And Now I'm LIke 100 Years Old...

Today was a long day at work. It was an 8 1/2 hour day and with the exception of about 30 minutes, I was on my feet for most of it. By the time I got home, I was exhausted, mentally and physically. So I arrive at home, chat with Nick, check the phone messages and just sit for a little bit. We're trying to get Nick out and driving more so I asked him if he wanted to go for a drive. He readily agreed and we were getting ourselves together when I go to call Michael in. He was outside playing with a friend.

But he wasn't.

I called and called and called. No answer. I mean, I'm a loud person and I am pretty much screaming across the yard for him and he doesn't answer. So we hop in the car and drive around the block to his friend's house. No one is home. Okay, NOW I'm freaking out. I check our house, I check our yard. No Michael. I call out for him again. No answer. I call Frank in near hysteria and tell him that I cannot find Michael. He says he's on his way.

I left Nick at the house and hopped in my car and drove all around the neighborhood like a dozen times. No Michael. Nick went out in to the yard and called for him. No Michael. Now the neighbors are coming out and wanting to see what is going on. I'm driving around praying and crying. Every person I saw walking on the street suddenly, in my mind, became a child predator. I'm thinking that I should be stopping and showing his picture to people. I see a police car and I contemplate going to him. Frank and I meet up at the end of our block and I'm just crying "I can't find him!" He reminds me that it is all going to be okay and reassures me that we are going to find him.

And he did.

Three minutes later.

Riding his bike, happy as a clam, with his friend Joe and Joe's sister.

Three hours later, I still have a knot in my stomach. I hugged him extra long and extra tight when he went to bed. He has been reminded of all the ways that he is to tell us EXACTLY where he is going to be at all times. And for the love of it, when you are going for a bike ride, TELL SOMEONE!!

There are days when motherhood is just too hard.