I took the kids to my work for a couple of hours yesterday. It was Saturday, Cindy had a workshop, and I had to get some things done. They did a good job entertaining themselves, drawing pictures, writing on the whiteboard, and looking out the window. The more time that went on, the more focused I became on my work. I was tuning them out quite effectively, as a matter of fact. I had told Kenzie that it was okay to walk around on two conditions (1) that she didn't lose her little brother and (2) that she didn't go through any doors.

And, just to be safe I told her, "if you get lost, just yell for me." Good advice, it turns out, since she forgot rule #1.

Some time passed. It was quiet and they were doing fantastic! I was able to get quite a bit of work done. Then suddenly I heard a faint, yet panicked, "Mommy! Julie! Julie! Mommy!!!!" I bolted out of my chair, not sure which direction to head as the voice was so distant. I could hear the desperation in the voices as I darted through the office. Finally I found them on the other side of a security door, locked in the elevator lobby. They were both on the floor screaming through the crack at the bottom of the door. Tears were streaming down both their cheeks as their little bodies quivered. I felt terrible, hugged them, and told them I was sorry. Kenzie said she was sorry for yelling, but she really needed to get my attention!

We spent the afternoon being thankful for being reunited and grateful for avoiding the "what if's..." Such as when Kenzie told me, "Mason wanted to go exploring on the elevators but I told him that we probably shouldn't." Oh my...finding two kids in a building with 22 floors...

This one will stick in Kenzie's log of my worst parenting moments. She already told me, "Mom, I had a hard time sleeping last night. I kept thinking about being stuck by the elevators and what would have happened if you hadn't come to save me. So, I played my musical snow globe to comfort me. After a couple of times I was finally able to go to sleep."

In church today, Pastor Dave called the kids up to the front and asked them to describe a time when they had been upset. Since this was so fresh in Kenzie's memory, panic raced through my body as I envisioned her telling the entire congregation about how Mommy neglected them and they locked them alone in a scary place in her office. So, my greatest Mothers Day present is the momentary amnesia that overcame her. Happy Mothers Day to me.

Here they are describing the incident to Cindy.