grounded.

we have a neighbor that has a daughter that loves to play with Easton, and he is always up for playing with her. they ride scooters together, draw on the sidewalk, run cars down the driveway, race back and forth from their house to our's, climb on the 'big rock' over in the grassy common area and occasionally play inside each other's houses. they also like to go to the park together ...

today was a perfect day for a picnic at the park ... i had a bunch of things i needed to take care of and so my nice neighbor offered to take Easton and go to the park. WONDERFUL! i packed him a lunch, strapped on his helmet, handed the lunch to my super fantastic neighbor and sent them on their merry way.

i came back inside to start (i never really know where to start when it comes to the house ... ) the kitchen needed to be wiped and counters needed to be decluttered and andy needed a lunch prepared. i made his lunch and sent him off to work and just as i was headed back inside Easton crashed in our driveway. he was back early and i was surprised, but i kissed him better and rubbed his owie ... andy asked where our neighbor was and i told him she must be at the top of the neighborhood ... since Easton was on his bike, he likes to zoom down to our house.

then a frantic looking woman (whom i know from taking exercise classes at the Y) drove up and asked if i knew who that little boy belonged to ...

and the story began to unfold:

she was acting frantic and worried because she had seen that little boy ("how old is he by the way?" "um he's 3 ... will be 4 in august ... " "i thought he was about 4 ... ") on his bike WAY up the busy road all. by. him. self. ...

she had seen him and felt worried that she hadn't seen an adult with him and had turned around to follow him and discovered another hysterical woman doing the same. they spoke to each other and decided to call 9-1-1 and report that this little boy looks determined but is all alone. and by the time they found their cell phones and made the call the little boy was gone! and they couldn't find him! the hysterical one went to safeway and my Y acquaintance came down into our neighborhood ... (they didn't confront that little boy for fear that he would be afraid of them and make matters worse)

the park that they had gone to was about a mile away ... on the opposite side of the busy road. which means that little boy had crossed the busy road all. by. him. self. and had ridden his bike down the sidewalk crossed 2 side streets and come down the sidewalk to our house all. by. him. self.

i took his bike, loaded him in the van and drove up the road to find my wonderful, and now fretful neighbor. she was ... worried and a little upset and more than a little apologetic. i reassured her that it was not her fault and that I was so sorry. she said that she was really worried because he always stayed with them before ... they had arrived at the park and it was too cold and windy and they decided not to stay. Easton had picked up his bike and taken off without looking back and since my neighbor and her daughter were on foot she couldn't catch up to him!!

Easton apologized as well and we had a big talk about staying together when we go to the park ...

the strangest thing: he has never done something like this. he is my momma's boy, stays right by me, waits for me at every corner, asks if he can cross now ... i asked him why he hadn't waited for our neighbor and his answer was simple... 'when i dot to the torner my heel holed off and so i tossed the hoad' {translation: when i got to the corner by wheel rolled off and so i crossed the road} so it was the bikes fault ... hmmm ...

on the bright side: he knows where we live, he didn't get lost, he didn't get stolen, he didn't get run over, and he had 2 angels following him.

consequences: this is my first grounded child ... i have not yet need to bring out the big guns and ground anyone ... but this did it. he had to stay inside the rest of the day and when i did let him outside he was within my reach. later that day i was sitting on the stairs with him ... i told him that he scared me today. "why?" "i could have lost you today ... " "why?" "you rode your bike a long far way all by yourself, you could have gotten lost, or someone could have taken you away from me." "i tame home." "i know and i'm happy you know where we live but please don't do that again." "o tay. tan i hide {ride} my bike now?" "um, sorry buddy, you're grounded from your bike for a few days..."

and there it will hang for the next few days!

poor, grounded baby ... sure am glad he made it home ...