Sunday, December 5, 2010

Lost and Found

All 3 big kids have been taking spanish at school. We have been able to get free tution for all 3 kids since I am a parent helper for Ammon's class.
Last Monday the class was over and the kids were lined up ready to go out. Rebecca comes to class with me on Monday's, so I was the last in the line with her in the stroller, when one of the kids needed help with thier things. I stopped to help him and Ammon went out the door with the teacher.
I walked out about a minute later and I didn't see Ammon. I asked the teacher where he was and she said he's here. But I couldn't see him. I asked again and she looked around and saw that there were NO kids outside anymore. We went around to the front of the school because she thought she saw him go that way. He wasn't there, so we went back to the class door to check inside. He wasn't there.
I remember looking at these 2 medium sized trees by his class and thinking he's not hiding behind those-I'd see him. I felt an impression to call out to him, but I ignored it. Again I felt the impression to call out, but again I didn't do it.
I started to panick. Another mom noticed what was going on and said she'd drive to our house to see if he had started walking home by himself. We live 4 blocks away from the school and we always walk straight up Dartmouth to get to school. I knew I'd be able to see him walking on the sidewalk if he'd gone that way, but that was the only thing we could think of right then.
I called Simeon (who was at home with Corrine) and he ran out the door without shoes and headed up towards the school to see if he had run home. NO luck.
The mom came back and said she didn't see him.
At this point PANICK had really hit. It had been over 10 minutes and the school was empty. It was super cloudy and dark and cold and my little boy was missing.
The spanish teacher ran into the school to alert the secretary.
I walked back up towards the class, when I saw the other kindergarten teacher walking out to her car. I yelled out to her "Have you seen Ammon? I still can't find him." That kicked her into high gear too. It had been too long for him to be missing.
It had been another 5 minutes of looking and people searching.
I had my cell phone out about the call the police.
Where could he be? Who took him? How could this have happened so quickly!
Just after that I heard "mom" and Ammon appeared on the driveway next to his class. I dropped to my kness to hug him, while "He's been found!" was yelled around me. I was so relieved and so upset at him. I asked him where he had been. He said "hiding behind the shed."
The shed he was hiding behind was 10 feet away from the tree that I looked at and had the impression to call out to him. I know that was the Holy Ghost prompting me and helping me to find him, but I ignored the prompting. I don't know if Ammon would have made a sound or come out of his hiding place if I had yelled his name, but I know I won't ignore a prompting again.
As I write this tears are in my eyes. We've almost lost Ammon once and I know the pain and heartbreak I had then, and to think we might have lost him again was so very scary. The rest of the evening I went from happy to see him, to being scared and back and forth all night. I was grateful to put him to bed safe in his bed.
Ammon has been testing my patience the last few weeks, but I'll take him testing my patience any day to losing him.

2 comments:

Janessa said...

That has got to be so scary. I've lost a kid or two before but only for a few minutes. It's the worst feeling. I can't imagine how panicked I would feel if it were for that long. I'm so grateful that he is okay and safe in your arms now.

The Jenson's said...

How VERY scary.