So I took the kids to playgroup at the library yesterday. Seth was at school, so it was just Lilah, Isaac, and Hunter. The library has a large kids play area in the basement floor. It's a tricky space because it's huge and the different play areas are all spread out in separate parts of the room and all the book shelves wind around and make it very difficult to keep a constant visual on 2 foot tall toddlers. The kids had been playing for a while and Isaac was "in a mood." All he wanted to do was go to the only places where I could not watch him well. There are stairs that go to the main floor and an elevator hidden in this little nook right next to the toddler play area. I had finally gotten Isaac and Hunter interested in the same game in the toddler area. I turned around to help Lilah with something on the computer. Shortly after that, I hear "Attention library patrons. There is a little boy about 2 years old, with brown hair and white shirt that says GAP on the front upstairs near the circulation desk." That was Isaac. So I ran upstairs to get him and two old ladies had him cornered at the back of the library because he wouldn't come to them. They said he wouldn't hold their hands to bring him back downstairs. I grabbed Isaac and one of the ladies was like, "You know, you really have to watch your kids when you're here. He could have run out the front door or gotten lost." I just looked at her and politely said, "Yes, I realize those things. I have three kids here and he just slipped away within seconds. Sorry." But what I was thinking was.... Really??!!! Really???!!! You don't think I KNOW what horrible things COULD have happened? You don't think my heart was in my throat as soon as I heard the announcement? Nope, I didn't think it was a big deal for him to come upstairs and have a look around. I sent him on the elevator myself and told him to have a good time. The fact that you couldn't even catch him should give you some kind of indication as to what kind two year old he is! Fortunately, the only place one of my kids has gotten away from me for a few seconds was in a library. But find me a mom of multiple children who has not had at least one child escape once and I will give you a hundred bucks because I think that would be a challenge. But thanks for the reminder that I need to watch my kids. I had forgotten! ....
So there is my rant for the day. For the record, my friend and I (who were both standing there with the kids) feel very certain that Isaac did in fact ride the elevator up. He's currently obsessed with elevators and buttons and I think he snuck into the nook while I was helping Lilah and just went for a ride. There is no way he could have gotten all the way across the playroom to the stairs without me seeing him. Anyways, to all the old ladies who already raised their children with perfection, thanks for the snarky reminders to watch our kids, I wouldn't have thought to do so otherwise.
