Last week we took Gage to the Jump Yard, a huge warehouse filled with giant inflatables for kids, a snack bar, video games and rooms for birthday parties. Here are a few pics to show how much fun Gage had.
![IMG_1200[1]](https://stacybuckeye.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/img_12001.jpg)
![IMG_1212[1]](https://stacybuckeye.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/img_12121.jpg)
![IMG_1281[1]](https://stacybuckeye.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/img_12811.jpg)
![IMG_1246[1]](https://stacybuckeye.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/img_12461.jpg)
![IMG_1262[1]](https://stacybuckeye.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/img_12621.jpg)
See, he even made a friend to run around with.
These pictures are a little misleading because they are all focused on Gage. If I’d panned out a bit you would have seen hundreds of people, kids and adults, milling around. It only got more crowded the longer we were there. We made Gage sit down for juice and after three sips he was ready to go. Jason got up and headed to the big room with him and when I looked up a minute later Jason was looking around for Gage. I started looking around, not panicked because how far could he have gotten? Through a sea of people I catch a glimpse of him going up the stairs and I take off in that direction, only a little nervous because there was slide way in back that I knew he was headed to. It took me too long to get throught the bottleneck at the stairs and by the time I got to the top and turned the corner he was nowhere in sight. I hightailed it to the back slide/obstacle course and couldn’t find him. Most of these inflatables are so big you can’t actually see the whole thing so it took me a minute to realize he wasn’t there. Being such a big place there are lots of doors that go to back rooms and he could have gone in any of them but I assumed that he was playing somewhere. I made a circle of the upstairs, completely panicked by now and Jason was at the entrance downstairs. This was not my best be-calm-in-the-moment-of-crisis moment. There were so many people. I even told a passing worker that I lost a kid and she just smiled and kept walking.
I headed to the back again to regroup and Gage is walking right towards me calm as can be. Luckily we were in the area they have set aside for football games for dads and there was a chair and a quiet spot where I could sit him down and tell him he was in trouble. Deep breath. Gage was unconcerned and was mad that he had to sit down instead of running off to play. This is the first time he’s been out of sight when there were that many people and it did not endear me to The Jump Yard. Gage, of course, would like to go back every weekend.
![IMG_1232[1]](https://stacybuckeye.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/img_12321.jpg)
That smile and this were the two good things about this excursion.![IMG_1292[1]](https://stacybuckeye.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/img_12921.jpg)
He hasn’t fallen asleep in the car for over a year!
Four year olds are fast and sneaky and ours outsmarted both of us. We’re in trouble.
Stacy's Books 
They have a place like that here but I’ve never been in it. I’m sure it is a sea of humanity. I can see why you felt panicky and I’m glad it all turned out well.
I can imagine your fright. We are just starting to get to this age with Elle and I have warned her so many times to not run off where she can’t see me (and thus me see her). The rational part of my brain is sure that nothing will happen…but stuff DOES happen and its so scary. I know you were terrified–and it’s that fine line between being glad your child wasn’t panicked during those five minutes but wishing that they had some fear in them. Sigh. It does look like he had a blast, though….
You guys do the best stuff with Gage! You are the most fun and involved parents ever!!!
Our kids loved places like that! It is scary when one gets away from you…and I think they all do at least once. You can see from the pictures how much fun he had so I don’t blame him for wanting to keep going back. He’s such a cutie!!
What a lovie in this photos! I can understand your heart stopping for a few minutes until you found him. I don’t like those big, noisy places and kids can certainly get hurt, lost or in trouble besides having a blast. Maybe next time put on a really distinguishable, bright colored shirt to spot him in a crowd? Glad he had fun.
Oh yeah, we had one of those situations when my son was about 2. Lost him at the zoo, where there was WATER and a PARKING LOT NEARBY!!! OMG. We were hysterical. We found him in this big whale, sipping from his sippy cup and watching a movie. Horrible. Didn’t know whether to kiss him or spank him. I joked later that if someone had kidnapped him, they would have left him at the next rest stop. Both of mine were also famous for hiding in the rounds at a clothing store. But. A sleeping kid is a happy kid (and a happy mom).
Losing track of a kid seems to go with raising kids but I can imagine the panic of it happening in such a huge crowd. Glad it ended well and I love the pics.
I bet you were a wreck (even if it was 5 min) scary for mom fun for Gage.
So scary! So glad you found him. I get nervous here in Japan if I can’t see Gabe for more than a second. He’s a goer! Glad all is OK and that he could sleep in the car!!!
About 3 years ago, we had a similar situation with my at-that-time 2-year old granddaughter. We were at a restaurant/sports bar, and she hid behind a pinball machine in the game room because she had pooped her pants and was afraid she would get in trouble. It took us about 5 minutes to find her, and we were all totally scared. I completely understand what you were feeling.
Oh, God, yes! That momentary panic is enough to give you heart failure. We haven’t lost Joshua yet, but I’m sure it’s coming, because he’s very independent. We did lose our original Joshua a couple of times, but that’s a whole ‘nother story. 🙂