My "Bad Mom" Moments

When my children were growing up in a rural Montana town of 500 residents, the thought never crossed my mind that they could possibly be kidnapped or harmed by others. Predators, pedophiles, or "Amber Alert" were never topics discussed among the morning coffee ladies. I was oblivious to "that" outside world even though TC and I spent a great deal of time traveling with our children. Today the world is a much different place than it was in the 1980's.

It doesn't mean, however, that my children were never lost due to my "BAD MOM" moments. If I had an opportunity for a "redo", I would definitely use more common sense than I had exhibited in the following:

JANELLE

It was a Saturday morning in the dead of winter, the temperature hovering around zero degrees with about a foot of snow on the ground. As my two children, Janelle, 2 1/2, and Jason, almost 4, watched cartoons, I went about doing my household duties: making the beds, starting my laundry, and cleaning up after breakfast. TC mentioned that he was going to the store and wouldn't be gone long.

Several minutes later as I walked into the living room, I noticed that Janelle was not there, so I called out her name and heard nothing. I asked Jason where his sister was..."I dunno." The search was on as I combed our tiny home room by room looking into closets, under beds, in corners, the entire time calling out her name. No Janelle! I checked again and again...still no Janelle. Where IS she?

I slipped on my shoes and stepped outside yelling her name. No answer! I walked around the outskirts of the house to no avail. I was one hysterical mother!! "Janelle! Janelle!" All I could hear was the dead silence of a cold winter morning. Why wasn't TC back yet? I need help!! She was wearing a long nightie...no footies...she'll freeze out here!

Finally TC drove into the yard and saw that I was frantic. I blurted out that I couldn't find Jen and that he needed to do something...AND NOW!! He called out her name several times and rushed indoors. He thought she was inside and that I had just missed her. As he ran from room to room doing a search, I heard a knock at the door.

It was Mae...with Janelle in her arms. I couldn't imagine what had happened. As we put the story together, it was apparent that Janelle had followed TC out the door. (We're still debating if he actually closed the door behind him as he left.) She proceeded to make her way across the street to Frank's house. He was an elderly gentleman who adored all the children in the neighborhood and was always giving them little goodies of chips and sodas.

Janelle opened his door, walked into the living room where Frank, Mae, and Shorty were visiting and having their morning coffee, did a few trips around the living room, helped herself to a cookie--never saying a word the entire time. That's when Mae heard TC calling for Janelle and returned our curious one to her rightful home, bare feet and all.

It didn't take TC long to install hooks on our doors high enough so neither Janelle nor Jason could reach them. There was no way that I wanted to relive that nightmare! Needless to say, there were more....

JASON

During our family vacation to Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, we thought it would be fun to spend several days in St. Louis to see the Gateway Arch and Riverfront area, as well as the St. Louis Zoo. I was never much of a baseball fan, but TC wanted to go to a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium. Jason and Janelle begged to go to the game even though they had never even seen a baseball game in their short lifetimes. (Kids will say anything to get a hot dog and soda!) So...off we went!

TC got the perfect tickets in the Bob Uecker "Section 433." (located above the right field boundary pole or whatever it's called) Oh my! Oh my! Did anyone bring the binoculars? It was so apparent that TC spent more on hot dogs and pops (and rain ponchos) than he did on those tickets. The only good thing about the seats was that there was a slight overhang so when the rain began to pour, we didn't get quite as soaked as those with the more expensive seats. YEAH! BOB UECKER!!

It wasn't long into the game before Jason had to use the restroom. It was NOT my job to take an 8-year-old into the ladies room, but TC was engrossed in the game. He told Jason that the restroom was right outside the exit door and to remember "433," (pointing to the big section sign) and that we would be waiting for him. At least TC got one thing right...we waited and waited...and waited some more. No Jason! After 30 minutes, I was obviously more than hysterical! TC was now the "BAD DAD!" How could he be so damn calm? and why wasn't he leaving to go find him? I was NOT a happy mother!

It seemed like hours had passed before TC finally said that he had spotted Jason....near the home plate section but he was working his way toward us. TC did go meet him halfway, but I was so curious as to how Jason ended up nearly half way around the stadium. "Ohhh...so there was a line and you didn't want to wait? and you looked for the next one? and the next one? until there was no line...I get it!" A stadium filled with 50,000+ people and you found a restroom with no waiting line....Way to go, Jason!

JANELLE AND JASON

One early June I thought it would be a great time to adventure to Edmonton during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and hopefully get a glimpse of Wayne Gretzky during a scheduled parade on Jasper Avenue after the finals were over. We could have gotten tickets to the final game, but it was standing room only; and no way was I going to let my two darlings out of my sight after the hair-raising incident at the ballgame even though they were another year older.

TC wasn't able to go (that didn't surprise me) so I invited a lady friend to come along for the ride. I did warn her, though, to "expect the unexpected." She giggled because she had known my children since they were born and had four of her own.

Once we arrived in Edmonton, we discovered a vast amount of activities within the mall. Our first day was spent in Galaxyland, an indoor amusement park. I swear they rode every ride at least a dozen times and spent hundreds of dollars on those carnival sideshow rip-offs. The second day was spent at the indoor water park with its 17 water slides and tidal pool. They had never been to a huge water park before so it was an awesome day for us.

When the third day rolled around, it was time to stroll the remainder of the mall beginning with the full-size hockey rink located in the center of the mall. My two ice skaters would have spent hours watching the little ones practicing various routines, but my friend and I wanted to do some serious shopping. However, it seemed that everywhere we went, more activities would magically appear: the life-size replica of the Santa Maria to explore, the dolphin shows to watch, miniature golf to play...and we hadn't even left the first level yet.

As we meandered through the mall doing serious shopping, the darlings were quite bored unless it was a toy store or a game room that we happened to find. They spotted an escalator and begged me if they could ride it. I casually said, "Sure, just be sure to ride the DOWN escalator, and I'll meet you." As I continued to walk straight ahead, I began searching for the down escalator...where was it?...25 feet ahead....50 feet ahead...100 feet ahead...and still no down escalator! I back-tracked thinking that I had missed it. Still I couldn't find it. I DO know that what goes up MUST come down!

Hysteria time once again!! My friend wasn't the most helpful because I think she was just as anxious as I was. What to do? What to do? It was time to think like a 7- and 9-year old. "If we keep walking ahead, we'll come to the hockey rink--I bet you money that's where they are"--so off we went still hoping to find the down escalator along the way.

As we neared the rink, I began scanning the railing surrounding the ice looking for two wide-eyed darlings. We walked the entire perimeter of the rink and still no Jason and Janelle. As I scanned the mall map looking for "Security" (my next option), my friend yelled, "I see them!!" "Where?!!" I screamed back at her. Pointing across the rink, she blurted out, "THERE!! RIDING THE GLASS ELEVATOR!"

Sure enough!! I saw their faces plastered against the glass watching the ice skaters! I waved frantically, hoping I could catch their glance as my friend ran toward the elevator. Finally, tiny hands began waving back as I prayed for them NOT to get off the elevator until they reached Level 1.

Big hugs were the order of the day as I approached them and began hearing of the great "ride" they were on. (Just think how much I could have saved in Galaxyland if I had found this elevator first!) How could I possibly be upset with them. After all, I was the one who let them slip away from me...my "Bad Mom" moment. Did they ride the escalators again? Of course, but mom wanted to ride it, too!