Mommy's First

I encourage my kids to be independent and comfortable in new places. Well, yesterday that back fired on me. Mommy's first lost child. I lost Nathan in the aquarium for about five minutes. It probably wouldn't have been that long, but I tried to find him by myself and not ask the staff for help. Once I finally did tell one of the workers that I think I had lost my two year old she said a child had been brought into the check-in desk. I kind of new deep down that he was okay, but one always has to wonder why they can't find their precious treasure of a child. There's a sense of calm and assurance mixed with every horror story you've ever heard on a chain email. Sure enough a man went behind the desk and into their Staff Only section. He came back out a few minutes later with a very happy Nathan in his arms. I had not be functioning in panic while he was missing, but seeing him finally found and very happy brought me to tears to the point I couldn't speak to the man who brought him to me.

The rest of the trip went well. We hadn't been to the aquarium in a little while, so it was fun being there again and letting the kids play outside and so on. It was fun for me to get Alynna out of the stroller to look at the big tanks.

At the end of the trip we walked to ColdStone to use a gift card Kaeley had received from the Children's Ministry of our church. She and Nathan shared mint ice cream with M&Ms. What's funny is that Nathan wouldn't share the bottle of water with Kaeley, and instead of trying something new or asking me for help she just broke down in a torrent of wailing sobs. Ten minutes later she was sharing the last of her ice cream with Nathan, who had finished his ice cream about two seconds after he got it.

When I had given the bowls to the children I told them no one was to give Alynna a bite. (She did eat about 1/2 teaspoon of oatmeal last night.) But when I turned around she was sucking happily on her fingers and had green ice cream dripping down her mouth! I was able to declare, "Alright! Who fed the baby?!?" Kaeley said Nathan did it, but knowing Nathan he did not volunteer ice cream to anyone. Alynna probably grabbed the bowl without him knowing it, otherwise I would have heard, "Mine! Peed Stop, Diddy!"