This is my back door.
Take a look.
Take a good long look.
Take a look for about 20 minutes.
Then add a very confused two-year-old and a large boxer on the other side of the door.
Did you do it?
That's was my view on Saturday evening.
Yep. I did it. The thing that all mothers fear that they will accidentally do: I locked myself out of the house...and my two small children IN the house.
As soon as it happened, I had that moment that some of you may have had before. The one where you are in total denial about what just happened. In my denial I jiggled the door handle for a insanely unrealistic amount of time - thinking, "maybe it's not really locked" or "maybe I can unlock it if I jiggle it enough".
Yeah. Dream on, Sister.
I tried to keep myself calm by reassuring myself that Charlie was safe in his seat and as long as I could SEE Avery, she was fine. Then I told myself that David would be home -- eventually -- he had just stepped out to grab dinner for us.
Everything would be fine.
Everything would be fine.
Then I had the crazy, unrealistic, worst-case-scenerio thoughts racing through my head:
What if Avery hurts Charlie?
What if there's an emergency situation like a fire?
What would I do?
I didn't want to do anything drastic (like throw the planter through the window) unless I HAD to, and I didn't want to leave the back door to call David from the neighbor's house because that would mean that I would be leaving Avery.
So -
I knocked on the door and desperately tried to enlist the help of the only chance for getting in the house I had: a two-year-old with limited fine motor skills.
I spent the next 20 minutes trying to explain to a toddler how to turn a teeny little lock on a great big door. I almost lost my mind. There was lots of praying going on in those 20 minutes of torture.
At first, Avery thought Mommy was playing a game with her. Between her half-hearted attempts to unlock the door, she squished her face against the glass and blew kisses on it.
When the game got old, she started to get frustrated because she couldn't open the door to go outside with Mommy.
She kept saying, "I want to go outside and play in the sandbox!"
I kept saying, "mommy WANTS you to come outside, but I can't open the door. You need to unlock the door for me."
To which she responded, "NO!" and proceeded to collapse to the floor (in true dramatic girl fashion) and throw an absolute fit.
I felt like doing the same thing.
Thankfully, David came home shortly after the screaming started and rescued me.
Everyone was fine and I survived to tell the story on our blog.
Isn't that what life is all about? Good stories for the blog?
Needless to say, I'm planning on being a little more careful in the future!
12 comments:
Man, that really is the worst feeling! I locked mine in a running van in January once. They were both in 5 point carseats and couldn't get out. My Father in law saved me :)
Loved your description of Avery :)
too funny! and, no, i am not laughing at you, but with you. don't forget we have a key-remember the day you used your spidey toes to climb in my window 19 weeks pregnant!
Classic, classic story!! :) Can't stop the giggles - because yes, I have been there done that. :) Did you get that moment of true panic and fight back tears?? :)
Loved my visit here getting caught up today. I've been out of the blogging loop for a while with the holidays and all. The pictures of your family cracked me up!! Looks like you all have just too much fun. :)
Ok, that was funny! Glad everything worked out OK! I enjoyed seeing you guys yesterday!
this is funny but only because the same has happened to me but with the boys being in my car.
glad everyone is alright!!!
That is truly one of my worst fears. I think I'll go get a spare key made.
makes me so glad i can't lock the front door without a deadbolt and the screen doors can only be locked from the inside, but wow how scary (and yet also funny, since it all turned out okay!)
The week we moved in, I did it too! I had to call the Fire Department b/c Eric was out of town and I did not know a soul in Texas. Tyler was out with me, only Chase was in his bed. It took them almost an hour and breaking a window to get in and Chase was smiling in his bed...and Ty thought it was the coolest visit ever that the fireman came to our house!
Hope you are getting some rest, Love Colin
Oh my goodness...this was so funny and so awful all at the same time...because I've been there too, sister. Minus the newborn baby. And yes...it's impossible to tell a 2 year old how to unlock the door. Glad you all survived!
That happened to me when Claire was about 3. It was our kitchen door to the garage and I have since hidden a key to that door inside the garage. Luckily I was able to talk Claire through turning the little doorknob lock to open it. It is scary and I'm glad you all made it through!!
We did that in the parking lot at church once. Both girls carefully buckled into their seats and trying desparately to explain to the 2 year-old how to slide the lock.
Yeah, just doesn't translate. Not to mention the don't-play-with-doors rule!
you did great...that is my worst fear! glad your hubby wasn't too far off!
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