No Thanks...Two's my Limit

Especially when it comes to the number of near heart attacks that I can handle in one day.

**Disclaimer**
The following true story in now way reflects my poor parenting ability or lack of attention to my child. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 10-4

This weekend has been wonderful. Our business has gone paperless which has eliminated HOURS of work that I usually do on the weekend (payroll, invoices, reconciling checks, etc) so we actually got to spend some time together as a family.

Chris and I took the whirlwind to the park on Saturday afternoon. Syd LOVES to play on the playground and has recently learned to climb a twisty metal bar kind of thing that looks really dangerous, but fun, nonetheless. She has an impeccable sense of balance and has never fallen off it once. She climbs on it. Jumps to the platform climbs down it. (repeat)

Well, on Saturday, she decides to climb up the twisty metal bar kind of thing and jump on the slide platform (as usual). I climb up to the platform (which takes an unbelievable amount of taxing effort on my part) to monitor her as she plays on the "higher end" of the playground. Everything is going well until my child decides to LEAP OFF of the twisty metal bar thing which is approximately 5 feet off the ground. By the grace of God, she clears the entire thing and lands face down. Just picture the Nestea Plunge only falling forward and into a pile of sand and grit. It all happened in slo-mo. She lept, I screamed a gutteral wail of a scream that sounded something like, "NOOAHH RREE OH MY GAWWW!" Chris scooped her up. She gave us a courtesy cry, spit out the sand and kept going. We were very fortunate that she did not hit her jaw, face, or other valuable body part on the metal bars as she lept to her demise. Her guardian angel works double shifts these days. Hence...heart attack numero uno.

It took me a good 45 minutes to catch my breath and for my heart rate to return to at least 120 bpm. I was mentally wiped out for the day. But then, the day of family togetherness continues.

The hubs decides to grill steaks. He goes to the meat market while I stay home to "watch" Sydney play outside. We are in the backyard hanging out, playing with rocks and tricycles...the normal stuff. My phone rings, I answer it, I turn around to check on Sydney only to find that she is gone. Within 3.4 seconds, my child completely vanished from Planet Earth. I run around the backyard, no Sydney. I run into the garage, no Sydney. I look inside the house, No Sydney. I begin to have that fear that only a mother can get which feels like a lead ball the size of a boulder in your stomach. I begin screaming her name. Nothing. I run into the front yard and cars are stopped in front of my house.

You can put the pieces together. My child was in the street and had stopped traffic. I sprinted down the driveway, scooped her up, and apologized to the patiently waiting motorists who were thinking, "What a LOSER mother this is...I should call CPS right now. What in the *&^% is she thinking? They should lock her up."

I waved, smiled meekly, and trudged back to the house where I locked my child inside, collapsed on the couch, and had a moment. A long moment. Hence, heart attack numero dos.

So, 2 is my limit. Only twice a day can I face near tragedy.

Thank God for his protective graces.

Thank God that Sydney is okay.

Thank God for toddler leashes.