Last Friday I took Alyssa & Brennan to the Blue Crabs game...a minor league baseball team that recently opened in our county. Melissa, Megan, Kerry and Jayci joined us and we met Joanne there with her granddaughter Gracie. The theme of the night was Skins vs. Dallas so naturally our entire group was DECKED out in Redskins gear! Booo Dallas :-)
Alyssa, Megan, Jayci & BrennanMy mom and a few of her friends also attended the game...we sat behind the Blue Crabs dugout and they sat behind the opposing team's dugout.
Me, Melissa & Kerry
Kerry, Jayci, Megan & Melissa singing Hail to the Redskins!The night started out great. The weather was beautiful, Joanne was able to get us seats in her section - 4 rows from the field, right behind the home team dugout - it was perfect. Not soon after we sat down Joanne called her daughter Shelby - who works for the Blue Crabs - to see if she could get all 5 kids down on the field for a carnvial like game in between innings. Shelby quickly called back and said yes and within a few minutes she was standing at the top of the stairs in our section waiting for them to go up to her.
Melissa called my mom to let her know to look out for them and I got my camera ready....my last words to Melissa were "please don't let that girl lose my kid" to which she replied "don't be ridiculous - they are FINE!"
So off they go - up to Shelby - back down to the field and they're playing a game where you have to throw a ball (or bean bag) into the clown's mouth on the big wooden board....I'm taking pics and then I suddenly realize BRENNAN IS NOT ON THE FIELD!!!!
Melissa called my mom to let her know to look out for them and I got my camera ready....my last words to Melissa were "please don't let that girl lose my kid" to which she replied "don't be ridiculous - they are FINE!"
So off they go - up to Shelby - back down to the field and they're playing a game where you have to throw a ball (or bean bag) into the clown's mouth on the big wooden board....I'm taking pics and then I suddenly realize BRENNAN IS NOT ON THE FIELD!!!!
Notice - no Brennan - no #89 jersey anywhere on that field...this is where the night went downhill!My panic level rises slightly - Melissa asks my mom if she can see him from her seats...no. I ask Kerry if she sees him...no. Then the kids are coming back up the stairs, off the field and I yell to Alyssa "where's Brennan?" and she shrugs her shoulders and says I dunno. OH MY GOD...OH MY GOD - are you serious?! Melissa hangs up with my mom, I drop everything in my hands and immediately start crying....and running.
I run up the stairs searching - looking at every little face I can see - and none of them are my baby. My 5 year old is missing and I'm a hysterical mess. I finally find a cop and tell him my problem....he asks for his stats....name, height, age, what's he wearing....this is when i realize that he's not wearing anything that will make him stand out in the crowd...he's wearing a Santana Moss (89) Redskins jersey and so are 90% of the people there (ok maybe not Moss, but a jersey!). He seemed rather uniniterested.
About 10 minutes has gone by at this time. I am sobbing. My mom is crying. Melissa is searching the men's bathrooms. The entire section I was sitting in is looking for him...and still my 5 year old baby is missing. How can this be?! HOW?
And then - finally -a lifetime later.....Kerry SEES HIM. OH MY GOD - she sees him and I take off sprinting in the direction she pointed. Still crying HARD - running fast - and I see him. He's really still here - holding an usher's hand - sobbing. I fall to the ground - literally - and hug him tighter than I thought possible. I just kept apologizing to him - I'm sooooo sorry buddy - I'm so sorry :-( People are watching us - my mom is crying - Melissa is crying - and people are just watching. The usher finally moves us into the nurse's station so we can regroup and calm down. I thanked him a million times and that wasn't enough. We cried and hugged more and my mom went to calm Alyssa down - who I forgot to mention was also sobbing for her little brother.
I run up the stairs searching - looking at every little face I can see - and none of them are my baby. My 5 year old is missing and I'm a hysterical mess. I finally find a cop and tell him my problem....he asks for his stats....name, height, age, what's he wearing....this is when i realize that he's not wearing anything that will make him stand out in the crowd...he's wearing a Santana Moss (89) Redskins jersey and so are 90% of the people there (ok maybe not Moss, but a jersey!). He seemed rather uniniterested.
About 10 minutes has gone by at this time. I am sobbing. My mom is crying. Melissa is searching the men's bathrooms. The entire section I was sitting in is looking for him...and still my 5 year old baby is missing. How can this be?! HOW?
And then - finally -a lifetime later.....Kerry SEES HIM. OH MY GOD - she sees him and I take off sprinting in the direction she pointed. Still crying HARD - running fast - and I see him. He's really still here - holding an usher's hand - sobbing. I fall to the ground - literally - and hug him tighter than I thought possible. I just kept apologizing to him - I'm sooooo sorry buddy - I'm so sorry :-( People are watching us - my mom is crying - Melissa is crying - and people are just watching. The usher finally moves us into the nurse's station so we can regroup and calm down. I thanked him a million times and that wasn't enough. We cried and hugged more and my mom went to calm Alyssa down - who I forgot to mention was also sobbing for her little brother.
Back together again - so very happy!In my entire life -I'm not sure I've ever felt panic like that. Not even when I was robbed at gunpoint a few years back. Nothing in my life has ever prepared me for that feeling and I hope for the rest of my life I never feel that type of panic again...ever. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. I held him tight for the rest of the evening - treated him to ice cream and plenty of hugs & kisses.
Alyssa with the Blue Crabs mascot
Alyssa with the Blue Crabs mascot
Enjoying the slide before we leftIt still brings tears to my eyes when I think I might have never found him. Two lessons learned from this terrible incident:
1. Make sure your kids know your first and last name....during his panic he couldn't remember our last name - poor baby :-(
2. Always go with your mother's instinct. My gut said he shouldn't go with that girl - I said it out loud to Melissa "please don't let that girl lose my kid" and I let him go anyhow. NEVER again will I ignore my mother's instinct....ever.
1. Make sure your kids know your first and last name....during his panic he couldn't remember our last name - poor baby :-(
2. Always go with your mother's instinct. My gut said he shouldn't go with that girl - I said it out loud to Melissa "please don't let that girl lose my kid" and I let him go anyhow. NEVER again will I ignore my mother's instinct....ever.
Oh I how LOVE this child....
3 comments:
OMG, I cannot imagine what you were going through. That is my worst fear ever. I always worry that something like that will happen and what would I ever do? I'm so glad that you found him and he was fine. I bet he didn't leave your side for a while.
You have been a busy blogger! I can't hardly keep up these days. :-) I've been checking but not enough time to comment. I love all of the pictures and stories. Keep them coming.
I also love the new look of your blog. It looks great!
Wow, I can't believe you posted AGAIN!! I am impressed. Love the new look too...very cute!
So even though I had already heard the story about Brennan I was bawling my eyes out reading it on here. I am so glad that he is ok and I just can't imagine how awful those few minutes were for you.
I'm with Jenn on this one. I could barely read it again, and I know the ending. I have taken my eyes off Brendan a few times and not seen him immediately, and felt an instant panic, so I can't imagine how you felt. I don't want to imagine it.
Mother's instant is so very keen, I tell ya.
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