Steven and I took our first real vacation together a couple weeks ago. Hotel room and everything. What is it about hotel rooms that make kids think they can stay up 5 hours past their normal bedtime, yet still wake up at the normal time?
I had to take another week off to make up for the week of lost sleep. It was a nice thought, but the clock is still way off for us both. My exhaustion became apparent yesterday.
I went to Menard's to get some odds and ends. Steven just had to get out of the cart because he wanted to flip through the carpet samples. Then he just had to get out to play in the play area. We also picked up a darling little blue metal watering-can because he just had to "water" everything on the bottom shelves along the way to checkout.
Even though the trip took 2 hours longer than it normally would have, I was simply too tired to insist he stay in the cart, and out of the patience required to deal with the inevitable shrieks of torture. As if I kept him in the cart and pulled out his nose hairs one by one just for my enjoyment as I cruised the aisles.
When we finally got up front, I took about 20 seconds to unload my cart. I looked up and he was gone. Completely gone. We were right next to the automatic doors, too.
I've never really known what it feels like to panic. I thought I did, but nope. Nothing close.
After several minutes (minutes that lasted years) and several sympathic looks (the kind of looks frantic moms always get when screaming the name of their no-where-to-be-seen child in a public place), some lovely Menards worker in the flooring section walkie-talkied the front to say he had a small boy with bright blue watering can flipping through the carpet samples.
Funny, I also thought I knew what relief was. Like a good sneeze or finally reaching a bathroom stall at a rock concert. Nope. Nothing close.
I know I didn't show my gratitude nearly enough to that lovely worker because I was so inconsolably relieved and busy telling Steven to never ever ever ever do that again. I think I'll go back with a box of chocolates and a card. And pay off his mortgage.
I'll also be getting more sleep now that I'm back to work. And perhaps a leash.