Crazy Mommies and babies in wells...

I'm sure I looked like a complete irrational idiot to my new neighbors today.

Anyone who knows me is accustomed to the fact that I border on neurotic when it comes to the safety of my children.

For this reason Auron knows that he is NEVER to be out of my sight line while he plays outside.

Kids get snatched and step off curbs and fall into drainage systems way too fast and easy for me to be comfortable with the idea of one of my kids wandering the neighborhood unattended.

I took Auron outside to play earlier today and noticed that our new neighbors who just moved in across the courtyard were outside. Two boys older than Auron and one younger. I walked across the courtyard to introduce myself while Auron made friends with the new kids. The boys were playing nicely close to the end of one of the buildings while the moms chatted.

I looked away for what had to have been less than five seconds and when I looked back up to check on Auron...

He was gone.

I immediately jumped up (still holding Xander on my hip) and started calling for Auron and running towards the last place he had been. I called for him eight different times while frantically walking around two buildings.

He didn't answer once.

By the time I found him (perfectly safe and not missing any limbs) I was so worked up I could hardly speak.

I did not excuse myself.

I did not say "goodbye, nice to meet you" to the new neighbor.

I grabbed Auron by the arm and walked as fast as his little legs would allow us to back inside our house while telling him in a near hysterical pitch that

"you know you are NEVER EVER TO GO WHERE MOMMY CAN'T SEE YOU!!!!".

Once we got inside the house and I could put Xander down I quickly dissolved into tears.

I told Auron how badly he had scared me and that it would be so easy for someone to take him or hurt him if he wanders off like that.

We live on post and for the most part I know that it is highly unlikely that anyone would take him or purposely hurt him here. The thing I was most worried about are the huge drainage areas that are everywhere here where a toddler could very easily fall into the open sides and be gone in a matter of seconds.

I lived about 30 miles from where baby Jessica fell into a well (for any of you who remember that story) and that ordeal stuck with me all these years.

I was so afraid today that I just held him and cried because I was so thankful I found him safe.