Lost and then Some

We arrived in Davis, CA on Thursday evening and have been having a really nice time. Lots of walks to the park, the farmer's market, playing in the back yard, the Sac Zoo and sincerely enjoying the amazing Spring weather and blossoms everywhere. The air is literally scented with orange blossom and jasmine flower!

On Saturday morning we were all just hanging out in the house chatting, the kids were playing here and there. Sam was running from one end of the house to the other and in and out. Matt's folks live on a cul-de-sac with very family friendly neighbors and it is fine for him to be in the front or back yard playing...as long as someone peeks at him every few minutes. Pat went out front to peek and didn't see him, I went out back...lots of looking in closets and behind doors later we realized he was lost!
Barefoot and frantic I ran across the main street at the entrance to the cul-de-sac where there are a string of playgrounds to look for him. Pat jumped on her bike and began looking elsewhere. About 10 minutes of looking had passed and I was in tears imagining him in a burlap sack in the pack of some creep's pick-up truck on his way to child slavery! It was awful... and then Erin, Matt's sister, saw a little strawberry blonde head bopping up and down the back seat of the our parked car in the driveway! That little rascal decided to play in the car! What a scare....
So this trip here has been harder than trips in the past for me. I am thinking of my mother a lot and imagining her here or playing with Sam or bathing Arlo, like Pat has been doing. I miss her. My Dad wants to order her headstone soon and emailed me photos of some that he and my sister like. I looked and passed on my thoughts in a very matter-of-fact way...just doing the motions. Erin and Pat and I went thrift store shopping and the drive to Woodland was too long, allowing for my tears to well.
On a lighter note, we'll go for a great hike tomorrow in the coastal redwoods...I am looking forward to that.