My dad did this sorta...

I've shared this story a number of times, so if you've heard it before feel free to hit the next blog button...

Oh before I get started, here's the link to the current story.

And her's my story...

My parents separated the summer when I was 11yrs old. My mom and I moved to FL to be near her parents, they had helped her get a trailor to live in. My wonderful father told us that the reason they were separating was because mom felt guilty that she didn't get to spend enough time with me and this was so she could do that not... Great guy huh?
Anyway, come Christmas time my father (DF) loaded up my 3 brothers into his truck with a camper on the back (this is the kind of camper with a door in the middle of the back where the tailgate is) and headed to FL for a "family Christmas." He also brought our dog, she was traveling in the back of the camper in her crate.
So DF stops to get gas at around 12am. My oldest brother (B#1) who is 2yrs younger than me, gets out of the camper to use the bathroom. When he returns, DF has finished filling up the truck. As B#1 is getting back into the camper, B#3 says that he has to use the bathroom. So B#1 takes gets back out of the camper to take B#3 to the bathroom. Seconds after they close the door to the camper, DF starts up the truck and pulls away. B#1 & B#3 watch in disbelief as the truck pulls away.
B#1 begins to cry (he is only 9yrs old! & B#3 is 4).
I don't have all the details here, but the police were called. I have to assume that B#1 was able to tell them that they were headed to Tampa to see his mom and their last name (not sure if he knew mom's first name at that age.) So in FL we get a call at around 5am or so telling us that my brothers are in Mississippi!
An APB is put out w/ the info that mom was able to give the police at 5am. And this is probably why DF was able to get all the way to the FL panhandle w/o getting stopped.
DF had stopped a few times between loosing the boys and getting to FL, but each time he stopped he heard the dog moving in her crate and assumed that everything was fine. In FL he finally decides that the dog probably needs to relieve herself and opens the camper to find that it has no boys in it (B#2 was in the cab w/ him)! So he turns around to drive back to the gas station where he last saw B#1.
DF gets all the way back to the gas station with no one stopping him (as they should have with an APB out on him) and then is told that the boys were at the police station. The boys had spent the night at the police chief's home after his shift where they stayed in a jail cell (door open of course) to sleep while he worked.
DF gets the boys w/o any fuss apparently and drives all the way back to FL. Meanwhile mom & I didn't know any updates about where he was or if the boys had been picked up. Can you imagine my mom's panic?

They arrive on Christmas Eve and guess what, DF had not brought any Christmas presents for any of us. (this had always been my mom's job and he just assumed that she was taking care of it...he's always been selfish like that.) So they have to go out on Christmas Eve and get us all Christmas presents.

Then when it is time for them to return home mom sends me along with them because she was having a hard time affording me and watching me while working. She worked nights as a waitress ('cuz the money is better) and I would stay up late not doing my homework etc...

Luckily no one got lost again after that. Well except for when mom decided to come and get me & my two younger brothers, leaving B#1 to live w/ DF. Man, he must have some serious issues after all of that! My parents sucked, and we turned out pretty much okay.