We made it!!!

Yea! Thunder is behind us and I'm happy to report that all is well. Surprisingly, our little spot was perfect for us! We were in the area where the news channel was producing so it was not noisy, smelly, crowded or structured. We were able to roam about freely and had plenty of space. Passes to the hotel next door gave us the ability to go inside (& also NOT have to use the Thunderpots!) and we mixed activity with down time. I brought enough snacks to keep the kids from wanting the funnel cake (which dad had to have) and we found a few things we could eat there...including smoothies made without dairy!! That was a highlight. There were spinning rides and bouncies to give Kenzi some input she needed and she could focus on taking pictures...which she's becoming quite good at...to keep her sense of self in the crowd. It was a gorgeous day with cloud covering that kept the heat down and even though it was crowded, we weren't a part of the crowd for too long. What we didn't have a plan for was what to do if your four year old gets lost in the elevator of a twenty-four floor hotel!

We had a time trying to find the entrance to the news production area. I was loaded down with a stroller full of chairs and supplies, and dad was also carrying 2 chairs. We walked several blocks from the car to the hotel and needed to be on the second floor to get to the right entrance. So we waited in a fairly short line to board one of four elevators. Security was filling them pretty full since they were old elevators that took a long time to get to the top and back. It was hard for them to keep the doors open long enough for people to exit and enter...one guard was telling me how he almost lost a finger trying to keep the doors from closing. And as he finishes the elevator opens, empties and closes again before he can catch it and it goes up empty! So we catch the next one and they pack it as tightly as possible with absolutely no personal space at all. We get to the second floor, we're in the very back and trying to get through...no one wanted to step off for fear of not getting back on! I'm trying to maneuver the full stroller, make sure one of my sons next to me gets through and the door closes behind us. Hubby and Kenzi were waiting but there was no Sam. Where's Sam? I ask, thinking he ran ahead. The panic in hubby's eyes was not a good sign. We turn and look at the elevator and it is on it's way up again. Hubby runs up the stairs to the next floor. I leave the kids with strict orders to stay and go back down to the first floor. I alert the elevator security guard and he has no idea what to do. I go to the service desk and ask for help and they call security. I wait for the same elevator to return hoping that maybe he stayed on. It returns empty. Meanwhile, people see my state of panic and try to encourage me. thank you nice people. I have my phone which happens to have a picture of Sam crying (his brother took it earlier) and show it to the elevator security and anyone else around as I wait for the hotel security who was supposedly summoned...although I could hear the clerk calling it was clear she wasn't getting any answer. My phone reminds me that I need someone to pray. I know my adult daughter is on her way to the fireworks so I text a quick message. Pray...we lost Sam. I didn't have time to talk to anyone but I knew someone should be praying. In hindsight, I didn't think about the impact those words might have! I just had to do something quickly and that was a familiar number to dial. I decide to join hubby in searching each floor. My plan is to board the same elevator and stop at each floor. I wait and the elevator opens. I notice a family that shared the elevator earlier and ask if they know what happened to Sam. There he is in the arms of the mom! We make eye contact and we both begin to cry. I take him and hold him for a long time. The whole time he was lost all I could think about was the dream he shared earlier. It must have scared him because he told me the dream once and reminded me again later. The night before he had had a dream that someone stole me from him! I couldn't help but think how scared and lonely he must have felt. And it reminds me that we need to make the most of each moment since we really don't know how many of them we may have. It also reminds me that I spend so much time and energy planning for the many 'what ifs' of autistic spectrum disorder and sensory integration dysfunction that I miss what's going on in the now. I want to be wholly present with each of my kids. How do you find the balance? Anyway, that's a question for later. I just want to enjoy the memories of our successful day; despite the drama. At least the drama had nothing to do with Kenzi! God is faithful. Sam is safe. All the kids had a great time.