Code Adam

We're now T minus 11 days from our launch to the Big Chicken.  That means 11 days to say goodbye (read: cry) with the dear people we love here.  That means 11 days to try to jolt my spacey mama brain into remembering and accomplishing things that require more concentration and forethought than singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider."  That means 11 days to purchase and cram the next 3 years of life into suitcases.  Suitcases which we don't yet have.

Which brings us to our adventure tonight buying said luggage.

We were at Academy, checking out their Contico trunks.  I had Sam & Hudson in a shopping cart and was cruising up and down the aisles looking for things I didn't know I need but I most definitely do.  Kevin was shopping for the real motivation behind our trip and had Micah in tow.  Since Micah's favorite words these days are "Do it all by self," Kevin obliged him by not requiring him to sit in a cart. I'm pretty sure you can guess where this story is going...

I had gotten separated from Micah & Kevin, so I drove my posse to the front of the store to see if I could find them.  That's when I heard the store manager talking on his walkie talkie saying, "Code Adam.  Lock down the store.  Nobody in or out."  Cue little voice in my head that said, "That's most definitely my kid."  I asked the manager if that meant a child is missing.  Turns out that little voice knows a thing or two from time to time because the manager confirmed that there was a child loose in the store.  

He then asked me for a description of my son.  Not remembering exactly what Micah was wearing that day, I compiled the two most identifying characteristics of my son and came up with this go-down-in-history response: 

"He's black and has a tattoo on his face."

Mind you, all of those things were true.  We had gone on a bakery tour that morning and he was given a temporary tattoo that he wanted to put on his cheek.  But I can't imagine what kind of a mother the employees thought I was with a description like that!  Perhaps a mini 3 year-old version of this:

In the end, Micah was found checking out the boats & bikes in a separate enclosed area of the store.  He later told us that ayi and shu shu (Chinese for aunt & uncle) came and found him.  So what unfolded as 5 minutes of drama will definitely be fodder for my speech accepting the Mother of the Year award.