“Where’s Maumy?” Kyna (22 months) asked.

“At the ballpark.” I answered.

“Where’s Daudy?”

“He’s at the ballpark too.”

“Where’s Mervin?”

“At the ballpark.”

“Where’s Daddy?”

“With everyone else at the ballpark.”

“Where’s Kenzie?”

“With Daddy.”

“Where’s Siah?”

“Ballpark.”

“Where’s Rosie?”

“Ballpark.”

And once we covered everyone we started all over again.

“Where’s  Maumy?”

We were in Dublin Ohio at a ball tournament that Mike was playing in and my whole family was there. Kyna and I were headed back to the motel so he could take a nap because almost 2-yr olds must have naps or horrific things might occur.

Thankfully Marilyn was with us so we can see her and don’t have to worry about her current location.

This is what Kyna does. He loves his people and he loves for them to be together, all at the same place, within eyesight so we don’t happen to randomly lose one of them.

One of his first questions almost every morning is: “Where’s Daddy?”

“At Work.” Most times this answer is ok but occasionally it’s met with a mini tantrum of: “I don’t want Daddy go work!!”

After we figure that Daddy isn’t lost we move on. “Where’s Kenz?”

“Kenz is still sleeping.”

“Oh.” he says and occasionally he’ll wander back to her bedroom to make sure I know what I’m talking about.

Kyna and me, we have gotten very good at keeping track of each family member and I have gotten very good at at guesstimating where they might be because I learned very quickly that if he randomly asks: “Where’s Maumy?.” (She’s a favorite of his. We probably track her (and Marilyn’s) movements the most.) 🙂 I should most definitely not answer with: “I don’t know.” (I mean most times I really have no clue, but that’s beside the point. If he asks, I’d better have at least a vague idea!)

So, I have learned to answer very strategically. “Oh, she’s probably at home or maybe she’s went to the store today.”

“La.” (That’s kyna’s version of yea.) he agree’s, “She probably did.”

After Myles joined our family we had one more person to keep track of. Recently I took him to market with me for the day and Kenzie and Kyna were in bed before I got home.

Around midnight Kyna appeared at my bedside. I’m pretty sure he was making sure that I did come back again. 🙂

As I tugged him up over myself and plopped him onto the middle of the bed, he asked groggily: “Where’s Myles?”

Oh, buddy. I really, really hope you always value ‘your people’ as much as you do now and I hope those people see your need of keeping track of them for what it really is: So much love for those closest to you.

“He’s sleeping in his crib.” I answered.

“Oh.” he mumbles as he snuggles under the covers and is already drifting off to dreamland.

‘His people’ are all together, all under the same roof again.

All is well. Now we can sleep.