Running Away from Home

Madelynn and McKenna were playing outside this fine spring morning while I was preparing lunch. Earlier that morning, McKenna had happened across a backpack in her closet that she'd been carrying around all morning. So both girls were outside with their backpacks playing nicely (for a change).

Solemnly, Madelynn comes through the back door, "Mom, I'm running away from home." and gives me a great big bear hug. "Please take care of LuLu." McKenna had to be more prompted for my hug, but I got one.

And off they set. After Mommy checked to make sure it was ok to cross the street.

I watched, discreetly as they walked down the block, hand in hand. They came to a little side street and stopped, faced with a dilemma. They've never been allowed to cross a street without an adult before. What should they do? So they sat down in the grass and took a rest. Madelynn told me later, they had decided to live there.

But McKenna decided they should press on. So they walked up to the very edge of the sidewalk, looked both ways 20 times and RAN AS FAST AS THEY COULD across the street. Emboldened, they joined hands and continued walking.

At this point, I decided it was time to interfere. I gathered Marek and Teagen, got my car keys, shut the house up and turned off the oven (all in a matter of two seconds, as I didn't really want them out of my sight!). When I was coming out the front door, I noticed they were walking back towards our house. I watched them check for cars another 20-hundred times and make their mad dash, all while trying to appear nonchalant and NOT like I was waiting for them to come home.

When they got back, I asked them why they came back.

"Well, we decided to think twice about it. We didn't really have anywhere to live and we don't have any food." said Madelynn.

"Yeah. I'm going to get my bike. Can you tell me which way is Cadence's house?" said McKenna.

Over lunch, we discussed the fact that I wasn't really going to let them run away, Cadence lives REALLY far away and that it isn't safe to leave the house without a grownup. I know the lesson hit home for Madelynn. McKenna had that gleam in her eye....