Lost

So I really have two very different posts to put under this heading, so please bear with me.

Yesterday, I was in with my toddler class and the after school teacher came to my room and asked, "Was Jacob supposed to be on the bus?" YES!!! But he wasn't. So she took over my class and I hit the phone. I called the Bus Barn and they called his after school bus, and his morning bus. Neither one had seen him on the bus. (they are both friends of ours, so I knew they would KNOW if he had been on the bus.) Then they did an all call to all the buses asking if Jacob was on any of the buses. He was not. I became frantic. Tears started streaming down my face. I called his school. He was not there. His homeroom teacher was in the office and said he had seen Jacob walk out with the kids to the buses. Jacob had mentioned a combined intermediate and middle school band practice earlier in the week. I had told him he was not allowed to go. I didn't have a note from school and the timing did not work with my work schedule. I asked the secretary if there was any way he might have gone to the middle school for band practice. "No, there is no band practice today. There is practice tomorow, but only 1 student is going. If they were going anywhere else besides their regular bus they have to have a note." Jacob did not have a note. "Are you sure? Because he's on the snare drum and they have asked him before to go." (The previous time I talked directly to his band teacher, it was during school time, & there was a teacher who walked them from the intermediate school to the middle school. AND HE HAD A SIGNED NOTE FROM ME!) "No, there is no band practice today." I was totally FREAKING OUT! I started calling Winslow's extension at work, NO answer. I dialed his secretary, NO answer, I dialed his department head, No answer. I dialed over and over again and finally one of the massage therapists answered the phone. " I need Winslow NOW! It's an emergency." I heard her whistle and yell for Winslow. (Understand they call him Doctor McNeill, and you do NOT whistle for him, she could tell I was frantic.) "Winslow put a move on it, your wife is on the phone and she is totally frantic!"
"Winslow, they can't find Jacob, he's not on the bus, he's not at school!" I'm pretty sure he said "I'm on it." One of the other teachers said she saw Winslow tear out of the parking lot. At this point my boss walked by where I was (she had previously not been in our department or I am sure she would have known what was going on.) I was sobbing by this point as I explained what was going on. "Calm down." she told me. She had me call home to make sure he wasn't there. No answer, just the machine. "He can't get into the house, it's locked. Winslow's going there." My sobbing voice messages are still on the machine. It's heartbreaking. I just kept thinking. "Was this morning the last time I will see my little boy?"
My boss went to call the bus barn again from her phone. And then she called the police.
I started calling anywhere I could think of. Except I was having trouble remembering numbers. It was so frustrating and I didn't know what to do. Finally I got a hold of one of Jacob's good friend's mother. "Parker said something about band practice today." "Thanks."
So I called the middle school. "Hello, my name is Melissa McNeill. I've lost my son Jacob McNeill. Is there any way you can check the band room to see if he came there by mistake today?" At the same time I saw the band teacher's husband (he works at the hospital) coming to pick up a child. "J.... are they having band practice today, we can't find Jacob anywhere. Can you call your wife and see if she has seen him." He called her cell and I called her room extension. As I was leaving a message the Caller ID showed the middle school calling me back.
Jacob was indeed at the middle school HAVING BAND PRACTICE@!!! Remember the one the intermediate school told me wasn't happening today!!! So I called the intermediate school to let them know. Which was where I found my husband who was there with the principle trying to find my son. Needless to say there was a huge lack of communication between parents, teachers, schools, etc. Winslow says the principle was headed to go speak with the teacher last he saw her. I know the teacher and really like her. But somehow there was a big problem with this practice. Kids should NOT have been allowed to cross a MAJOR ROAD, by themselves, without parent permition, after school! It was just a bad situation. So Winslow went to get Jacob. And I began calling back ALL of the people I had called previously. The whole ordeal was right at an hour. Soo grateful he was safe. Sooo grateful for All those who helped to look for him. We stressed the major importance of knowing where he was at ALL times. He wrote an apology note that he will be giving to teachers, bus drivers, and others who worried over his well being. It was really a tramatic thing for me.

So if that isn't enough here is part 2. On a different note.

We've had some staff changes at work. Some members of our Team are no longer with us. So today we were told of staff members leaving us and what our positions would be. I am no longer in the Toddler room. This grieves me greatly. I was so looking forward to being able to enjoy more time watching my little man grow. This is trully my favorite age. I have so come to LOVE LOVE LOVE my toddlers. I love to hear them say my name. I love to hold them and hug them tight to make their ouchies all better. I love hearing them laugh. I love singing to them. I love watching their faces light up. I love watching them learn and take milestones. It's different than when I left the afterschoolers. Whom i love too, but differently. These toddlers spend their whole day with me. They depend on me. They love me. And I love them. So I feel Loss. I've cried quite a few tears over this. But I know it will be okay. The Lord Loves me. And He has a plan for me. I will be working in the baby room tomorow. These babies are sweet and bring a new kind of love into my life. I know David's teachers will love him like I loved my toddlers. Tonight, tonight I will cry and ache and miss all the things I had planned, the children I adore, the days in the toddler room. And tomorow, I will give myself to the sweet babies who will be in my charge.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. Acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths.