Today my youngest son woke from his nap to a very big crowd of people. There were fire fighters, police officers, neighbors, friends... what a fun way to wake up!! a little confusing, maybe? Let me put it into perspective.
Before his nap Michael came upstairs and shared a story in his favorite book with mommy. I needed to make lunch so he decided to go back downstairs and read(play) some more. And than he got sleepy.
In the meanwhile, I finished cooking lunch (5-7 minutes) and asked my 5-year-old to call Mike to the table. She tried and tried, but he did not come. When she went downstairs to look for him he wasn't there.
A little confused I went to look for him myself, and couldn't find him either...How odd...I didn't hear the front door open...
I went to check the bedrooms - nothing. He wasn't in any of the bathrooms, or the closets, or the washer and dryer, or on top of any shelves...
Outside is the next place to look. He wasn't in the backyard, or in front of the house. The neighbors outside didn't see him walk by. By this point it has been about 15 minutes since I have last seen my son. I have no choice but to call mu husband and scare him too. He is on his way from work and I am driving around the neighborhood while the neighbors are knocking on doors and asking if anyone has seen him.
I am back in 5 minutes and with all the children friends and neighbors efforts no one has still seen him.
By now I am truly panicking. But there is one more resource. I am calling 911. Questions and questions later... Why can't I remember what shirt I have put on my son in the morning???
The police arrive and start helping me turn over the house one more time. Several officers are checking every nook and cranny...nothing. The nearby schools are notified, the parks searched...
Jeff is home and worried, there doesn't seem anything else we can do. We are still looking in the neighbor's backyards..
One officer has told us that they have found a boy. and here they come little boy my son's age, same hair color, same tan pants, blue shirt, (that was the closest guess) ...but it is not him. It is one of the neighbors' grandson, who saw the police and couldn't sit out the excitement... now I have to apologize for scaring the poor grandma half to death...
Back to square one.
I am going back to the house. One more neighbors says she can help me look inside one more time. Off we go. Bedrooms again, Downstairs, calling his name, pulling everything out of the closets... Nothing
I am going up to answer some more questions...
My friend is calling for me "he is here!!!"
I run to the door, but the voice is from the downstairs!!!
And there still soundly asleep on the edge of the couch and half under computer desk is my baby boy.
Oh, the joy!!!....
...and the embarrassment...
all the neighbors, police officers, fire fighters... all here for Michael's wake up party!!!!
I have only one thing to say for myself:
The police and fire fighters didn't find him either!
I am just so blessed to have great people in our neighborhood who were there to help, for all the prayers and all the efforts.
There are consequences:
1. my neighbors are proposing to pitch in to buy me a new pair of glasses
2. There is a suggestion to give my son a nickname of "invisible boy"
3. To go with the nickname a suggestion to put a tag on him in nursery, saying:
"caution: This child is known to vanish from sight in the open area. Keep close watch."
these little booties and a dress will be for my niece Ashley for her blessing tomorrow.
our children are now 9
6 and
We had an unbelievable chance to go to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary. Truly out of this world. I still can't believe that it has happened, even though I have pictures to prove it:)
I has a lot of things that I could call my new favorites discovered. I liked the hike to the Diamond Head a lot. It was not the easiest hike, but not too bad either. And the view from the top is amazing!
here we are half way there. on one of the resting points.
The whole sky is ours:)
and catacombs that open to a place for a gunmen (the US army used to have a facility there as a highest point of the island gives a good defensive position) You get to climb out of a window and than... finally...
The view opens up. Amazing, breathtaking view... and it's not the end, you can go higher and higher...
And even more views open up...
and there you are, standing on the top of the world... ( there is Waikiki beach behind us)
well, not quite at the top. 
Still we saw some amazing views. 
This was one of my turns:
We had lots of fun throwing different fruit and veggies in water to see if they float or sink.
Later we had Alex visit us and talked about how what he eats is different from what we people eat.
The children loved him. I think it is all that fuzzy fur :)
The rain of leaves
and the storm of leaves
and even more leaves...
Here is what I get for not having camera on a trick or treat venture... No children's pictures. I wanted to take some when we got home but they were so tired that they went straight to bed, and even left their candy for the next day.
And here are Jeff and I :)
