Scariest Moment

Yesterday I had the scariest moment that I can recall in my entire life, I have no idea if it was over a 3 minute span or 10, but it felt like an eternity, and I'm pretty sure it was closer to 10. You girls were "helping" me help Grandma Jackie move into her new house from her condo. We'd been going hard all morning and st oped at Chick-Fil-A for a bite of lunch. It was time to head out and get back to work and I thought I'd get you a treat and ordered a milkshake for you to share. At the same time Payton decided she needed to go potty, and Parker, you of course decided you did too. I don't know exactly how it happened, one minute you were both flittering between me and Grandma, then all of the sudden Payton was alone. As usual, I questioned Payton first, where did your sister go, but she didn't have an answer this time. At first I figured Parker had started to wander towards the bathroom, so Payton and I headed that way leaving Grandma in the dining area waiting and watching, feeling as helpless as I did. I started to get nervous as I didn't see Parker in the hallway to the bathrooms, then went inside assuming Parker had gone inside alone somehow. This is when I started to panic. I grabbed Payton by the hand and ran out of the bathroom, telling her she needed to wait with Grandma, that we had to find Parker. I ran to the play room, to the exit door that was near our car, no Parker anywhere. I started asking people around the dining room, no one had seen her, the whole time trying not to turn into a lunatic. I ran out the main door into more parking area, by this time working hard to hold back tears. Even typing this it's hard not cry, I was absolutely terrified at this point. I'm not much of a worrier, I believe most people in this world are basically good, and most situations work out in the end. I don't usually have those crazy mom fears that there's always someone lurking in the wings waiting to steal my babies, but after 5 minutes or so, I was questioning my own senses. Not inside, not outside, where on earth could she be? I thought to myself that IF she'd been hit by a car, there would be a commotion around the scene by now, but if she'd been taken...I just couldn't let my mind go there. Then a young guy came out to the parking lot telling me that an older woman had my little girl inside, I ran in after him with a rush of of relief, only to be temporarily disappointed to find him looking at Payton still standing next to Grandma as she'd been told to do, thinking that was the little girl he was referring to I turned to go back out and finally saw one of the CFA employees with my sweet Parker snuggled up against her chest. Apparently Parker HAD gone back to the bathroom, only she chose the men's room, which I never considered. I think I mumbled some thank you's to the woman and took Parker into my arms now even more emotional than before. I still don't understand how she got away, but I'm so thankful that nothing bad happened and hope that just maybe we both learned a little lesson. I've been a mom for 4+ years now, and this is the first time that I've really been terrified. I can't really put into words what I felt in those moments, but I pray that you girls never ever pull another disappearing trick on me!

Florida Babies

In our daily driving we often pass a sign on the interstate that reads "Gulf Beaches" this exit, and each time I think to myself, how cool that my girls are growing up THIS close to the ocean. I mean really, what percentage of American kids grow up within a few miles of the coastline, heck, if you really think about it many kids don't ever even get to visit a beach! They will likely have no idea how special it is, but I do. We get to head to the beach for an hour or two any given weekend. We think, ugh, it's so much work, the whole 10 minute drive, all the sand and such, blah, blah, blah. Then, we get there and it's just magic to watch them play and giggle, get knocked over by the surf and giggle some more. They pick up shells like they've never seen one before, chase birds and search for crabs. Heaven to little girls. Parker's two years old, and barely bothered by saltwater in her face. This weekend I took them with some girlfriends and at one point looked over to see both of them floating around on noodles chasing eachother and making trains with their girlfriends. Bliss.

And then a really special opportunity came our way this weekend, we were invited to a turtle release! So after a morning at the beach with our friends we packed up with Grandma Jackie and headed BACK to the beach in a thunderstorm. I have to tell you girls, Grandma thought that maybe I'd flipped my lid dragging you all out with lightening and rain, but in the end it was great and the beach didn't have lightening (not much anyway). You girls ran around playing with all your friends in the rain up and down and around the boardwalk and eventually were so excited to check out the baby turtles when the turtle rescue volunteers finally arrived. They were so tiny, but kicked their little feet like they were going places, which in the end they certainly were. We stayed until around 8:30 (way past bed time) when they were finally released. I think that Parker was somehow under the impression that she was going to get to keep one, or maybe she was afraid for them, but she started crying for the turtles as they released the babies and they crawled for the water. Rita (Ava-Charly's grandma) calmed her right down by telling her that they were going to go find their mommies. Seems like Rita's got these little girls all figured out! I'm pretty sure that you girls won't remember the night, but I sure will. I'm also certain that we'll have to do this again!