Shoe Debacle

The front door gave a thud as it closed and I heard"Doesn't Ronan have an appointment today?". I awoke with a start and starred at the clock. "Oh no!" Panic was starting to seep into my mind as I jumped off the couch where I had fallen asleep mid clothes sorting early this morning . The babies were still fast asleep and had not been my usual alarm clock. "Yes, I have to leave in a half an hour." I looked up at my dad who stood waiting in the door way. Isaac had a porch remodel today and since we still only have one vehicle I had to borrow my parent's car to get Ronan to his appointment. I now had a half an hour to get two babies fed, dressed and loaded in the car. Placing Ronan's devices on him would take at least half that time.

I knew I couldn't be late. If you are even five minutes late they bump you two to three appointment slots. I stumbled around scooping up fresh diapers for the bag. I fed Ronan as I nursed Inara to get breakfast out of the way in half the normal time. Somehow I managed and we were in the car babies fully strapped in with the double stroller loaded and off we went five minutes behind schedule.

The wind was hitting the car pretty hard and I dreaded taking the babies out and navigating the double stroller through the parking lot. I got Ronan out first making sure he was fully covered by the canopy then I draped a blanket over and diaper bag on top of that to give him full protection from the seemingly tornado like winds that were pelting away at us. I covered Inara with her blanket and pulled her canopy all the way down for complete coverage as I pushed my way clumsily through the parking lot pushing with one had and holding the diaper bag on the blanket so Ronan would not be exposed. The trash truck was blocking the entrance. I did not have time to go around so I found a small opening between the wall and the truck and squeeze my way through. I did wonder how this would go over if there had been a sudden need for escape from the building.

I made it up to the reception desk and checked Ronan in. The receptionist picked up this huge binder bursting full of paper work. She opened it and I realized this was Ronan's chart. I looked at all the other children's charts and they consisted of the normal paper folder. Landon being five has gone to this same clinic for his entire life minus the few months we lived in Missouri and he still has a folder. Ronan at the age of almost 17 months had so much history he needed a binder to hold all of it. I sat down to wait with relief that somehow I had pulled it off and we had arrived on time. I started to remove the babies coats and when I got to Ronan the earlier panic began to return. His shoe was missing. I looked through the stroller all around the ground. Nothing. He had both socks, and both braces on but only one shoe. How in the world could he have lost his shoe? With the braces on those shoes were practically engraved to his feet. They took a great mastery of the laws of physics for them to be removed.

I have to go back and trace my steps and with that thought I heard "Ronan Fullmer!" I went back with the nurse trying to run through the last time I'd seen both shoes on his feet but had no success. They could be anywhere. Dr. Shash came in with her medical student and they examined Ronan. Due to Ronan's cold he won't be able to have eye surgery if he is the same or worse so we might have to postpone another month or two. I have the slightest idea that this will continue off and on for winter and he may not have eye surgery until Spring.

Desperate to find the shoe I made my way down to the car as soon as the appointment was over. I watched every square inch of ground to the car. Nothing. No shoe. I walked back up and asked the receptionist if anyone had turned in a shoe. "no, sorry.". Great I waited too long who knows if someone did something with it or if they turned it in at any of the fifty other offices inside the building. On the way home my internal optimist piped up at least you didn't lose the $400 braces. That's when my internal pessimist wanted to beat down the unsilenced optimist. What good does it do to have the $400 braces when you need the $50 shoes to make them fuctional! I battled back and forth with myself At least the replacement is only $50 and not $450. I dreaded facing my husband's rightful anger and well earned lecture on responsibility.

I walked in the door Inara's car seat in one hand and Ronan on my alternate hip. At that moment I knew the moment had come I could probably be justifiably committed. There sat Ronan's shoe exactly in the spot I had put all his equipment on earlier that morning. I had never even put the other shoe on his foot and had gotten all the way to the Doctor's office waiting room with a one shoe child. That's what I get for staying up until 5 am the night before sorting clothes and posting things to sell on Craigslist. Four hours of sleep were not good on my already distracted brain.

The rest of the day was much easier on me and I spent most of it playing with the babies and finishing my sale sorting.