Today was an ordinary Thursday filled with errands, packing, etc. It was a great day until approximately 4:30. Patterson had been sitting with me helping me file paperwork, giggling, telling me that she was my bestest "baby girl" when the phone rang. It happened to be Archer... he asked me to check the mailbox for a document we were expecting from a neighbor (we're in the midst of closing on our house... details to follow in a later post). I checked the mailbox... no document. I continued to talk to Archer for another 30 seconds while I made myself a glass of tea. After hanging up the phone, I called for Patterson. No answer. I ran upstairs calling her name... no answer. I ran back downstairs continuing to call for Pat Pat. Still... no answer. I repeatedly ran through every room of the house hollering for Patterson. She refused to answer. I started to panic. Where in the world is my child? My bestest baby girl? My heart is sinking at this point because, well... I CAN'T FIND MY CHILD! I walked outside calling her name to no avail. Deep breaths... deep breaths... it's only been two minutes, Missy. She couldn't have gone far, I tell myself. About that time I hear giggling through the yards and what do I see? You guessed it! Sweet Patterson had made it to one of my best friend's houses and was jumping on the trampoline with her big sister and other friends. The only way that I could tell that the little oompah-loompah (her nickname from Aunt Kacky) was there was because my sweet girl was wearing (picture this) neon bright floral knit leggings of turquoise, lime green and pink with a navy and hot pink (sparkly) leotard. I mean, how can you miss that?
I took a HUGE sigh of relief and called Archer in tears. OMG... you will not believe what Patterson has done. She disappeared and walked two houses down BY HERSELF and is now on the Murphy's trampoline. Archer knew how distraught I was and simply asked if "I" was okay, especially now that we knew that Pat Pat was safe. While I wanted to haul my fanny over there and jerk her off of the trampoline, I calmly took it for what it was worth and had a LONG talk with her once she and CeCe got home about "NOT" leaving the house without asking Mommy or Daddy first. I mean honestly, what 3 year old does this? Geez, she's a precocious child ;)
This is not the first time that Patterson has ventured out... just this past summer she decided to travel across a main roadway (4-lane road) at Wrightsville Beach July 4th weekend right by herself and had to be returned by a person who stopped to help her. Homegirl was ready to go swimming in the Intracoastal in her diaper. Mind you, she did put on shoes before her journey. What else does a girl need besides a diaper, sandals and pacifier? (known to the Butlers as a Popi-pronounced poppy) Everyone else thought that Patterson was in someone else's care. (there were 8 adults in the house for goodness sakes). I was beside myself and cried for over an hour thinking about what could have happened to her... kidnapping, drowning, hit by a car... the list goes on. I'll never forgive myself for what happened that day and realized how quickly your child's life could be taken from you. I thank God every day for keeping her safe and out of harm's way and for the kind people who stopped to help her. Things could have turned out much worse.
Today was another one of those days. My Pat Pat is a wanderer. She wants to be where the party is (no clue who she gets that from) :) I don't think I'm a bad mom... in fact, sometimes I think I'm a little "too much", but I'm glad she was safe then and I'm glad she's safe today. The panic you feel when you cannot find your child is unexplainable. Guess I'll have to up the ante and keep a monitoring device on her from here on out - like her wedding day. :) Golly, I love that child, but man does she make me worry. I can only imagine what life will be like in fifteen years. God, help us all!!
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