Hide and Seek Gone Bad

This post could also be titled My First Heart Attack or How I Earned 10 Gray Hairs in 30 Seconds.

Let me begin by stating that Connor does not play hide-and-seek. He doesn't count well enough yet and it's just not a concept we've introduced. Connor is also really trustworthy for a toddler. He simply has never been the kind of kid that gets into a lot of mischief (i.e. dumping sugar all over the kitchen floor, getting into my lotions and makeup, etc). He's grown to the point where he'll play in the backyard alone with no problems and if I am busy indoors, I peek on him every few minutes and he's always fine and playing nicely. Always!

On days I clean a lot, Connor will get bored with "helping" me and go outside. He loves to be outside and can open the sliding glass doors easily. He can work the lock, but can't work the lock on the front door. I basically don't have a lot to worry about it if he's out of sight for a few minutes. He's usually loud enough to be heard if I can't see him anyway. :)

So, onto this horror story. Worst parenting moment ever so far! I was vacuuming our office, a small room that takes only a few minutes to vacuum. Connor had been going in and out and I could hear the back door slamming shut and sliding open. I could hear Connor running around. Everything was cool. I turned off the vacuum and started to wrap up the cord, heard a few thumps out front and called for Connor. No response.

Usually he comes running. Unless he's way out in the backyard and can't hear me. So I went out to the back and saw the door wide open and figured he must be in the yard. The house was silent. I poked my head out the door and yelled for Connor to come inside. No response. I walked all around the yard: no Connor. I ran back inside and looked around, yelling for Connor but there was no Connor.

Now, Connor is a people person. He is always near me, always chatting and interacting. He's also very obedient and comes when called. He's been known to "hide" in our closet but he's always so eager to "surprise" us that he throws open the door and shouts "Ta Da!" after just a few seconds.

So, needless to say I was freaked out. I looked in our closets, under the beds, in the pantry. I ran outside again and looked everywhere. The front door was closed and bolted. There was no way he could have gone out that way. I inspected the back yard gate, which is closed and held in place by a few heavy bricks. I can't even shove it open. There's a good sized crack, but I inspected it and could not see how Connor might have slipped through. Still, where else could he be? I checked underneath the porch, in the crawl spaces beneath the house. I even looked in the dryer!

I ran out to the front yard and looked up and down the street. I was in a total panic and couldn't see him. I was screaming for him and I just knew if he'd have escaped out into the street he wouldn't just run away. He'd have stayed in the yard and come when he heard me calling his name.

I went back in the house and tried to decide what to do: call Nick or the police? Oh my God, seriously? I seriously could not believe what was happening. I finally had to accept that Connor HAD to be in the house. Logically, he couldn't be outside of our house or yard. He just wasn't out of my sight for that long. I looked in every room again, calling Connor's name, telling him to come out. Finally, I heard a thump. It came from the front door. I ran and threw open the door thinking he was outside after all. But nope, no Connor. I knew I had heard a thump in response to my call.

I yelled for Connor again and heard the thump right away. It came front the front hall closet, a small closet that is packed with shoes, jackets, mops and brooms. It was the one place I hadn't looked! Yes, unbelievably stupid yet true. It's official: I AM UTTERLY STUPID.

I threw open the door and there was Connor sitting on the floor, squeezed between the mop and vacuum, holding Piglet and his cat. He looks up at me, smiles the sweetest smile and says brightly "Hi Mom!".

I hauled him out of there and hugged him and tried not to have a heart attack. I was shaking so badly and almost crying. I was so upset and so relieved, I couldn't even scold him. I asked why he was hiding from Mommy, why didn't he come out? He just kept saying over and over "Hi Mom!".

Jeez!!! Obviously it was a game to him, and obviously he wanted me to find him. He was waiting me out, for much longer than I'd have ever imagined. I think he only knocked to give me hint, hearing I was right outside the closet screaming for him. And probably thinking his mother is the worst mom EVER at playing hide-and-seek.

I started bolting the back door after this incident. If I am ever in the back of the house and can't see the yards, I can't handle Connor escaping. But I don't want to overprotect him either. Let's just say I learned my lesson and feel really dumb over it.

What scares me is that I never, not even for one second, thought that Connor was purposely hiding from me. I thought if he was gone and not coming when called, he must be gone. How could I not consider he was playing a game? Ugh!

Also, never assuming that he won't hide in a spot that has no room to hide in. Good grief.

I related this story to Nick that night after Connor was tucked in bed, partly to share my dramatic day but also to warn him. If Connor ever hides from Daddy, he'll know what to do and where to look. Although let's face it, this probably wouldn't have happened to Nick since he is a heck of a lot smarter than me.

But poor Nick: he went dead white when I told him what happened. I could see that it scared him too. Neither of us have had many scary moments with Connor. We aren't used to him giving us any gray hairs!

I'm happy to say that this hasn't happened again. Who knows what Connor was thinking? Maybe he is smart enough to realize that Mommy just isn't ready to play impromptu games of hide-and-seek yet.