Still coming down...

[nwhiker]

off the adrenaline high. That was not pretty.

First, the most important. She's here.

At about 3pm, the kids went to play with the neighbours. I guess one set wasn't there, which is why Perry came back, but Z and H were home, and Linnea said she'd be playing over there with them. This is not uncommon, and my kids often disappear into one neighbour house or another, and theirs into mine, for hours on end.

Fast forward to about an hour ago when I asked Perry to go get Linnea. He came back saying that Z and H weren't in fact home. There is no where else for her to be.

I panicked. Full, flat out panic. Hyperventilating until I ended up on my knees on the floor, sobbing, screaming, the whole bit.

Dh, slooooooooooowly made his way over next door to see if they were there. I'd have gone, and I'd have run but... um... knees=jello, that wasn't happening.

I'd seen her earlier in the yard, headed towards the lake. Yeah, you can guess where my thoughts were going. The fact that they have never EVER EVER violated my "no further than..." edict didn't even register.

Poor Perry was trying to hug me, and be next to me, but I was barely coherent. I finally went outside to wait for dh. It was taking him forever, and I was positive it meant he was knocking on everyone's doors to make sure she wasn't there.

Turns out he was dragging Linnea away from a massive Barbie game. She came skipping home with him, chattering about the Barbies, the dog, the playhouse. I could hear her as they walked down the driveway, and I started to cry.

I've been weepy since. I mean, I'm typing here through tears.