My Little Wandering Child

As many of you know my little girl has a bad habit of wandering away from me and getting herself lost. She is an independant soul and sometimes that is not a good thing. 2 Christmas's ago, she got lost in Walmart and we had to do a "code Adam" and have the associates help me find her. That time I was more worried than she was and she didn't even shed a tear, although I was close to it. Also 2 years ago at our family reunion at Heise she wandered away from the camp ground and I was mortified I would find her floating in the river, luckily a good man heard us calling for her and noticed her wandering and brought her back to us! (there are still good people in this world, thank goodness!). And this summer she has wandered off to the nighbors a couple of times without telling me, each time I get panicked and of course think the worst! Well that little stinker has done it once again!! I think I am going to have to get a leash for her and attach her to me when we go out in public, would I get in trouble for that??? We went to Walmart yesterday and once again she wasn't right behind me like I thought she was, I went back to where we had been to get her and she was no where to be seen. I looked up and down the aisles next to where we had been and no sight of her. Great! So I went to customer service and once again they had to do "code Adam". I gave the description of her and what she was wearing, luckily I paid attention that morning! After a few minutes they had an associate on the other end say that he had found her and they were bringing her to the front of the store. She must have started running through the store when she lost sight of me because they found her clear on the opposite end of the store, no where near where I had been. Luckily she was found safe and sound and this time she had been crying and was scared about the whole situation. Maybe that is what it will take to get her to learn to stay right beside me in the store! I really wanted to spank her bum for wandering off, but I didn't. I just held her and told her it would be alright. It took her most of the day before she would tell me where she went and what happened. I guess she lost sight of me and started heading toward the other end of the store. She saw a little girl with her mommy and the lady happened to ask if she was lost and Paige said that she couldn't find me and she told the lady my name and the lady said she would help her find me. Then the walmart emplyoee found her and brought her to the front. Thank Goodness!! Things like that get me freaked out and worried, she has given me more grey hairs than I can count, and I am sure this is just the beginning. I am just glad it ended well and that I have my little girl home with me safe and sound...for now anyways!