And the blame goes to...

It started off as a beautiful Saturday. The sun was shining and the weather was comfortable for a fall day. Steve was out golfing with friends, so I decided it would be fun to take the girls shopping. We needed to get out of the house a little.



Although my kids are usually good when we go shopping, this Saturday, they were particularly well behaved. As we traveled from one store to another, I smiled to myself as I realized that I hadn't even needed the goldfish I brought to bribe my children into good behavior...they truly were being THAT well behaved. It was the perfect shopping outing.



After doing some serious spending (hey, if Steve wants to golf, I can shop, right?!?!?), I decided it was time to head home after our pleasurable adventure. I put Madison in the car first, making sure she was snugly and securely buckled into her car seat. It was Olivia's turn next and she and I began to make our way over to the other side of the car.

As my hand was reaching for the handle to Olivia's door, I heard a distinct and very familiar "click" come from the car. I froze. Was that the CAR LOCKING that I just heard?!?!? In an instant, I remembered putting Madison into her car seat, setting the keys in the door's cup holder, searching for a book for her to read, then closing the door. Many choice words quickly flooded my brain as I ran over to Madison's door, only to find my 19 month old smiling at me with my car keys in hand.

Through the closed window I tried to explain to her that she needed to push the unlock button on the key chain (mental note to self here...teach kids which button unlocks the car). Because she is my defiant child, she responded with a rather forceful "NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNO", before pushing the lock button again. Which in my car makes the horn honk. Awesome.

After spending five good, long minutes trying to reason with my dear child that she needed to push the other button, only to hear the defiant NO and then a horn honk, I decided that I needed to go to plan B. Given that I wasn't exactly in the best part of town and that Steve was over an hour away, Plan B consisted of calling 911. "Don't worry, this happens all the time!", the operator assured me after letting me know that help was on the way.

Ten minutes later, Policeman #1 arrived on the scene, and just in the nick of time, too. While waiting for him, I had several interesting characters offer up their assistance, including one guy who wanted to run to his house to get tools out of his garage to break into my car for me. Um, thanks, but no thanks, sir. Much to my dismay, Policeman #1, although kind and friendly, could not get me into my car because he didn't have the correct tools. Fortunately, Madison was still in great spirits (and still snug and safe in her car seat...what a good mom!) as she was watching all of the excitement that was happening around our car.

Just as I am thinking that I should have taken the scary guy up on his offer to run home and get his tools, Policeman #1 calls for backup. I don't know that I have ever required backup before. Impressive, I know. Policeman #2 needed to finish up an arrest he was making at a nearby store, but finally arrived on the scene (with the woman he arrested in the back of his car, of course).

Fortunately, Policeman #2 had the correct tools, and although the frame of my car door is now bent ever-so-slightly, Olivia and I were finally able to join Madison in the car. Almost forty minutes from start to finish and our crisis was finally averted.

So, my question to you is this...clearly someone needs to be blamed for this unfortunate incident, but who should take the fall?!?!?!? Should it be me for forgetting about my car keys and leaving them right where Madison could get them into her hot little hands? Should it be Madison for taking the keys that she knows she's not allowed to play with and then not listening to my repeated cries of "push the OTHER button, no the OTHER button"? Or should it be Steve for ditching his beautiful family so that he could spend the day golfing with friends? After all, if he hadn't been golfing, this incident surely wouldn't have happened, right?!?!?

And finally, I do need to throw out two very special thank yous to conclude this story. The first thank you goes to my mother for kindly reminding me (moments after this ordeal) that the experience should serve as a reminder that you can never be too careful. Things can happen in only a moment. Thanks for the helpful advice mom. Too bad your words of wisdom weren't given that morning instead.

And the second thank you goes to LoLo for encouraging me to write about this story on my "blob". I hope it's ok that I posted it here on my "blog" instead!