My Sweet Tyson

After playgroup this morning I took the boys to Old Navy to get a couple new shirt for Tyson to wear for church. He is growing like a weed, and has started wearing Miles shirts, which Miles doesn't like. When we got there I decided not to take in my stroller and just use one of there stroller carts on the condition that Miles and Tyson could walk if they would stay right by me. So we went in on a mission, to walk right in and get our shirts and walk out. I knew that I was on a short time schedule of little ones keeping focused, so we were going to hurry.

We took a long about way to the back, including a stop at the restroom for my boys who think that they use every restroom of every public place we enter, and the bench where the puppy talks to you. Anyway, I picked out a couple of shirts and started walking up to the front through the women's clothes. Miles and Tyson up to this point had been doing as good as I expected for doing something that Miles calls "boring!" As I was browsing the boys started playing hide and seek. So far, they haven't quite caught on to the idea of hiding. So the game was more "Tyson close your eye while I hide behind Mommy". I knew I was pushing my time, but they were in the process of setting up new displays and some of the things that were putting out for summer were cute so I was distracted. Anyway, I called to boys lets go, wove around some boxes and into the next section when I look back to make sure that I was being followed, and Tyson is not there. I turn around weave back to where I was standing and he wasn't there. So then, I start to panic and I calling for. I suddenly felt like I was in a movie where everything around me moves in slow motion and I spin circles scanning the store and try to block out all noise in an effort to hear Tyson with some super human hearing. I went all the way through the women's section and came out by the front door as I hear the door chime and look up see a group of people leaving the store with a little boy wearing jeans and navy shirt, just like Tyson. My heart stopped as I did a double take, and starting running to the door thinking how am I going to do this with the baby and Miles, when I realize that it wasn't Tyson. Now I am frantic. I started back to the little boy clothes as one of the worker stopped me and asked "are you missing a little boy?" He said, "he ran away from me, and is hiding in the men clothes". By the time I got there another lady was trying to talk to him and he took off running again. When I caught him, he looked at me with a wild, crazy look and just starting sobbing and clung on to my neck with a death grip.

After I got everyone back in the car and buckled in, and my adrenaline calmed down, I lost it. I couldn't help it. I don't think that I have ever been so scared, or felt so helpless. So I am sitting there sobbing, and Miles is sitting in the back saying, "Are you crying? What are you crying about?" I told him I thought I lost Tysie and I was scared, but now I am just glad that I have all of my boys in the car safe. He says "You are a tough guy, you need to stop crying right now!" do you think that I have told him that before?

He is right, I have to be a tough guy with these boys. So I will look on the bright side. I found Tyson, he wasn't really that far, I just was looking the wrong direction. I am thankful that I was in a small store and not the mall with a thousand more places for him to hide and run. And I learned that my little outgoing boy who talks to everyone when he is holding his Mommy hand. Runs and doesn't talk to strangers when I am not around. Which have told him he needed to do. Now, I will teach them what to do when they are lost.

I love you Tyson.