Shortly after this picture was taken, several dozen of my kids' classmates descended on our house and invited our kids to go trick-or-treating with them. While my older kids ran off ahead, my husband and I followed along behind the group with the rest of the parents and Cameron. After about 15 houses, my husband turned to me.
"Where's Kellen?" he asked.
We scanned the group of kids and looked at each other in horror.
Before I could blink, my husband started sprinting in the opposite direction.
I am ashamed to say that we left our son at home. What's worse, we closed the garage door on him while he was in the garage, putting on his shoes.
I know, I know. We are officially the worst parents in the world. And believe me, he let us know it.
"Really?" he screamed at my husband when my husband walked through the door. "Really?"
Rest assured, I did do a little bit of penance tonight. While my husband was rescuing our son, a neighborhood girl came tearing down the street in my direction. I stopped her and asked her what was was wrong. "I can't find my parents!" she screamed.
This seemed to be the theme of the evening.
Fortunately, I knew the girl's mother. After a little bit of searching, I found the woman drinking adult beverages in the middle of the street with half of the other neighborhood moms a few blocks away.
Happy Halloween!
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30 comments
Wow...
I just got back from Trick-or-Treating... Let's just say it wasn't the best experience.
Lol... Don't worry. It's only people without children that don't understand these things!!
I lost my 3-year-old tonight at the trunk-or-treat at the church. She was smaller and could weave through the crowds faster and before I knew it, her bright lime-colored coat was nowhere to be seen. I sent my 7-year-old daughter one way to find her and my 5-year-old son in the other direction. I finally caught up with 7 and 3, but now 5 was MIA. I had to secure my three girls in the van (1 was being pushed in a stroller) and set off to find that boy. "I didn't want to be lost, Mom!" he said when we returned to his sisters. Can't win them all, buddy.
My girls acted like my husband and I were pulling their teeth out as we dragged them along for trick or treat. We even made them say "thank you" to people who gave them candy! Gasp. Halloween was much more fun when I was a kid.
Oh my oh my. Would it be awful if I admitted that I stayed in the car the entire night with the heater on, stalking creepily after my children as they ran house to house in 40 degree weather?
A few years ago we lost our 4 year old Raggedy Ann trick-or-treating in the neighborhood for about 15 minutes, and it was pretty scary. Unfortunately, we then lost her less than 2 months later at the Temple Square Christmas lights crowd, and so she was scared of holidays and temples for a long time. Excellent parenting; I feel your pain.
Nothing like parents who really care. ;)
Is it bad that I checked your blog tonight because I knew there would be a good Halloween story? If it makes you feel any better, your medieval family costume theme is to die for (maybe even of plague)! I burst out laughing every time I see Cameron's monster face.
After last year's nightmare trick or treating when my boys ran around like crazed...crazies, I wised up ( a bit ) and made some pretty big threats of taking them home immediately if they bolted from house to house and out of my sight...it worked. Kind of. Definitely better than last year.
Sounds like you handled it well. At least you didn't join your mom friend and drown your sorrows.
Sandy
Did you pass it off as a cruel but hilarious Halloween trick?
Poor kid'll be scarred!
:-)
Look at the positive - at least he was safe in the garage. BTW, your curved flower bed looks nice!!
I have to say that your post is laugh out loud funny! I'm sure it wasn't at the time, but all ended well. I spent most of the evening sounding like 'Kate plus eight' issuing orders to my three to stay close. Cairo kept wandering towards the edge of the sidewalk where there was a huge drop. He ignored our warnings until I told him there were huge snakes in the grass, then he was good as gold. Hope your Halloween was great!, sally xx
wow! have to say the kids costumes are cute though :)
Hey, at least you didn't leave him at home while the rest of you flew to France with you extended family for Christmas while he had to protect your home from Daniel Stern.
It's not any fun unless something eventful happens. Love the kids costumes, they look great! Hopefully your hubby dressed up as Friar Tuck and you a Lady to complete the ensemble.
I love family themed Halloweens! Great job. (at least you locked him up at home instead of running around scared silly looking for you. :o)
I have very mixed feelings about the fact that you had to mention the parent enjoying an adult beverage. I love your blog, but this detail you threw in makes you sound a bit holier than thou. It is possible to have a drink and not lose your children in the process. Is it possible this child wandered off on purpose and then panicked? I know that the majority of your readers do abstain but there are those of us who don't and might feel alienated when you make such comments. And, those of us who don't abstain are not all hopeless drunks that lose our kids. Just something to think about.
Sounds like a typical and GREAT Halloween!
Whoa, anonymous, feeling defensive much? It's okay. I think Jana's point is that she's not the only parent to accidentally lose a child last night through inattention. I had an anxious moment myself last night when the elephant went to the next door while I was tending to the T-Rex.
So sorry! I hate that panicky, shaky feeling when something like that happens...and it does happen to all of us eventually.
Oh boo, anonymous! I enjoy an occasional adult beverage as much as the next person, but if it played any part in me temporarily misplacing my children, I'd fully expect it to make a part of the story! Adds colour, you know.
Geez anonymous, lighten up.
Glad my kids were sick and we stayed in home and fed them M&Ms and let them bounce on our bed. It was fun -- until my son vomited chocolate all over my blankets. Happy Halloween to you too :)
Sounds like your neighborhood Is much more lively than mine. We only had about 20 trick-or-treaters total
Why parents of little kids can not go a whole 2 hours without drinking and just take their kids trick or treating is beyond me! Half the adults in our neighborhood were walking around drunk! I mean smell you from half a mile, you are swerving with your baby stroller drunk! Last night was supposed to be about the kids. It is just sad.
Oh that wouldn't have been nice, for him, or you! Bet your heart stopped!
You are a very brave girl to admit you left your child at home - could happen to anyone! That is story you willing be remembering at family events for years to come. I have to say, I love Halloween. I just prefer the end of the evening when everyone is home and I can sit and watch "Halloween" (the original, of course)!
You only locked one kid in the garage? It was good, good night.
Okay this is scary in the moment and hilarious afterwards, but I'm surprised your industrial inventive child didn't just open the garage door and leave? Isn't there a button inside the garage to do that? Or was his plan to stay there and make you feel guilty?
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