I had a fright yesterday. Melina was lost to me for about 90 seconds. It was the worst feeling in the world. It went something like this...
Zoe and Talia had an orthodontist appointment yesterday, after which I said they could play in the snow. The girls agreed to watch Melina for 5-6 minutes, outside, while I put dinner in the oven and unloaded some things from the dishwasher. The girls are in charge of putting the clean silverware away, but because they were doing me a favor, I figured I'd take the extra minute and put the utensils away for them.
All of a sudden, I hear a very faint, "Mommy!" It was Melina's voice, but I could not tell if she needed help, and I had no idea from which direction it came, so I ran out the front door. The girls, Aaron and a friend from up the street were playing by the fir tree out front. Melina was no where to be found. The ensuing conversation is below:
I run out the front door, and check the sides of the house. She isn't at the gate, she isn't in the front yard. She doesn't seem to have wandered in the street. I don't see her under any bushes, but she isn't answering me at all. I run around to the garage and yell, but there is nothing. I come back to the front, don't see her, and decide to go back to the garage. Finally, she peeks out from the side of the car, crying, because she cannot get the sled down. Melina had no idea I was looking for her.
I snapped. I sent the kid from up the street home, and pulled the girls inside. I don't need to write a play-by-play of the LOUD diatribe that went on inside our house after that. My anger was fueled by fear, panic, and dread, and while I can't expect the girls to really completely understand all my feelings, they are at the age where they need to start thinking before they act.
Once I calmed down, I was able to tell them exactly what I was feeling and why I acted the way I did. To be honest, I was surprised Zoe and Talia had let Melina out of their sights. They are very good little helpers, and often times take it upon themselves to help Melina when I am trying to load laundry or get dinner ready. I think, in retrospect, the issue was that the girls were distracted by the snow and their friend. If I had given them the task of watching Melina for a few minutes before their friend came, I am sure they would have been more successful.
I believe we all learned a lesson yesterday, and thank goodness the outcome was benign.
Zoe and Talia had an orthodontist appointment yesterday, after which I said they could play in the snow. The girls agreed to watch Melina for 5-6 minutes, outside, while I put dinner in the oven and unloaded some things from the dishwasher. The girls are in charge of putting the clean silverware away, but because they were doing me a favor, I figured I'd take the extra minute and put the utensils away for them.
All of a sudden, I hear a very faint, "Mommy!" It was Melina's voice, but I could not tell if she needed help, and I had no idea from which direction it came, so I ran out the front door. The girls, Aaron and a friend from up the street were playing by the fir tree out front. Melina was no where to be found. The ensuing conversation is below:
Me: Where is your sister?
Them: [Nothing. Not a sound. They just look at me.]
Me: WHERE IS MELINA???? DO YOU KNOW???
Them: No, she was just here.
Me: DID I NOT ASK YOU TO WATCH HER FOR JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES?!?
I run out the front door, and check the sides of the house. She isn't at the gate, she isn't in the front yard. She doesn't seem to have wandered in the street. I don't see her under any bushes, but she isn't answering me at all. I run around to the garage and yell, but there is nothing. I come back to the front, don't see her, and decide to go back to the garage. Finally, she peeks out from the side of the car, crying, because she cannot get the sled down. Melina had no idea I was looking for her.
I snapped. I sent the kid from up the street home, and pulled the girls inside. I don't need to write a play-by-play of the LOUD diatribe that went on inside our house after that. My anger was fueled by fear, panic, and dread, and while I can't expect the girls to really completely understand all my feelings, they are at the age where they need to start thinking before they act.
Once I calmed down, I was able to tell them exactly what I was feeling and why I acted the way I did. To be honest, I was surprised Zoe and Talia had let Melina out of their sights. They are very good little helpers, and often times take it upon themselves to help Melina when I am trying to load laundry or get dinner ready. I think, in retrospect, the issue was that the girls were distracted by the snow and their friend. If I had given them the task of watching Melina for a few minutes before their friend came, I am sure they would have been more successful.
I believe we all learned a lesson yesterday, and thank goodness the outcome was benign.
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