Tired of Woting**

What? It's been a week since I posted!?!! How can that be? You're probably thinking it's because I haven't been to see Twilight in a while, so what could I possibly have to blog about? Well, you're partly right....I haven't been to the movies lately, but that's no excuse for slacking on my blog.

Over the past week, we've had a lot going on...Band Concert, Ward Christmas Party, Birthday parties, Dad visiting. I'm hoping to have some pictures soon. Right now, the only one I have is this one from my cell phone of my brother receiving his birthday cake at Olive Garden. Happy 31st Chad!

With only 8 days until Christmas, I have pretty much finished up (to the detriment of my checking account and the relief of my husband!) It should be a good Christmas, but like I said in a previous post, next year I'm shooting for a simpler, less material Christmas if it kills us all!

In other news, I had a very scary Mom moment today. For some reason, Shaylie and I have not been able to get in a routine for where we will meet each day when I pick her up. This is new to us over the past week or so, since she was riding her scooter to school everyday when the weather was nicer. But, for some reason or other, she is never where I think she is going to be.

So, getting tired of searching for her each day, I told her this morning, "meet me RIGHT HERE after school today!" Well, I headed over to pick her up ( I was a bit late, it was about 3:40) and I expected her to be in The Spot, but she was nowhere to be seen. So I headed over to the alternate spot and she wasn't there either. I waited out front since she usually calls me if I'm late to see where I am, but no call. So I went into the school to see if she was in the office waiting and she wasn't!

So I'm not exactly panicking yet, but I am concerned...by now it's about 3:50. I had the secretary do a loud page for Shaylie to meet me out front, but after about 5 minutes I decided she wasn't there and she must have decided to walk home, so I got in my car and drove the route home....no Shaylie! Well, by now I am getting fairly upset.

I went back to the school checking all the side streets that she might have taken as I went...I had the school do another loud page and checked her classroom and the playground, talked to her teacher and principal but nobody had seen her. I called Scott...by now I am in tears and about to panic big time...it was about 4:05 p.m. I got back in my car and drove the route home again with phone in hand itching to dial 911 and chanting "this is not happening" and praying "please let her be safe" and crying "where could she be?"....Taylor had been waiting at home for her to show but she had not come home yet... I turned around, drove back down Canterwood and there she was!!! just coming out of Stone Creek!!!

I couldn't quit sobbing...I'm sure she thought I was crazy...but I was so relieved to have found her, and that I didn't instigate a nationwide Amber alert or something. I have only been this scared twice before, and that was when Taylor disappeared in a friends' grandpa's RV to play and another time she was hiding out in a clothes rack in a mall in Phoenix. Shaylie swears that she wote** for me in The Spot but when I didn't come she decided to walk home and took a route that I didn't know about apparently. So...all's well that ends well, but as soon as I knew she was safe, I could have happily strangled her and you can bet that she'll be waiting for me in The Spot tomorrow OR ELSE!!!!

The weirdest thing was that about a half hour after what could have potentially been the most tragic hour of my life, we were all back to normal doing our normal every day things. It struck me how quickly your life can place you at the edge of the bottomless chasm and threaten to dangle you over the edge, then jerk you back and say, "just kidding!" I don't think it's very funny, but I am grateful for the reminder that life is beautiful and fragile and we need to stay as far away from the edge as possible!

**Yesterday, I was also late to pick Shaylie up. This time she was in the office and ran out to the car when I drove up. She asked me where I was and I said I had a meeting that went long. She said, "I wote for you forever." I said, "Wote is not a word. You need to say "waited." I waited for you forever." With a twinkle in her eye, she said, "Wote is too a word. I read it in a book yesterday. It said, "She wote and wote for her mom, but she was late because she was in a meeting." I said, "How convenient." and we both cracked up. She is too funny!