"I am right here, Mommy!"

My little angel at Macy's....

Brady, Miss Ericca (my friend I work with at Starbuck's that Brady ADORES - and she ADORES him too), and I went to Macy's on Wednesday to shop for a wedding gift for a co-worker of ours. While we are at the store, Brady asks to walk "like a big boy" so I let him out of the stroller while we were checking out. He was walking under the clothing racks, etc. and I kept telling him that to walk like a big boy he needed to stay with us, that I needed to be able to see him. After a few minutes of walking under racks, etc. and making it difficult for me to see him at points, I knelt down and called him over so we could be eye to eye. I said "Hey Buddy, Mommy needs you to be where I can see you..do you know why?" He just looked at me, wide-eyed, and I said "Mommy is not being mean when I ask you to stay near me...Mommy says that because I need to be able to see you to make sure you are safe. It is DANGEROUS to walk away where Mommy can't see you. If I can't see you someone could take you and then I wouldn't see you again and I would be so sad. So Mommy asks you to stay where she can see you because I love you and need to take care of you and protect you." Brady looks at me, nodding, and then gives me the biggest hug and tightest squeeze, while patting my back, says: "It is okay, Mommy, I am right here, okay?" "It is okay, I am right here".