Today my toddler saved my ass. Really she saved her own ass and that of her 1yr old brother.
This is what happened.
We'd been to swimming lessons. This is not really vital background to the story other than to possibly explain why I wasn't paying 100% attention like I should have been. I'm always a little zonked on a Tuesday after back to back swim lessons. See, I take two tiny people (and a 7month preggy belly) to swimming lessons each week...by myself. Wee man sits in a little portacot at the side of the very tiny hydrotherapy pool in the physio's office while I take chicken little for her swim lesson. I then dry her off and set her on the bench with many many snacks to watch while I whip wee man from cot, change him and join the next swim lesson which begins as the first one ends. It actually runs fairly smoothly most days.
So, after our regularly scheduled swimming adventure we made a quick dash into the adjacent shopping center for some nappies. When we returned to the car I left wee man in trolley with purchases and placed chicken little in her car seat.
I left her door open as the car was pretty steamy (36 degrees here today) I then wheeled trolley to the other side and lifted wee man into his car seat. He was doing his best impression of a steel rod and refusing to fold in the middle so that I could put him in his seat. Meanwhile, the guy in the car next to me (parked next to chicken little's door) returns to his car and starts trying to manouevre himself into his car while her door is still open. While wrestling with wee man I shouted over top of car telling the guy to feel free to shut that door as I had my hands full. He just glared at me through the windows and squeezed himself into his seat. Of course, he still wasn't going to get anywhere until the other car door was shut. Finally the wee man gave in, bent at the waist and I snapped him in safe and sound. Closed his door, leapt to the other side and kicked chicken little's door shut so that cranky pants could pull out.
I grabbed my trolley in one hand and the handle for the car boot in the other... hang on...nothing happening. Pulled the handle again. Nope, LOCKED! Gave myself a quick pat down. NO KEY!
Wee man inside the car, safely in car seat, big toothy grin and chubby little hands pressing buttons on the car keys.
AHHHHHHH!
Within 2 seconds I'd dismissed the idea of calling the RAC (take too long) and was mentally and physically preparing myself to kick in a window when I thought I'd see If Chicken little might be up to the task before I go karate chopping glass. I shouted through the window and asked her to jump out of her car seat. Mini Houdini obliged. On further instruction she pried keys from chubby fingers promptly pressed "the other button...NOOOOOOO! The OTHER button!!!!!" and mummy pulled doors open.
Phew!
As husband said to me when I told him. "Ye numpty!"
Chicken little has been presented with kiss, cuddles and a milky way.
3 comments:
did i ever tell you about the time michael was locked in his room? utterly horrible. we had no key for the bedroom door, poor thing was perhaps just 2 at the time....i called joey who told me to put a paperclip in and jiggle it (thinking it was one of those locks and not a key lock). i did. i called again (as i listened to my frightened child on the inside crying and begging with me to get him out...and i tried to remain calm myself). joey hadn't even left the office yet, not realizing what the panic was....(and it takes 15 minutes to get home)...eventually he understood, came home right away and we had to drill the lock (had little boy sitting on his bed away from the door)....it. was. horrible. he probably doesn't remember, but those seconds feel like hours don't they?
As a side note, nothing is more frustrating than those people who cannot wait for you to put your babes into the car. This occurred to me just the other day ... I deliberately went slower. 'The world went and got itself in a big hurry'.
Norbyah...I think your situation sounds far more stressful (for all) than mine. yikes!
Totally agree about the impatient folks. I hate when I have to put two kids in car and fold pram and get it in the car + shopping and somebody is waiting for my space... I get all flustered and suddenly can't do anything right.
aaaaannnnddd...It bothers me that nobody ever notices a car seat in your car when they decide to park so close to you that you have to climb in the opposite side to get yourself and child into their seat. aaaaannnndddd...when people with no car seats in their car are parked in the parent+pram spots. Hate that!
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