Lost, Found, Lost, Found, Grounded

The kids have what is known here as Fall break. It's similar to spring break, but it's in the fall. It's an entire week off school. Fun huh? So the weather has been pretty okay, so the kids decided to play outside. Our kids aren't allowed to wander. Meaning, they can play in our front or back yard. Their friends are welcome to come play in the yard with them. If thy want to go somewhere else, they must first ask, and under no circumstances do they go in anyone's home. Mainly because we don't know many of their friends parents, so we don't know what types of things they would find inside their homes, and secondly, because if they're like me, my kids may be home, playing and having a good time with friends, but I don't want to be responsible for someone else's child unless I've specifically invited them over. I was extremely tired on Monday, and Rylissa was playing with our neighbors (behind our house, within feet of our back door) that she'd just met. We haven't met the parents yet, though I've seen the kids playing in their yard a lot. I just haven't taken the time to go over and say hello. So she's playing, we can see her from all of our windows, and Tim told me to go take a nap so I did. When I get up, I ask where Lissa is and was informed that she was inside, watching a movie with Tayzia. I went and started dinner, then went to find her for something, and couldn't. So I asked Corben where she was. He thought she was outside. So I went looking for her. Not in our yard, not in the neighbor behind us's yard. I walked around the house calling for her, nothing. I looked for her scooter, gone. I went inside and searched, just in case. Nothing. I went next door, to her friend Dyllans, not there. Went down the street to her friend Davids, nope, not there. It's been at least 15 minutes and I couldn't find her anywhere. I got in the car and drove around the neighborhood twice, no Lissa, no scooter. At this point I'm starting to think that I need to call the police. I decided to walk to the back neighbors house just in case. I rang the doorbell, and the mother answers and says, "oh they're just playing dolls." Rylissa had decided that since she knew her friends name, it was okay to go play in their house, even though she KNOWS it's not allowed. She also parked her scooter in their garage, where it wasn't visible, which of course added to my worry! She was grounded for the rest of the day, then the day after. Tim and I had a long conversation about how worried we'd been, and how wrong her choice had been. (At least now we've met the family, and they seem really really nice, and enjoyed Rylissa)

Skip to this morning. I allowed her to go out and play with her new friend, and I specifically told her to stay in the yard. So 20 minutes later when it's time to get ready for piano, I go to find her, and she can't be found. Not in our yard, not in the neighbors yard. I asked Corben to run up and down the street calling for her. He got back, then she walked in to use the bathroom. It seems she decided that it was okay to go up the street to a park....... without asking. ????! Didn't we just go through this? Needless to say, she's not allowed to go out and play for the rest of the week, is doing EXTRA chores for free, and has lost all TV and video gaming fun for at least the rest of today. We'll see what daddy says when he gets home.

Is this what raising girls is going to be like?