Apr 24 2008
Panic at the Wal-Mart
Yesterday, I had finished shopping at Wal-Mart with the kiddos, and I was naturally tired and frazzled. Four kids at Wal-Mart will do that to you, let me tell ya. Somehow we’d survived the meltdowns (”Mommy! PLEASE can I have a hotwheel? PLEASE! You never buy me ANYTHING!” and “Mommy! A princess blanket! I always wanted a princess blanket! Can I have the princess blanket?!” and the ever-favorite, “Mommy, Scooby just jumped out of the cart and he knocked all the fruit snacks off the shelf.”) and now I was just loading up my kiddos and my loot into the van.
Now, the Mighty Oprah says that we should load our kids and buckle them in before we start on the loot. That way they don’t run off and nobody nabs them while your back is turned or whatever. It’s a great idea, but for someone like me with so many to load up, my back will always be turned to someone. Fortunately, Princess Fluffy (age 6) and Bubba (5 next week!) can get out of the cart and buckle themselves into the car without needing my help now. So I generally grab Scooby (2 3/4), because he’s the one who can cause the most trouble when my back is turned, and he’s the first to get buckled in.
So, my back was turned to Fuzzles (20 months old). He was still in the cart, with all our groceries and junk, while I buckled Scooby in. Scooby resisted and what should have been a two-second ordeal was more like 2-minutes.
2 minutes is a long time to have your back to your autistic baby in the shopping cart.
I turned back around to get Fuzzles…. and he was gone. The cart, the groceries, my purse, and my baby were GONE.
I looked around frantically. There was no sign of him. Anywhere. He was gone.
Now I’m in full panic mode. WHERE’S MY BABY??!!!! I’m racing through the parking lot— yes, leaving my other children unattended— and I’m yelling his name (which is silly— he’s autistic. He doesn’t respond to his name. But it didn’t have to be logical. I was panicking, remember?) and I’m starting to think I’m going crazy. How could he be there and then not be there?
After what seemed like an eternity, a horn suddenly honked at me, breaking through my panicky thought process. A woman in a car shouts to me, “is this yours?” She’s pointing to the far end of the parking lot, where Fuzzles is still happily strapped in to the shopping cart.
“Yes! Thank you!!!” I yell back, and race towards him. Apparently the parking lot is just slightly sloped and somehow the cart had begun to roll and had just kept rolling. But he was safe. And quite pleased with his adventure, too! I threw my arms around my tiny dude and pushed the cart back to the van.
It all happened really quickly, but it was a very big experience for me. I think sometimes we need these things to happen to us—to give us a taste of how scary it would be if something happened to one of them. It reminds us how precious they are. That we should cherish them and let them know what they mean to us.
Let’s just say that everyone got extra big hugs last night…
Oh how horrifying! I feel your pain, too. My 4yo dd and a friend were playing behind the shed once and we couldn’t find them for like 10 minutes. That was the scariest ten minutes of my life. Thank God your son is ok. (And next time, use the brake
)
As terrifying as this had to be, forgive me for DYING laughing at the thought of Fuzzles rolling through the parking lot in a shopping cart. Hahahaha.
I’m truly glad he’s safe though.
Holy crap.
I just absolutely HATE that panic feeling in the pit of your stomach and everything goes dark and, and, and. And I know what you mean with having so many to buckle in, there is just no good way to do it all and keep an eye on everyone.
But you do have to know that for Fuzzles it was like being on an amusement park ride- cool bonus to the shopping trip!
I’m so glad everything turned out okay!
How scary!
That would be absolutely terrifying! I’m so glad he didn’t get hit by a car or kidnapped.
Oh my gosh. My blood pressure was rising just reading. I would be freaking out and there would be no end to the freakage.
Oh my Lord Brill, I was panicking with you for a minute. What a nightmare. So glad you’re all ok.
What a NIGHTMARE! I’m sure you were shaking for some time after that.
As slackermommy said to me once after I posted about turning my back - and the chaos that ensued - ‘consider it a freebie from God’ - a little reminder, like you said.
In theory, not turning your back on the wee ones is good. In reality, as you say… not really possible. I’m so glad it was a slope that separated you for those scary moments. And glad it all turned out just right.
Oh the “don’t you ever” stuff we have to remember and then this happens. Don’t beat yourself up that the little man got an extra special ride. Just remember to park on the other side of the parking lot, the one with the incline rather than the decline.
Holy COW! I’m glad he’s safe but I’m laughing with Kateastrophe, the thought of strapped in baby, rolling through the parking lot, large and in charge…just cracked me up.
Seriously a total freak out. My eyes were bugging outa my head. So glad he was safe. We lost Little Man at the park last year. It was awful.
Oh my gosh! That is so scary. I have to admit though that I had to giggled a little bit when I pictured your guy’s wild ride. It’s only funny because he’s safe though!
Shit, Wal-Mart wears me out and I don’t even have kids with me! In fact, just walking in sucks the life out of me. Your experience just wore me out!
You probably already know this, but you gotta keep your foot on the cart and reach in sideways and help the other one in and in the meantime hyperextend your back and ruin yourself for life.
Just a hint that worked for me when I toted my three around.
Too bad I can no longer walk.
I just had the crankiest of cranky mornings and really needed to read that.
I’ve been dreading the girls waking up from their naps, but not anymore. Thanks for sharing that. ~hugs~
sweet goodness, what a day!
but i laughed a little at your panic at the disco! reference. that WAS a panic at the disco reference, wasn’t it? otherwise, i’m gonna feel STUPID.
I’ve felt that horrid feeling of panic. SO glad he’s okay. Phew.
I can barely manage two at the store. You are a HERO for making it out with not only all four you came with but nobody in tears, including yourself.
That being said, I can’t imagine how scared you were in those moments where he was gone. I am so grateful to hear that all ended well.
Oh my! Almost every single parking lot around here is sloped so I have learned that if I have to do anything and leave the cart unattended (even with just the groceries in it!) that I wedge it against my car bumper. Yeah, I’ve got some nice dings in the paint already… oh well!
I hope he enjoyed his ride!
Haha, I just saw Brian’s comment… is this how you broke the news to him? That’s funny!
My heart pounded as I read the story. It is a good reminder.
Yes, hyper-ventilation is so healthy! I know that feeling well, and I’m so glad it turned out alright, I was having some post traumatic stress symptoms there for a second.
I don’t even have children, this was your story not mine. I am safely reading this behind my desk at work
and yet my heart is pounding and I get tears in my eyes.
My gosh, that was a nightmare experience!!!! so glad that all was ok in the end.
Is there supermarkets around with no sloped parking lot???I’d go there next time
Oh, Brill. I don’t know how you’re not in some PTSD coma. Whew! I think nearly every mother of many has had a similar experience.
I feel for you. I lost a two-year old once in an indoor playground. He was in the ball pit as happy as can be. It took me days to calm down.
Of course, it all goes so quickly, and then one day, you don’t know where you’re 12-year is, and you’re kinda of happy to have some quiet time on-line!!
Ho boy…my heart was in my throat for you!
Seems like the list of things we “should always/should never” do for our children just keeps growing and changing. Are we never going to be able to measure up?
I’m with Kate. I was panicking and snickering at the same time. I know the feeling of panic (you probably missed my post about my two year old getting out of my house and down to the main road I live by and me finding him with police cars and caring people who stopped to grab him before the worst happened.)
So glad it ended well for you and that us cyber sillies can laugh at the picture. We only can laugh because he’s ok.
There are so many rules to remember that I’ve just given up. I have to live in the meantime and I think if I spent all my time following every single rule I’d die a horrible death of worry.
Loved cat terri’s comment!
WOW! I would have been petrified. I’m so glad that everything turned out okay.
It’s crazy - if you have more than one kid it’s hard to make sure that they all get into the car safely.
Whoa, I can only imagine how scary that was for you. I’m incredibly glad that it turned out the way it did !
On another note, a few months back the e-brake in my husbands car wasn’t working so I had to be sure when I parked his car I left it in gear rather then neutral and I didn’t dare park on a hill. In any event, I stopped in Safeway for a hot second and next thing I know they are saying “will the owner of a Honda Accord blah blah blah please come to customer service.” over the loud speaker.
I skipped customer service and just ran outside to see that the car was in the middle of the parking lot. Apparently this parking lot had a little slope to it as well and I’d forgotten to put leave the car in gear. Thankfully it hadn’t hit another car or worse yet an unsuspecting person.
I quickly got in the car and took off
What a flexural experience. You are so great! You bore and fed 4 babies. I can not imagine 4 children with me. That’s life.
I would NEVER, EVER even attempt to take all 4 to wal-mart (although apparently the pea would just go without me) so you already win in my book. as for Oprah, all I have to say is she doesn’t have 4 kids. She doesn’t have ANY kids. And she doesn’t shop at wal-mart. (She probably doesn’t doesn’t shop at all she has servants who shop. Or servants who shop for her servants [super oblique Disney reference]) So she doesn’t get a say.
And probably I’m heartless but this post made me chuckle.
Sometime, my kids will do this to me and my wife.
Hi! Remember me? We’re old friends. BRILL! I would have FLIPPED! I would have reacted exactly as you did, but with more crying and gnashing of teeth. Yikes, man - I’m so glad he was ok! It’s one of those things that he won’t remember, but you’ll be scarred for life! I sometimes wedge the cart on our trailer hitch while I load up the kids, but I don’t even think I’ll feel safe with that anymore! I’m just so glad he’s fine, and you’ll be fine too! You know, with some drinking-infused forgetfulness…
Lucky Fuzzles! (an awesome e-ticket ride in the shopping cart)
Lucky Wal-mart shoppers (who got to catch a sideshow of a frantic mother chasing her cart)
Lucky You (everyone is safe, and with increased perspective)
Lucky Us (get to read about it afterward; panic, sigh, and giggle)
Blessings all around!
i think little kids is also annoying but they are like angel .so sometimes its like to be boring to watch over them but its ok to me.
Something happened really quickly for teach us something but it may a big experience for you.
I lost my 2 year old at Sears once. I had my 4 yo with me. My parents were out in the front of the store and I didn’t know what to do…leave the store to get my parents help? Send the 4 yo to get them? Stay there and panic?? I went with that last one. He did turn up. He’d been hiding in the clothing racks and couldn’t find his way back to me.
After that, I bought leashes and used them every. time. we. went. out.
Glad everything turned out OK. Walmart now has that protocol where if you report your kid missing, they will lock the whole store down until you find them. I still remember my mom locking down walmart cause one of my younger brothers wandered off (he was safe).