Running Away

Why does my beautiful blond, blue eyed 2 year old daughter feel the need to constantly run away from home? Is it just the excitement that comes with being ‘free’ the feeling of ‘I can go wherever I want to go because mom’s not here to stop me?’ I don’t understand it. All I can say is that it scares the living daylights out of me every time I walk past the entry way and see the storm door handle flipped down, and find it unlocked, because that means that Dinah went outside. Out FRONT that is. I don’t have a problem with her going out the back door, the backyard is fully fenced in. This morning it has happened TWICE.

Episode #1: I was decluttering my bathroom closet and when I went to the living room to get a trash bag Dinah was gone, and the storm door handle was down and it was unlocked. I ran outside, and called for her. I checked in our neighbors backyard because Dinah often times when she escapes that’s where she goes….to play with the neighbors playhouse and trampoline. But she wasn’t there. I ran back in the house just to make SURE that Dinah wasn’t hiding from me in the house. She wasn’t so I went back outside and called for her again, and she called to me and came running. I guess she had only gone a few houses away (in the direction away from the school), but I couldn’t see her because of the curve in the road and cars in the driveways.

Episode #2: I was in my room checking my emails and my list of tasks that need to be done today. I went out to the main room to get the kids a snack because it was snack time, and I was going to proceed with rotating the laundry. But before I could even get to the kitchen I noticed the handle on the storm door was down again. Dinah wasn’t in the living room watching Bambi with the boys, and the storm door was again, unlocked. *FREAK OUT* I went through the drill of going outside and calling her name, checking the neighbors backyard, calling her name again, and double checking that she wasn’t just hiding inside (I’m sure it was just wishful thinking on my part)….Looking up and down the street, I can’t see her. I’m torn between wanting to go search for her and feeling like ‘what kind of mother loses her daughter, and then leaves the other 3 kids at home unattended while she goes to search for the lost one???’ SO I loaded Ethan, Jeremy and Chloe up in the van and grabbed my drivers license and my cell phone just in case and started off in the direction that she had gone in episode 1. I didn’t see her anywhere. There was a guy several houses down out mowing his lawn. I thought I’d ask him if he had seen a little blond girl in a blue dress go by. HE DID! Ok WHY he didn’t stop her and try to find out why she was running down the street all by herself I don’t know, but at least I knew I was on the right track. I kept going and searched the neighborhood close to our church building…no sign of her. By this point I’m really freaking out as all the horrible things that COULD happen start going through my head. I turned around and thought I would search the streets on either side of ours. I went down Independence and I saw a house with a few people out front. It looked like a couple of ladies with their kids out in the yard. But as we passed Ethan said “Mom I see Dinah!” So I turned around and there she was. I knew the lady that had found her, I had met her once. She called me by name when I got out of the car to collect Dinah, and they told me that they found Dinah running through the street over there and they were trying to find out from Dinah where she lives. She pointed in the general correct direction, but since they didn’t know where to take her they were just getting ready to call 911. I’m so glad that that was avoided. But I guess it’s obvious that I’m not allowed to leave the front door open to let the cool morning breeze blow through the house. Maybe I just need to scrounge up enough money to fence in the front yard too, I don’t know….I’m just so glad that she is home and safe. Now it’s time to go feed the kids lunch and put them down for a NAP!