Where is your mother?

I used to be really judgmental. I'd hear about something happening to a kid and I think, "Gosh, where was their mother?"

This was a long time ago. Before I lost a kid at Home Depot. And before a neighbor brought a  little girl kid of mine to the front door and said, "Um, she was outside in the front yard..."(I can neither confirm or deny that there may be other stories similar to these...)

So yeah, now when I hear something happened to a kid, I think, "Oh yeah, that could totally happen to me..."

For instance.

The girl kid likes to look at pictures on the computer while I cook dinner. So tonight all three of the kids were giggling gathered around the computer. I've been at this long enough to know that giggling usually means something's up.

They were looking at this picture:

Fine. Yeah, it's funny and all. But I look at this picture and I see the glass and iron bedside tables that are on each side of the bed. I see stitches, broken bones and more monthly payments to another hospital. And more.

(because I'm totally not a huge worrier or anything like that...)

I screeched, "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?????"

The girl got a small voice and said, "We call it 'Rocket'."

"AND WHERE WAS I???" I screeched again.

"Cooking breakfast," came the reply.

Good grief.

I probably thought they were upstairs cleaning their rooms or something like that. 

Stinkers.

And yes, "Rocket" is no longer an acceptable game at our house.

I wonder what else I don't know about what goes on around here...