Prison Break

Well, I think I've come up with a good costume for S1 - a prisoner's outfit. I am pretty sure that is what he feels like a good portion of the time since he is so often confined to the house and always looking for a way out. And last week he did have a successful escape. No, he didn't use a spoon to dig his way out. I was cleaning the gutters last week since they had enough debris that had decomposed to form soil and I had seedlings from surrounding trees growing in them. Well, S1 was at school while I worked on the project while S3 napped. I had been doing very well with closing the gate each time I came through. The last time however, I didn't. I had just finished getting off the ladder and throwing a bag of detris away when S1's bus pulled up. It had been raining the day before so things were still a bit wet.

I got S1 off the bus and into the house. S2 had a friend over playing. I told them they could all go down stairs to play or outside since S3 was still sleeping. Off they all went and I went to work upstairs. About half an hour later I thought, hmmm, I should check on S1 since I hadn't heard him in a while (S2 and his friend had been plenty noisy). I went down stairs and asked the boys if S1 was with them, I got no for an answer. So I went to check the backyard, and suddenly it dawned on me that the gate might be open. Sure enough, no S1 and gate wide open. I ran in and told my sister, who had just gotten home, to watch the rest of the monkeys while I did a quick check at the neighbors for S1. When that ended in vain I ran back to the house, hopped in the van and drove down the street about a block to a house with a really fun, open backyard (trampoline, sand box, play equipment and garden) to see if he was there. No luck. But that neighbor was out mowing his lawn and when I told him what happened he offered to drive around the neighborhood on his motorcycle to look while I went to the high school, which is a block from our house. So I called the police as I drove over to the high school. I gave them all of his info and where I was looking and hung up as I drove up to the high school tennis courts. I parked and when I got out I could hear the marching band - they rehearse on the far side of the tennis courts.

Okay, I'll stop here for some background info. S1 loves tennis courts. He loves walking along following the lines. Or he'll run following the lines. And if you've ever seen him run, you know that it always looks like he's about to collapse. Once we were visiting one of my mission comps and we went to a park. He was chasing a ball in the tennis court and tripped over the ball and got quite the road rash on his face and a swollen bloody lip. Anyway, when he escaped early in the morning last March (wearing pajamas but bare-footed), the police found him over by the tennis courts. So I followed my hunch that he would be up there again.

When I heard the band, I knew he must be close or that they would have at least seen him. As I approached I couldn't see him and I started to panic a little. Then the band switched configurations on the field and there he was - standing right in front of the sousaphones (marching tubas basically and his favorite instrument), jumping up and down flailing his arms conducting. Also standing behind him was the Vice Principal of the high school calling 911. Once he realized I was there, the VP let the dispatcher know that his mom was there and hung up. We spoke for a minute and then I tried to get S1 off the field - fat chance. He dropped down to the ground and refused to move. The band director, who is a friend of Dave's, said, "It's too bad that the only person who wants to be here has to leave." Everyone laughed - me too. It was getting overcast and rainy again.

I finally got a very muddy S1 up off the ground and over to the sidelines. He had obviously had fun in several puddles on his way to the band. He had mud splashed on his face, his previously white shirt was now a muddy grey and his navy pants were soaked and covered with some mud streaks. Other than being filthy, he was totally fine. I then called the police to let them know that I had found him. The police had dispatched an officer over to the house and he had spoken to my sister and checked out the backyard before deciding that I hadn't been totally derelict in my duty as a mother and he took off. I also called my sister, who had heard the news over the officer's radio, and my neighbor on the motorcycle to let them know that S1 was safe. After listening to the band for a couple of minutes, S1 refused to sit and listen because he wanted to go out and march with them. So, I picked him up and hauled him off to the house-crying the whole way. Even when we got home and into the house he was still crying. We sat on the couch and he cried on my lap for at least 15 minutes. He was so heartbroken. But I talked to him about how he couldn't go by himself, it wasn't safe. Also that we don't dance in the middle of the band.

This whole experience taught me a couple of things about S1. First, he does have a memory, at least for those things that are important to him. You see, the Saturday before this escape, Dave had taken the boys up to the high school to watch the band rehearse. So, I believe that on Saturday, S1 recognized where he was from his adventure last March and on the day of his escape, how to get there from his trip with Dad. This gives me hope that one day he will be able to find his way home if he does take off and we can't find him.

Second, S1 knows what he wants. So he went to go get it. The tennis courts will always be there, the band is a hit or miss proposition. This is good because it means he can be motivated if we can figure out what he wants.

Third, S1 can be a creature of habit. It doesn't guarantee that everytime he escapes he will take the same path, but, it is comforting to know that he PROBABLY will. So, next time I won't call the police until after I check the high school. If he is not there, then I can panic. Now, I don't hope there will be a next time, I just know how clever S1 is and how fallible I am.

Fourth, communication is key. At the beginning of the school year I went up to the high school and spoke to the principal there. I gave him our family's info, S1's info and his picture so that if S1 did end up there, or wandering in the parking lot, they would be able to get a hold of us or at least know who he is. Well, this information obviously did not trickle down, or if it did, didn't stick with the VP. Maybe I'll have to go back up there and make sure they still have us on file. I know the police do!

Also, after everything was over I was a little miffed that Dave's friend hadn't called us when he saw S1 alone at the band rehearsal. I know it's not his job, but come on, help us out a little. Turns out that he and his students had been debating about whether or not it was S1 or not, as none of them know S1 very well. Finally the students said, "Naw, it's not him." So the VP got involved. However, if it ever happens again, they now know!

So, for Halloween I guess he'll be an inmate since that is a much easier costume to make than a sousaphone.