Crazy Crazy

What a crazy afternoon we had dealing with Crazy (aka Matthias).  In the past few years we have dealt with alot of problems with running away, I mention it now and then and ask for prayer with our daughter Katie. If anyone has had a child run away, they know how hard and stressful it can be. Thankfully Katie seems to be doing better as of late (praise God!!!) but we had such a scare today! 
The kids and I went shopping today and had a pretty good time and came home this afternoon. As is the usual hub-bub after shopping everyone was looking over their treasures. Matthias had gotten a new baseball since he has just recently started T-ball. So Sarah and him went outside to practice throwing and catching. I went upstairs to try on my new clothes. (Yeah!) When I came back downstairs I saw Sarah inside and asked where Matthias was at, she said that he ran off outside, and she didn't know where he was at now. Matthias does tend to get annoyed sometimes with Sarah, so I figured he was around the corner fuming about his sister. I went outside and yelled for him, but he didn't come. The other kids came out and we started yelling for him, but no answer. I went and got Derek and we started walking around looking for him. By this time everyone was starting to get worried, since he never goes outside a small area around our house, and has never ran out of the yard before.  After we walked around for awhile, Derek and I got in the car and drove around the surrounding neighborhoods calling for him. Now we were starting to panic, this was not like him at all, and of course I start wondering what kind of mother I must be to have my children run away so often. By the time we came back, our neighbors were out looking for him, and we were considering calling the MPs. When I came inside, the girls and I were all talking wondering where he could be, and we heard something. I yelled out "Matthias if you are in here, you won't be in trouble, but you have to come out."  Matthias was curled up under our little living room table!!!!!  What the hell??!! I was so relieved but so mad too. Didn't know whether to kiss him or spank him. I did talk to him and told him how scared I was, and told him he had to go to his room as a punishment for not coming when he knew we were all looking for him. Sarah on the other hand spoke up and said " Oh, I saw him come inside earlier, but didn't know where he went in the house" Now that made me furious!! She also is sitting in her room as punishment, for not telling us. Good grief, what an afternoon!!  I am going to curl up and eat some chocolate, and watch a good movie, and enjoy the silence of having only four kids for the afternoon.