And only 1/3 of my children where lost today.

We went to my favorite museum today. They have a new exhibit that I've been wanting to see. It's about treasure and pirates and I thought that it would be cool for the kids and interesting for me. The kids had a great time and it was neat to see real treasure that had been recovered from the sea.

We were all in one room that was circular. There was a display in the middle of the room and more objects on the outside of the room. Middle Child and Little Girl were playing with the buttons of one of the displays and #1 Son was playing at another display, also pushing buttons. I was watching #1 and just had the feeling that something wasn't right. I looked around and with a quick sweep of my eyes, could not find Middle Child. He was gone.

I am always afraid that something is going to happen to him. Even today, I was at the museum with two other adults. We had one on one coverage and he still got away.

I was reading a message board somewhere, not too long ago, and the discussion was about children getting lost in public. One mother said that she feels that parents have to do a better job of telling people in authority that their child is lost, as soon as it happens. That too often people search on their own and lose time. They do this because they think that they will easily find the child or because they are embarrassed. I've thought about that for a long time.

The moment I realized that Middle Child wasn't there, I shoved my bag at my MIL and told her that he was missing and that the other two where over there. I started walking back the way we came and Middle Child started crying and yelling for Mom. I know that cry anywhere. I turned the corner and a lady was holding him.

He could not have been gone more than a minute but it was enough to scare the daylights out of him.

He talked to me about it today. He told me that he was scared. He said that he cried. He called for Mom.

It's wonderful that he is now verbal enough to talk to me about this. I think it helped him to be able to have someone understand what he was saying and feeling when he was lost. He told me that he has to hold my hand.

I'm also so afraid that something is going to happen to him. It's days like this that remind why I have that fear.

We stayed at the museum for some time after that. We went to the kids part and they played and we went back and bought some chocolate gold because besides walking away, the kids were really great while they were there.

I was glad that the trip was positive overall. I hope that something like this never happens again but a realist. I just hope it scared him enough. It scared me.