Let see, a little over 4 years ago a friend and I thought we should take our kids to the mall for a pretzel and to play in the little play land. The kids had a day off from school. I can't pass up a pretzel and my kids can't pass up a play land. So off we go. She had 3 kids and so did I. I was expecting Porter. I don't think I was real far along, but I was pregnant enough to slow me down.
We are enjoying our pretzels, watching our kids, and enjoying each others company, when I hear crying. I turn around and my Wyatt (2 yrs) was laying on the escalator upside down screaming. I take off running. (Not so fast due to being pregnant and wearing boots with heals) I catch him just as he hits the top of it. Whew!! Made my heart race. How do I tell this 2 yr old about the kid I saw get his hand stuck in an escalator and it had to be cut out. The image will forever be in my head. How do I tell him how he scared me? I don't. I just hold him while I calm down.
A few years earlier at a different Mall our whole family was shopping. We were buying clothes to have our pictures taken in. We were all done, but for me. I was looking for a shirt. Clothes shopping takes a lot longer since I have had children. Nothing fits the way you think it should. I tried on many shirts with no luck. I had 2 children at the time. Bailey was 2 1/2 and Dallin almost 1. Bailey kept hiding in the clothing racks thinking it was funny. I decided to keep both boys in the dressing room with me while Shane grabbed another size. While Shane walked out into the store Bailey crawled under the dressing room door. I didn't have a shirt on so I didn't run out to catch him. I figured he was a few steps behind Shane. Shane came back with another size and I asked if Bailey found him. He said "No, isn't he with you?" My heart sunk. No he wasn't with me. The search began. We thought he would be hiding in all the racks. We searched them all. Security was called. He took Shane with him and told me to stay in this store in case Bailey returned. I couldn't do it. I couldn't stay put. I walked through a few neighboring stores. Still no luck. This all happened the same year Elizabeth Smart went missing. I am now going further away from the store and my mind is playing out every scenario. Where is he? Is he ok? Is he crying? I could go on. 15 minutes passed and no sign of him. I was walking down a hall very somber when I saw Shane coming closer to me carrying Bailey. Oh the relief. Oh the emotions. He had left the store we were in and went to the opposite end of the Mall. Some women working at a make-up counter saw him and held on to him. They had even given him some M&M's to keep him happy. When Shane walked up to Bailey he asked, "Why did you leave the store?" Bailey's response was "I was looking for you". He wasn't lost. In his mind his Dad was lost.
I am obviously a little more careful now, but it is still easier to just not bring them to the mall. The Mall is not for Children, even if they have a play land or Tree.
6 comments:
wow, scary stories. I agree the mall is not for children.
Totally true. And even when both parents are there!!! So scary... I can't imagine 15 when I freak out when it's been a few seconds! You just never know!
Now that your kids are older, I hope it was a better visit for your family!
Amy and I want to wish you a Happy Birthday, so Happy Birthday!!!
The mall stresses me out! Heck, Walmart stresses me out... better yet, it's the kids that stress me out! Between running, hiding, screaming, fighting, tag, and begging for everything we see I don't enjoy shopping with kids at all (but I always try it one more time, hoping that it's going to be different)!
Yeah, I'll agree with you...I have a scarey mall story too!! Sydney lost ME at Fashion Place Mall when she was only 3, she was headed for the car, thinking I must have left without her. Luckily a couple of JCPenney employees caught her and was trying to help her find me. I was racing up and down the mall with Stetson in a stroller, darn near hyperventilation, when I saw them walking toward me...I burst into tears and sobbed like a BaBy!!
BTW, Happy Belated Birthday!! :)
A couple years ago Derrick scared us half to death. He was in the back room watching TV. I went to change the laundry and came back. He wasn't in the house anywhere! Jeramy was home and helped me look for him. We looked under beds and everywhere we could think he might be hiding. We checked inside the vehicles. We ran to the canal and to the neighbors houses to see if they had seen him. Jeramy was on the phone with the police and I was at the neighbors door. I turned around just as Derrick was getting out of the van. I ran over and hugged him. Then I asked him why he was in the van and why he didn't answer me when I opened the van door and hollered his name! He wanted a piece of gum. He knew he couldn't have gum, so he went outside and got one out of the van. Then he hid in the back of the van to chew it. I keep all my vehicles locked all the time now!
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