Scary sneak

Natalie just turned 7. She is responsible, strong willed, sweet, and knows what is up. I don't worry about her. She rides her bike home from school every so often  and she likes to walk home as well. I always walk up to the door and if she wants to walk home, then she takes off from there and I meet her back at home. 

So...story time

Tuesday boots was home sick and we were waiting on the dishwasher repairman. Our dishwasher has been broken for over a week and it needed to be fixed. They gave me a time frame that of course was right during school pick up. I called and said to pass the message along to have natalie walk home. I know she knew the way cause she has done it many time before. 

At dismissal the teacher called and said she didn't know how to walk home. I spoke with Natalie and she said yes, she wants to walk home. So that was at 2:50.

3:10, I check outside, no Natalie.  

3:15, no Natalie

3:20 no Natalie... So now I am concerned. School has been out for 30 min and it takes 12 to walk home. 

I jump in the car with the kids to see where she might have got side tracked. After driving all the way back to school without a sight of her, I run in to see if she maybe stayed there. They said they sent her home walking, just like I Had requested. Panic is now setting in. I call a friend and ask if she had gone there. No. I drive down the few roads close to ours that she maybe went on, then I checked back where I park for pickup. I kept stopping at home to make sure she wasnt there. She never was. 

So now I am bawling. I am out of control. The school calls to see if they can help. Then the principal calls and says he is going to call the non emergency line police. 

I call Libby. Panic. Scared. Bawling. "Libby! What do I do? Natalie didn't come home from school and I can't find her anywhere." So here drove over to the school to check bathrooms etc. she comes fast and is at the school helping to call the police. 

I am still driving a round and decided to stop at home again then check the park. When I pull up I see 3 people; the dishwasher repairman, a punk... And 2 police. One is inh is car, the other on a motorcycle. When I pulled up crying, I said "I'm the mom!" I didn't know what else to say! After I toldt her repairman to go away, the police told me that she is inside. 

They explained to me that they had gotten some phone calls saying that a little girl was walking really close to the highway (423 for those local) but it's a busy road, with no shoulder just grass. They drove by and picked her up. She didn't know her address or phone number but she could Point out where home was.  So after I hug her and love on her a little, I realize that she is kinda clueless as to why I am crying and why she drove home with the police. 

They left, after being kinda jerks to me, and the repairman comes in. The first thing he says is "well I got a ticket from those police while I was waiting or you." I wanted to smack him. 

Anyway, she was returned safe and sound, turns out she just got turned a round and came out a different door than we normally leave from. Poor sweet thing. I felt awful. Her teacher also had called in the midst of all of this and we cried together. All is well, even though it wasn't for a while. Talk about the scariest moment of a mothers life. I was scared I would never see her again, and it is crazy how fast those thoughts can come. 

So today I was putting her lunch away and I see these two rocks, shown below. So I asked her about them and she explained that on her long  walk home along the big road, she found some rocks that boots and Courtney would like and picked them up. What a sweety. 

Here is the sneak peek to our family pictures that happened a few weeks ago. I love my little family!