlic, and playing with my kids, I was beginning to feel a little bit cozy in my mothering ability. I baked a cake, made a religious craft, and invited family over for dinner. All in all it was shaping up to a good day of mother self esteem. After a pretty darn good dinner and when the kids had settled to the toy room, some lively adult conversation had begun - well, actually we were talking about the new Rambo movie and cute Japanese hair styles. My sister happened to notice that it was pretty quiet and went to check on the kids only to find the two youngest - my 2 year old Andrew and her 2 1/2 year old Fisher gone missing(Pictured to left - Fisher in white, Andrew in blue). We checked the yard, both vans, and then swung into action - sending parents looking in every direction. I chose to look at the Greentree school park. Since Andrew is a wanderer and we walk there several times a week I knew it was a good possibility. I got there pretty quickly to find a good sized group of high-browed adults waiting there with my son and his cousin. Now, of course I was glad to see them and a good gushing show of relieved emotion would have been appropriate but at that moment I felt something more like shame. They each watched me for any sign of emotion - even doubting I was really related to these two mud covered little monkeys - asking Andrew, "Who is that?" To which he turned and pointed at the climbing equipment and said, "I'n go on slide first". In any case, their disapproval for me was VERY evident with their body language and side glances. "We had no choice but to call the police so you will have to wait for them." they said. Of course I am overjoyed knowing that I live in a community and neighborhood where people would take action - look for parents and when none are found call the police. Just at that moment it deepened my shame. Also, I knew that the other searchers must be going deeper and deeper into panic the longer they went without success and heard nothing from anyone else. So I stood there with two mud covered boys with diapers hanging down to their knees full of dark water. Meanwhile the group of adults felt like they'd like to stay and see what the coppers did with white trash moms like me. I was only slightly curious to find that out myself. I just wanted to put a toddler under each arm and hike back into the woods home to my house. After what seemed like a long while, Chelsea showed up - good - misery loves company! Eventually the police got there too. They played a good cop/bad cop thing - whether it was intentional I don't know. Inviting us to consider all of the horrible things that could have happened to our children. Like moms need any help there! Eventually they let us go and we slowly walked back with our unrepentant toddlers. Knowing that there was a good chance this would be happening again.