Last Wednesday our family was able to go to Lagoon for the day with Tina, Lauren and Nate. (Steven, and Brandon were both working and Amanda was in Chicago.) It was the perfect day!
We did not arrive until about 3 pm, and headed straight for Lagoon-a -Beach, it was the first time our kids had been there, and the last time I was here I was wearing a neon shirt, with overalls, and matching scrunchie and socks for our good 'ol --"Stance" (stomp/dance) that we had here in 1991 for high school. The kids had a blast showing their macho, in the lazy river, and trying all the waterslides for the 1st time. We stayed until the beach closed at 8pm.
We had a lot of baggage...not just me and my drama...real baggage. A beach umbrella that we brought for shade, back packs full of treats, extra clothes, etc. and Darren wanted to take it all back out to the car. We told him we would go, wait in line for the rides, and that we would text him to tell him where we were, so he could find us. So, off we go Tina, I, and all the remaining kiddos in tow to the get in line for the Spider. Nate was not of heighth to ride the Spider, and Tina and I decided even "cool" moms can decide to sit a ride (or two) out. So we let the 3 older ones go ahead without us...it was at this time I thought..."oh, the twins would love this ride..." and then another thought occured..."oh... I hope that Darren has BOTH of the twins..." So...I so casually text Darren "We are in line for the spider...do you have both Jaret and Ayden?" to which Darren responds "I have Jaret..." The sirens go off... and I immediately start the stiff legs, heel toe, high swinging arm walk back towards the waterpark. Lost in my thoughts of "what if's"..."what if someone took him", "what if he just wanders aimlessly", "what if he asks a stranger to help him find is mom"....and then my phone rings, and it's Lagoon's "lost child" department, and they have my "Little Ay." PHEW!
All of those horrible thought's and "what if's" going through my mind...and I didn't need to worry, this little boy has been trained well. (...or he has been LOST BEFORE) ok, ok...it is the latter one that is true...but since our little fiasco at Home Depot he HAS been trained well. He executed the "perfect" plan and it worked. According to Ayden, he decided to check out the dude that was making a purchase at the "Drugstore" in the Lagoon-a-Beach store where you exit the beach. He wanted to know just what "kind" of drugs this dude was purchasing and just why was there a store selling "drugs!" He didn't know that we were just not as interested in this gentleman as he was and we had continued down on our way to the Spider. After he saw the completed "deal" being made between the gentlemen and the drugstore seller...he noticed that we were gone. He looked around the store for us a bit, poked his head out the door to see as far as he could see, and waited a good 10 min. When he realized mom and dad were not quite "missing him" just yet, he decided he would try a phone. He asked a Lagoon employee, NOT A STRANGER (you bet we emphasized that detail the last time) if he could use his phone. He tried to call my cell phone, but you could not make personal calls on these here work phones. So he told the employee that he was lost, and they were able to contact the Lost children department for him.
Lagoon has it down! They keep the lost child at the place they had called, and send a manager down to escort the child to a holding cell. It was down the scary alley next to the lockers. When you walk through the 1st door, there is a window to your left where they hold your child to watch for you (much like I imagine "How much is that doggie in the window?" would look.) They have a camera and a microphone where they ask the child "Is that your mom?" before they open that 2nd locked door to let them out.
A little puffy in the eyes, but thankfully SAFE AND SOUND.We love you, Ayden! And are proud of you for doing everything just right!
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