you did what?

Amelia's had a fever off and on all weekend beginning Friday evening. Saturday she was starting to feel a bit better late in the evening after some tylenol and began moving around the house more and playing with her sister. Phew.

Hannah and I sit down to watch Treehouse Masters and I notice the dog is not around. I thought oh he must be laying under my bed upstairs. Time passes and I still think gosh he hasn't been around lately so I call him and start whistling because surely by now he needs to go out and relieve himself. Silence. I call him and whistle louder. Silence. I send the girls upstairs to see if he's hiding under the bed. No dog.

I can feel the panic creeping in. Where could he be? I whistle and call him again. Nothing, no jingling tag, no scratching at a closed door nothing.

I look at Amelia, "you didn't let the dog out earlier did you?" As I remember telling her a few hours ago to keep the sliding glass door shut so none of the animals escape. She hangs her head low and in the saddest voice ever.  "Mommy, I'm sorry I let Baxter out earlier. He ran away from me when I let him out." Hannah and I look at each other. Panic has sat in.

I yank open the back door and begin feverishly yelling his name and whistling. Silence. I don't see him anywhere. I run upstairs calling the dog, whistling, checking every room. He doesn't come.

Finally, I grab my keys and head outside. Calling him and calling him. I get in my car roll down the windows drive all through the neighborhood. I don't see him, I don't hear him. He's gone. I'm praying that I find the dog. Thinking the worst. He is a puppy and if someone found him they would probably keep him because let's face facts; people are dishonest especially when they think they won't get caught. I start wondering why no one has called since he has a collar? Will they take him and have his microchipped scanned? Is he dead in a ditch? Why isn't he coming when I call? Why would Amelia let him out and then not tell anyone? Why wouldn't he scratch and bark at the back door? Why? Why? Why?

I finally get back to our street and the dog is no where to be seen. I see Tom with a flashlight walking towards me. We both say almost in unison, "He's gone and never coming back." "Someone has him."

We all pile back in the house; Hannah sobbing.

I check under the bed to make sure one last time that our precious boy is really gone. Baxter is staring me in the face. I call his name and I can see his legs move. I call him more and he starts to army crawl out from the middle of the bed. By now all the kids are crowded around as we wait for the dog to appear. We give him lots of belly rubs and kisses and are so relieved that he was under the bed the entire time.

Amelia and I had a long talk about lying, telling the truth and what to do if the dog does get out and you need help to get him back. Oh and her fever came back. I'll need another weekend to recover from this stressful weekend.