Panic at the Partay!

My good friend, who helped us get our first house, threw a huge party up the canyon with her real estate buddies.

It was so awesome!
Everything was free and all the food was all you can eat.There were hot dogs, snow cones, and cotton candy!

There was a legit magic show, blow up toys/slides, huge blow up balls you could get inside and run around, face painting, and balloon animals.

It was great.

We wanted to go as a family, of course, but I know public events such as this can be hard with/for Isaac. I thought he'd have some fun, though. So we brought Mr. B, our new staff for Isaac, and his wife.

It started off fine. We got hot dogs (Isaac won't eat those), then balloon animals (Isaac through his down), and then snow cones (he won't eat those either because he still eats with his hands).

I know, we're doin' great, right?....
But hey, we are there as a family and we're going to have fun!;)

Then we decide to go to the magic show. We take Isaac out of his wheelchair and hike up to the top of the amphitheater where it's shady. We were the first ones there and everything was dandy.

Than people started coming....

And some people sat in front of Isaac where he really, really, really wanted to put his feet.
Mr. B tried to help make things better, but he just could not sit still, be quiet, or any of that.

So...a few minutes into the show (which started late and waiting for Isaac is....well...not his best skill), Mr. B carried him back to his wheelchair and walked around till the show was over.

Okay, but, remember, we are a family and we are here together and we are going to have fun...

Ha, but really we were having fun. All this was just typical Isaac stuff and we had help, so we were still enjoying the treats and the show, etc.

After the magic show, the kids wanted to go on the blow up toys and slides. Well, Isaac really wanted to go on this one that Millie went on. It wasn't really the best for him...

This is where the fun really begins.

Bless Mr. B's heart.

He took Isaac into the blow up thing. Now, this was no easy task. Mr. B had to lift Isaac up and into this hole and then go through an obstacle course thing with him.
Now, mind you, Mr. B is not big, but he is in his twenties and not exactly meant for that course.

But he was on a mission.

So I decide to wait at the end of the slide of this big blow up obstacle course thing. I'm talking to some old friends and waiting...

I get my camera ready to get Isaac coming down the slide and waiting...

I see Millie coming down for the third time and wonder where they are....I'm still waiting...

I talk to my friends and laugh about how I am still waiting for Isaac...

Then I look over and see Mr. B desperately trying to get my attention towards the middle of the obstacle course.

I run over, leaving my friends mid-sentence, and help Mr. B get Isaac out of the course. I set Isaac down by me and see him running towards Jeremy.

Mr. B quickly explains he couldn't get Isaac up to the slide part because

A) It was too hard for Isaac's gross motor skills
B) Mr. B was making the whole thing go down with his weight and
C) It was hard for any kid to get up, let alone a grown man sinking in blow up toys carrying a flailing string bean!

We laugh about it and he goes about trying to get out of the blow up thing himself...I'm still not sure how he did that....

I walk back to Jeremy, Eliza, and Mr. B's wife. Millie is still going around and down the slide over and over.

I don't see Isaac anywhere. 

I ask Jeremy, "Where's Isaac?"

He tells me, "I don't know, I never saw him"

"I thought he came right over here!"

PANIC

I start looking around like a mad woman on a mission. I'm scouring the crowd left and right.

Nothing.

I go back to the blow up course and look in to see if somehow he got back in and was jumping around.

Nothing.

I have no idea where my son is. My son with Fragile X Syndrome that
can't talk
has no awareness of danger
and is alone in a crowd

I go towards the back of the blow up course and realize that it is bordering a river. A RIVER!
A rapidly moving, deep river that can swallow a child whole.

"Dear Heavenly Father, please no. Please no." I think and silently pray. Though the words were nothing near to silent in my mind and I'm sure I was moving my mouth or whispering.

I quickly scanned the part of the river I could see.

no, please no.

Then I notice an area with a lot of kids gathered close and where there is no brush or trees. It's a steep slope or more like a drop off. I ran to it and looked down, expecting to see Isaac.

Nothing.

I looked around at the people nearby and noticed they had no alarm, and I figured Isaac would turn some heads.
I felt he wasn't in the river.

I went back to where Jeremy had been standing. Mr. B and his wife had found Isaac near the entrance of the blow up course. We grabbed him and put him back in his wheelchair to go to a more simple blow up attraction with no need to climb, just bounce!

As we were getting Isaac in his seat and talking, I looked to find Jeremy.
I found him with Eliza in one arm, looking up and down the river.

He didn't know we had found Isaac.

He had the same thoughts I had.

My heart ached and I hurried to tell him we'd found Isaac safe.

I know that this happens to so many children, especially autistic ones that have no clue of danger.

I am so grateful that Isaac was safe.

Bolting is a serious thing. He really does need that wheelchair.

Long story short (oh wait, this is already long...oops), Isaac had fun in the bounce house, we ate more junk food, and then Isaac started hitting himself, so we had to call it a night with Millie crying about not getting her face painted after we waited in line.

I feel bad that she doesn't get to do a lot of things because of her siblings. But that's for another post.

Thanks for reading!