Ever lost your child? I have.

I'll start by saying that allergies, exhaustion, and tears make for a nasty headache.

Today at preschool started off alright but went downhill very quickly. By lunchtime we had especially fussy and tired kids, and naptime went the same as usual. I have said it before and I will say 100 more times. Whoever thought 18-month old babies should sleep on the floor on mats was seriously demented. The one boy who always sleeps did sleep so that left six backs to rub and pat and four hands to do it.. which doesn't add up quite right. Caleb, as usual, refused to lay down at all, the twins cried loudly, and another girl kept popping up and escaping to play. (I think there was speed in her lunch or something, because she was seriously hyper.) So an hour into rubbing, patting, crying, and being asked by the adjoining teachers to please hold it down twice, we scrapped naptime altogether and decided to go for a walk outside. (For the record, I didn't think it was a good idea to start with but I'm not experienced enough to say so, so we went anyway) The kids got hot and sweaty and even more tired and cranky so we went back in. On the way in, we passed two older classes and in the confusion, ours just scattered. Seven kids ran in 7 directions. I chose to chase the two who were running toward the treehouse (large indoor McD's type playscape) to rescue them, and by the time I got those two back to the elevator nook, we only had six. The one missing was Caleb. My coteacher tried (unsuccessfully) to corral the remaining 6 while I went to find Caleb. After searching the entire first floor, meeting the director halfway up the stairs, and about 5 minutes later I still couldn't find him and was starting to freak. By then the director, music teacher, receptionist, and librarian were all trying to hang on to our kids and find Caleb. Then the resource lady called down from the second floor saying, "Umm, I have Caleb upstairs." So up we went, with four adults, six kids, and me in tears. (of relief, anger, embarassment, and exhaustion) When we got off the elevator at the THIRD floor there was Caleb with the resource lady. My son climbed two flights of stairs!! I'm still trying to figure out what he was thinking and where he was going. He normally hates those stairs and insists on being carried up them. All the other adults were very surprised that he would strike off on his own since he hardly ever ventures very far from me. I'm atill just baffled.

Soooo, the ending of the day decided that we are moving our class to a room with cribs. Thank Goodness!! So hopefully no more naptime trauma.

And I decree that Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 no longer exists.