Scary is as Scary does, (or, why I wish this weekend was over already)

It is Saturday afternoon and my weekend has already had more stress than I can handle. Want me to elaborate? You are in luck, I need to vent! This is very long, so if you don't have much time, come back later.

Last evening my MIL decided to take Bug Boy to see Charlotte's Web and Bugaboo's therapy was canceled. I went to the mechanic to pay for the jeep inspection and while there, decided to walk around with Bugaboo at the small shopping center across the street. There is a neat little gourmet grocery, a dollar store and a Goodwill there. I found a NEW coat for Bugaboo for next year ($5) and a few other small items. Since Bug Boy was eating dinner with MIL and Bugaboo doesn't really eat, I called Darling and told him I was stopping in town (S'more) to get Chinese at our favorite place.

It was dusk and getting darker by the minute. As I rounded to corner into the center of town I noticed that EVERYONE had the same idea. The only two parking spaces were on the far side of the bank. I slowed down to let someone pass and noticed and elderly gentleman on his knees in front of the Chinese place. Then he was on the ground. I quickly pulled over, parking illegally, and left Bugaboo locked in while I jumped out with my cell phone.

The poor wife of the elderly man was white as a ghost and could barely speak. She could not tell me what happened but I noticed blood on the concrete and guessed he hit his head. Then another woman walking by stopped to help (her two young children were hysterical when they saw the blood ) and said she was a doctor. She grabbed what she could to apply pressure to his gaping wound while I dialed 911. Then I talked to him and asked him a few questions, found out his name and tried to calm the doctor's children. She finally had to leave with the kids because they were so upset and it was up to me to control the situation. So I kept talking to him, holding his hand, assured him the ambulance was coming. I asked him what he had for dinner (he hadn't even gotten into the restaurant yet) and if he lost his footing (he said he was tipsy from too much to drink. He was kidding. And he was 90). I kept holding the napkins (the only thing we could grab) onto his head until the police and ambulance arrived. I talked to him and telling him it would be fine. Fifteen minutes had passed at this point and I told the policeman I was sorry I parked illegally and should i move the car? He chuckled and said it was fine. (He's my neighbor from a block away. Our boys are best buddies in the same class. Funny how things work out, eh?). Once they took my information I excused myself and went to get Bugaboo out of the car, realizing he was in there for a very long time and probably had no idea what I was doing! Poor kid! But since he was strapped into his five-point harness and locked in the car five feet away, I think he was safe.

Bugaboo and I went in to order our dinner and stepped outside in time for the paramedics to take the man into the ambulance and to the hospital. The entire time he insisted he was fine ! He had a two inch head laceration, a cut into his eye fold, a blown pupil and a possibly broken hand. Not fine. But he wanted his soup, so a friend that was supposed to meet the man and his wife for dinner was in the restaurant when I picked up my order. She tried to pay for my order, but I politely refused. "But you were so kind and helpful! I really appreciate it!" I just told her that I hoped someone would do the same for me and to please pass along my best wishes.



Darling and I decided that we would drive to a pre-owned car facility (Carsense, great place!) and look at a few cars this morning. After spending five hours there we were all STARVING and stopped at a nearby gourmet supermarket (the one where the rich people shop) because their market cafe is as good as a restaurant and we could all order what we wanted. Bugaboo passed out in the car so we had to carry him in sound asleep and put him on a couch in the lounge area so Darling stayed with him while I took Bug Boy to get his lunch. We made our way through the throngs of people (once again, everyone had the same idea!) and waited in line for several minutes longer than we should have. When we finally received our lunches we headed towards the register to wait in line yet again. I asked Bug Boy to pick out a drink (next to us in the refrigerated case) while I stood in line. Another cashier opened up and I said, "Bug Boy, follow me over here." He answered that he would, and I turned to get in line. I instantly turned back around to grab his hand and he was GONE!!!!!!

I called his name. No response. I yelled for him. No response. I SCREAMED his name and threw down my tray. He wasn't by the registers. He wasn't by the drink fridge. He was nowhere to be seen. Darling was only a few feet away and grabbed the sleeping Bugaboo and darted out to look for him. We ran up and down the food court as other people asked us what he was wearing, what did he look like, how tall was he, etc. I kept screaming his name the entire time. After nearly five minutes (and eternity) and after alerting the security guards, who were just about to put out a code ADAM (where they alert the police and lock the store down), Bug Boy came sauntering over. "Where did you go, guys?" He had wandered away to look at something in the split second that I walked to the register and disappeared behind a crowd of people and could not see us, so kept walking. As a child with PDD he had NO IDEA how dangerous it was (despite our constant warnings and the warning we gave him when we entered the store that it was very busy and he needed to stay with us!) and did not think that he was missing! And I am sure that everyone in that store thought I was nuts the way I was running around and screaming for him, crying the whole time. I tried not to panic, but once I saw him I just starting sobbing and pulled him close to me. His response was, "Owww! Mom! You are HURTING ME!!!"

The scary thing is that he would not be scared or apprehensive if someone attempted to take him. I really do not think he would scream. Bug Boy (and Bugaboo, to a much worse degree!) are so socially unaware that they are not afraid of strangers in the least. Bugaboo even goes up to people at the zoo and puts his arms up to be lifted up! For that reason we are even more cautious than we feel we need to be. We never, ever let them out of our sight. They NEVER go out of the room without us. We do not leave them outside by themselves EVER. We do not let Bug Boy go into a rest room alone. We cannot because our boys are the type of kids that could be victimized very easily. All it takes is one pedophile who recognizes that Bug Boy is wandering about the store solo. He'd only need to tell Bug Boy that we were looking for him, he'd show him where, and that would seal the deal. I shudder to think about it.


So you see, once we arrived back home this afternoon (sans new car) I completely crashed emotionally. I fell onto the couch and stayed there with a blanket pulled over my head for a long time. I only just got up to type this to try to put it all out of my head. I think a warm bath and a glass of wine are in order, about two hours from now when the boys go to bed!