Okay, so I totally meant to post this story way before today, but our whole family has been sick this past week and I just haven't felt like blogging until now. So, hopefully I can recall the events acurately since it's been almost a week and half since this happened.
So, a week ago, Saturday, Seth came down with a yucky cold virus and fever. I decided to give him the chance to get some good rest and took the girls to Oak Park Mall to ride the carousel and play on the foam cars in front of Dillards. We stopped in at my Baby Gap store to try on a few shirts and pants and the girls were pretty good and actually ended up being overly helpful while shopping for a couple of baby gifts. Once I cleaned up all the clothes they had taken off the sale racks, we checked out and proceeded to the carousel. The girls waited patiently in line for their turn to ride the horses. They had a good time while riding. Then they were very cooperative once we entered the car area and took off their shoes and put them in the shoe cubby. Things were going well, despite the mall being crazy busy with tons of people and kids. After about 20-30 minutes of playing it was time to leave so we could bring Seth food for dinner and get the girls fed.
Of course, Emily and Savannah never want to leave the car area when they are having fun...so I expected some resistance. I gave them a 5 minute warning that it would soon be time to leave. I ended having to chase Emily and hold her down to put her shoes back on, but after that she came with me without too much of a problem. Savannah, on the other hand, went into full-blown tantrum mode--I mean HUGE! I struggled with Savannah for quite awhile, putting her shoes on only to have her take them off again. Finally I ended up carrying her out of the car area, all while she was kicking and screaming and crying. Emily followed us to the stroller. As soon as I put Savannah on the floor she screams "I don't want to leave--NO!" and she took off running--fast.
The first thought in my head was--NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! She was already 3 stores down from the play area and Emily was crying and not wanting to walk anymore. I knew I would not have time to get her in the stroller, so I picked Emily up in one arm, pushed the double stroller in the other and walked/ran after Savannah. I prayed to God no one would grab her and take her away. There were so many people and Savannah just kept running, weaving in and out and around the crowd. I tried to yell for Savannah to stop, but she ignored me and kept running.
By this time I was getting frantic because she was getting further away, and I was fast approaching the annoying design of this mall that requires people with strollers or wheel chairs to zig-zag down the main hallways--I hate that under normal circumstances, but when you are chasing a child through the mall it's even worse. Just as Savannah approached a stairway, another family with a stroller happened to end up in her way--she stopped and turned to run around them, but I caught up and blocked her with our stroller. I grabbed her hand and told her to "Always, always, stay with mommy at the mall!" . I have never been so scared to lose one of my girls until that day. Of course, getting her into the stroller after that was a nice little horrific side show for the mall crowd as she kicked and screamed and fought to get out of the stroller while I was strapping her in. AAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!
Lesson learned: NEVER, EVER, take your 2 year old twins to the mall by yourself on a Saturday night. You never know when a tantrum will get the best of you.
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