Paging Angela

Today we had another first. Thank goodness Mark was with me or else I would surely have declared myself the worst parent on the planet. Mark, Maddie, Jacob and I headed to Bed, Bath and Beyond this morning in search of new bedding for Maddie's "big girl bed" set to arrive tomorrow. Lately, Jacob tends to think it's okay to wander off -- or hide from me in stores. As we were shopping, he was hiding behind some store shelves and I warned him "Jacob, don't hide from us or you will end up LOST and we will have to call the POLICE".

I should have just bit my darn tongue.

Sure enough, about 5 minutes later, I noticed I hadn't seen him running around for a few minutes so I start searching. An employee kindly asks me "can I help you find something?". "Yes. My 5 year old son," I reply. "Oh, I JUST saw him RIGHT here!" she says. Panic hadn't yet set in because I thought he might be hiding from me and playing a game. Immediately after that, I hear an announcement on the PA system that went something like this: "Attention shoppers, will Angela please come up to the customer service desk? Your son is here." Mind you, we were in the BACK of the store. Customer service is in the VERY front.

I just knew Jacob would be hysterical so I ran to the front to find him surrounded by 4 nice Bed, Bath and Beyond ladies and I just scooped him up and hugged him. Maybe we need to have that "boy who cried wolf" talk again. I didn't reprimand him in the least bit -- I told him I was proud of him for going to someone who worked there and telling them my name. GOOD JOB JAKE! But the poor kid was beside himself. All day he kept saying "Mommy, I didn't like it when I was lost!" Me either my friend!

As an aside, when I was little, I have vivid memories of getting lost in Foley's. I knew exactly how to get to customer service (up an escalator on the 2nd floor) and I would go there OFTEN. Like, they-knew-me-there often. Mom, if you are reading, please tell me you remember rescuing me multiple times in Foley's?

Poor Jacob. We assured him we would never, ever, leave a store without him and that he should always stay where we can see him. Hopefully this will be a lesson learned...and not repeated.