The worst feeling (in existance) to the human race...

I think....begins with a RACING HEART. Then PANIC. Then absolute HUMILITY (but not the good kind. There was absolutely NOTHING I could do. Kind of one of those OUT OF MY HANDS situation. But SO DESPARATELY trying to control the situation. Followed by a PARCHED THROAT. Maybe the HYPERVENTILATING caused that, so add that to the list as well. I had covered a lot of ground up to this point. Whether on foot or car, I just couldn't move fast enough. Mykael and Jaden had joined as well, while I ordered Ash to stay with Dylan. Knocking on neighbors doors and driving to possible locations only freaked me out even more when nothing positive resulted. Attempting to call my husband was almost impossible, for as bad as I was SHAKING. But somehow holding the phone in my hand and unknowingly accessing the touch screen...it kind of just called him itself. It did that two times. Weird. When I finally reached him, he said that if nothing changed in an hour, I needed to call the police. Forget the one hour!!!.... it had been LONG ENOUGH already...

So I called.....
"What's the address you are calling from?" 331* ****** **
"The number you are calling from?" ***-****
"What's your emergency?" I can't find my son! I've looked all over the house, he's not here! I've driven around the neighborhood. My other kids are looking for him. We can't find him!
"How old is he?" 4
"How long has he been missing?" No more than an hour. (looking in closet, slamming door)
"What was he wearing?" I don't know, he was changing.
"Ok, what does he look like?" He has blonde hair. (looking in dryer)
"Eye color?" Blue (looking in cupboards)
By this time I'm shaking uncontrollably! And crying. (I'd already looked in these spots. I guess I was hoping for a little magic or miracle).
"What color is his hair?" (I already answered that, but if they needed to know it again, FINE!) Blonde, really blonde. Fair skin. (Looking in deep freezer)
"Is the hair long, short?" Short (sitting down, shaking, breathing hard, so helpless)
"What's his name?" Elias
"Can you spell it?" E-L-I-A-S
"E-L-I...?" A-S
"Last name?" Geeting G-E-E-T-I-N-G (Just incase I went ahead and spelled that too.)
He asked another question, but I heard a small voice and screamed, "WAIT!"
ELI??? WHERE ARE YOU?
"I'm right here mom." Climbing out from under the table.
HE'S HERE! I FOUND HIM!
"He's there?" yes
"Do you want me to send out an officer out?" No. Sorry for bothering you.
"It's ok. I'm glad you found him."

I've often asked myself if I had a superpower, what would it be? I've ever answered: super strength, super hearing, super piano player, elastigirl (sometimes I hate getting up to turn the light off after getting into bed.), Speed would be nice too. But after today, it would be the ability to be in multiple places all at once. Perhaps you could just clone me. A Me to do the dishes. A Me to do the laundry. A Me to clean the house. A Me to cook meals. And a Me for each child.

Fortunately my story ended happily when sadly I hear about dozens of others that don't.
At the beginning of this little incident, I had walked outside to see if he was playing out there but only found his flipflops in the little green gator truck. So I went back in the house to find him. The rest has already been told. But the one thought that kept seeping into my mind was that HORRIBLE newly exposed, freeway and someone picking him up and carting him off. That's where the humility (not the good kind) came into play. I was powerless. Knowing that if that was what had happened, my "strong, brave, controlled self" was now just as useful as a dried shriveled up leaf, lifelessly blowing in the wind.

When I asked him why he hid, he said, "I just did." Not really an answer but it really didn't matter at that point. He had been hiding in a small cabinet in the kitchen and then quickly moved under the table where my crying panic'd conversation on the phone, with the operator, pulled him out from underneath. He was worried, because I was. And I'm hoping his lesson was learned.

I don't think that there is anything that could prepare you for such a thing, other than a clone to attach itself to your child/ren. Of course that's impossible, and not very practical at that. Needless to say, it will be an "indoor play day" today! (and tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that, and maybe the one after that, and depending on my mood....the next 2,334,876 days after that.

Right now: Grateful! and that's all.