LAYLA IS MISSING!!!!

After the quick trip back to see family over the weekend, we're trying hard to adjust our sleeping schedules to tackle our week. It's only Monday, but it was already a hectic day.

We all traveled to our destinations to get to work, school and Tricia's house today. We all got there safely and went about our days, either learning, teaching, playing, or modifying

.

Sometime in our day, Dad decided he was going to rush home to pick up Layla. He was afraid that the after school program would not take Layla since we were unable to send the payment in today (due to busy schedules). So he rushed across the city and got there just in time. Layla was pleasantly surprised to be getting picked up and cheerfully left with Dad at dismissal. They spent the afternoon browsing the aisles of Bass Pro Shops and Home Depot. Before that time, they made a quick stop at home and also managed to pick up Zackery.

What they failed to realize was....or should I say Dad forgot... "to notify the school and properly check" his daughter out so they knew where Layla went. This one crucial step sent her school into a frenzy. The great child care providers went into panic mode as they realized "Layla was missing!" They made all the phone calls to Dad and Mom. When they got no answer they went to the next person in line: Bonnie. They even went as far as calling my work place and talking to my principal for this EMERGENCY!

Mom was in the middle of teaching a math lesson, when I could hear my phone going off silently and after 8 consecutive buzzes, I went over to check it out. I thought, "Bonnie knows I'm teaching, she wouldn't be calling me if it wasn't an emergency!" So I excused myself to make the call backs and as I left my classroom, there was Mrs. B running around the corner and looked right at me. "Come with me, HURRY!" So we ran down the hallway to her office where Bonnie was on hold to tell me, "Kids Corner called me since they couldn't get a hold of you and Derek. They said, "Layla is missing. They can't find her. Call them ASAP."

"WHAT?! Okay." *click* I'm frantically trying to dial his number on my cell phone and Mrs. B and I are freaking out in her classroom. Then her phone rings again, this time from Mesa Public Schools and again asking for me.

"Hi, Mrs. Boye. We can't find Layla. We've looked everywhere. Hold on..." (meanwhile I'm trying hard to get Derek on my cell phone)

..."Okay ma'am, we finally got a hold of Dad and he checked her out. Layla is with Dad. We were just worried since we didn't know she was checked out. Okay. everything is okay now. Thank you." *click*

Let me tell you when you hear your child is missing...it's not a good feeling. I told Mrs. B right away that Derek has her. He checked her out. We both took a moment to calm down. "He's dead when I get home!" We both laughed. I had to walk slowly back to the classroom and breathe. That was such a scary moment and Dad now knows the proper steps of taking his child from school. *whew* BIG SIGH OF RELIEF!