Lost

This is what happens after a long day of Disney play!

A few months back, we made our first big family pilgrimage to Mecca... Disney World. If you have read my blog at all, you know that I have a Disney problem. There is some very serious debate as to whether we go to Disney for me or for the kids. Well, this last trip was a blast! However, we learned a lot about how we travel as a family of 6, and it will certainly mold how we travel in the future.

This last trip has provided what will now be a classic tale in our family adventures... the story of the longest morning of my life.

We have a tradition that I get up early in the mornings while we are at Disney and head down to get coffee to bring back to the room. It's one of those small things that I enjoy doing for Mike, and it gets me going in the morning. This year, Braeden decided to join me on my morning forages. We'd grab his shoes and head down in his PJ's for some time to play before everyone else wakes up.

On the last morning of our trip, Braeden was sick and running a fever, so we'd put him to bed in a diaper and a t-shirt. That morning, he had no interest in joining me, so I headed out on my own at 6:30 to get coffee. When I returned, something in the room didn't sound right. I checked the beds and found a disturbingly empty bed where Braeden's little body was supposed to be. Checks of the other beds found nothing.

"Mike. Get up. Braeden is gone." That probably make the top 10 list of things no parent wants to hear. However, at a little before 7 AM, that's what Mike got. Sure enough, there was no sign of the little man. Mike went next door and woke up his parents. While Grandpa and I began to scour the hotel, Mike called security to get some help. "What does he look like?" they asked. "Uh.. He's wearing a diaper and t-shirt and has Down Syndrome. That should do it."

Now, if you're going to lose a child, Disney is a great way to do it. I recruited several helpers in the early morning hours as we canvassed the hotel. About 20 minutes later, security found him. Apparently he decided that he wanted to get coffee after all. He found his way to the elevator bank and was having a grand time pushing all the buttons and riding the elevator up and down. As far as he was concerned, he wasn't lost; he was just riding another fun Disney ride.

Lesson learned. Next time we will be bringing door alarms to prevent my master escapee from taking his own tour of Disney.