The Great Escape

Okay, in a previous post I referenced my children escaping and a good friend asked for the full story. Here it is...
It was around 7:20 on a Tuesday morning and I was taking a shower. I know the time because Chad had just left for work about 10-15 minutes prior. I get out of the shower and hear the kids giggling..(Kids being Barrett, Logan, and Cooper). They said that they just got back. Thinking nothing of it I start to get ready and I hear the doorbell ring. I throw on some clothes and as I am approaching the front door a strange woman is about to enter my house. I look a little surprised and she hands me the girl's strawberry shortcake suitcase. She says "This was with your children" So I ask nonchalantly, "oh where did you find it, at the end of the driveway?" "No", she answers," At the end of your neighborhood, with your children." The entire story she tells me is that she and her husband were on their way to work and she saw my three children wandering down the road pullng a suitcase behind them. Cars swerving to miss them as the stoll down the middle of my road on the way to Brandermill Parkway and eventually their friend Logan K.'s house 1 mile away. She stopped and asked them where they were headed and walked them home. She was on her way into my house to make sure I was okay and nothing had happened to me since my three small children were about a 1/4 mile form my house. She tells me that it happens to everyone and asked if I was okay then leaves. As she closes the door behind her I fall apart. I send them to their rooms and want to lock them there for eternity. What if someone had kidnapped them? What if a car had hit them? What if a nice stranger/ mother had not seen them and thought to bring them home? All of these and many more thoughts still race through my head. It was a learnig experience for all and the children know never to leave the house without lettng me know..(of course, I thought they knew this beforehand) We still remind them sometimes of the even in hopes to keep the knowledge fresh in their heads so it will ot occur again. After all the tears, one thing still intrigues me, why when I want them to get ready to go it takes them forever, but when they want to sneak out they can be dressed fully, shoes on and tied, and out the door in under 10 minutes......