The Runaway Shoes

I must admit -- I am BRAINLESS at times.
As the kids and I ventured out for our daily jaunt to Grace Camp, I faithfully loaded everyone up in their carseats, buckled, tightened, etc. And jumped into the car and dashed off down the driveway. As we were waiting at the end of our street to pull out and drive down Plano Rd., I noticed that there was a guy just starring at me. Conceitedly, in the back of my mind I was thinking, "You wish, buddy! I'm taken!" Then we continued on our way. It wasn't until we were accellerating on the entrance ramp for 635 that I realized he was NOT checking me out...
First I heard a small thud, followed by a black shoe passing by the driver's side window. Then it was confirmed that it truly was a shoe, as I saw it bouncing when I gazed through my rear view mirror.

I forgot to grab Emily's FAVORITE shoes off the hood of the car before I "jumped" into the car!!

I immediately started telling Emily that I was sorry. "Your shoes flew away, so we will have to find a new favorite shoe." In her precious little 2 (almost 3) year old mind, she translated that to mean that a BIRD came down, took her shoe, and flew away with it!
So, the entire time we were at Grace Camp, she kept yelling at the birds telling them to bring her shoe back!!! The other childrem on the playground caught on quickly, and soon everyone was chanting for the birds to return her shoes.
Obviously, they were not dropped while we were at Grace Camp...
So, when we returned home, I noticed that there was one shoe in the street in front of our house! "Yeah! Look there's one of Emily's shoes!!"
I handed the shoe to Emily, and then she starts crying and yelling -- not at me, but at the birds!
"YOU DIDN"T BRING ME THE OTHER ONE!!"

Being the softy for shoes, I decided that we should all jump in the car and go on a "shoe hunt." We went back to that same entrance ramp where I had seen the shoe bouncing all over oblivion. We proceeded up the ramp, and as we were almost on the highway, there was her shoe on the side of the road!
We didn't stop. I didn't think that was a safe or smart thing to do, so I just yelled, "Look! There it is! WAIVE!!!"
Emily was happy for one tenth of a second. She didn't understand why I wasn't getting it. I told BOTH of them to stop asking questions and to let me think and call some people.
I couldn't call anyone in my family because they are all out of town on business, so...
The first two people I could think of were Shelia (my dad's secretary) and her son Ryan. So, I called Shelia and left her a message about the pickle I was in. She called back in a few minutes, and said that Ryan needed to chat with me about some stuff anyways, so it was perfect that I needed their help. I popped by their house, picked up Ryan, and we went and parked the car at the corner Grass store. He stayed with the kids in the car, and I hiked up to the shoe. (The entire time cars were honking that obnoxious double honk as they waive and smile -- uuuugggg!) I decided that if I was going to walk, I was just going to strut in style. I put on my big "honkin'" goggles (sunglasses - as some people call them), and luckily had my cowgirl boots on, so I was ready for some "off-roadn'!" I walked clear up that long entrance ramp, and finally got that tiny shoe! As I turned to proceed back down the entrance ramp -- please note that I was IN THE GRASS, no where near the middle of the road!! But, as I turned, there was a stack of cars glarring at the crazy lady in the goggles, thinking she is all that as she goes and collects "trash" from the side of the road!
Since I am a humble person, I smiled and waived at them as they all did that obnoxious double honk and a waive thing...
I made it safely back to the car with Emily's OTHER shoe, and Ryan did a great job keeping the kids safe and happy!