I think I had my worst parenting scare yet last night. Jimmy’s dad came over to pick him up so they could drive to a church meeting together and Sadie was crying at the front door when they left. We have a storm door along with our front door, so we left the front door open so she could look out the glass of the storm door as Jimmy and my father-in-law left.

I went into another room to do something and I didn’t hear Sadie after a bit, so I called for her and she didn’t respond. Sometimes she hides, so I started looking all around the house and under our bed. Nothing. I pulled out my last trick of “do you want to watch tv?!” and when there was no response I started to panic.

I went outside and looked up and down the street and it was completely silent and I didn’t see Sadie at all. I called Jimmy and told him I couldn’t find her and he asked if I checked under the bed. I went back in and looked again just in case and she wasn’t there.

I went back outside and a woman was walking up the street holding Sadie. I threw my phone down and went to them, feeling so relieved and thankful she was safe.

The woman found her three houses down from ours, about to cross the street when a car was coming. I hugged the woman and thanked her repeatedly and just felt every emotion under the sun. Relief that Sadie was okay and God was watching over her, thankful for the woman who was at the right place at the right time, and guilt for not realizing Sadie could work the handle on our storm door and that I wasn’t watching her more closely.

I brought her inside and she was just fine, happy even. I think she enjoyed her little adventure and meeting a new friend that pretty much saved her life. Meanwhile I feel like I can burst into tears when I think about what could have happened. Jimmy and I said a prayer of thankfulness before bed last night and I think we were both crying out of relief and thankfulness while laying there.

Whew, parenting is scary sometimes.

It’s also rewarding and fun and messy. Yesterday’s mess of the day was basically my doing because I created a little pouring station, kind of like I did in February, but the mess was outside this time 🙂

I also got groceries at Aldi and came home with a water table. I had been looking for one on Craigslist because they seemed kind of pricey online, but Aldi had one for under $30! I set it up and we both had a ball splashing around way past Sadie’s bed time. I didn’t mind because she was alive and safe and we were having fun.

Since we got a water table, I decided it was time to pass on an outdoor toy to make room for this one. I washed up and listed her garden table on Craigslist for free, and I’m excited to be passing it on for another family to enjoy in a few days!

Something else I passed on? A bit of the produce I mentioned in this post. I texted two neighbors and one took a few pounds of apples to make an apple crisp and another took a little of all the produce! Now I just need to make a pie 🙂

Have you passed anything on lately?

If you have kids, have they ever been lost?