Not wanting to spoil Mother’s Day Sunday for everyone, I saved this until today.
Had a good day for the most part.
But there was this one section of the day that was really real and to say less than pleasant, would be an understatement.
Just before noon, we decided to head out and go grocery shopping. While getting ready (cleaning up back of vehile changing out of workout clothes, getting shoes on, etc.) Daniel was playing in the back paddock. It’s fenced and he has played there many times. The gate is also locked and even I have difficulty opening it because of its weight and how it catches the ground (think lift and hard pull). So, I am about ready to go get Daniel get him ready to go only,
He’s gone.
His sister looked out and thought his Dad had already brought him inside. I race out to the car. Daniel is not with Dad.
FML
Pure panic and terror. AJ and I race out the back and I break the gate open to run to the grassy area outside it to see if that is where he’s gone. There’s also a park about 100 meters from our home he loves.
Still gone. And I cant hear him.
Happy ending though. AJ notices Daniel peaking up from the neighbours fenced paddock. We pull him out of there and the 30 years that just left my life came back. He was safe and unharmed aside from a slightly skinned knee.
Nothing foul afoot here. Daniel is a notorious climber and there are items in the paddock he can climb that would have enabled him to get over the fence and into the neighbour’s paddock area. He’s climbed on these items before before. Usually though, someone notices and we get him to climb down. He’s also never gotten high enough before (he was too short…guess now he’s not) to be able to get over the fence. And usually I can go and take my eyes off Daniel for a few minutes here and there without him getting into something that might hurt him.
I don’t blame his ASD behaviours; he wasn’t ‘bolting’. I don’t blame anyone.
Kids play.
Kids climb.
And Daniel is old enough that I should be able to put my shoes on while he plays quietly in an area that is enclosed, that he’s familiar with, and by normal means is a safe place to play, without keeping my eyes glued on him.
Did I just about lose my ever-loving mind and now have plans make sure something like this can’t happen again? You betcha!
5 minutes, though. That’s how long this episode took. In 5 minutes, things went from fine, to horrifying, and back again. Way too real.
This moment is gonna stick with me folks.