You know how you do some things just by a general routine? Like some people automatically put their bag or purse on the passenger’s seat in the car or you have a certain order of getting cleaned up in the shower or something? I have a certain order for getting the girls in and out of the car when I’m the only adult with them. If anything screws up that order, chaos ensues.
We’ve had an interesting morning around here. I’m just glad that we’re home again and I have a little more control over the events of the day.
It all started just fine with a trip to the doctor for Emily for her Well-Baby checkup. She’s doing great, growing and big and healthy aside from her cold. And it was her cold that got us into trouble later.
As we left the clinic, we saw our friends’ vehicle parked next to ours. Jill is pregnant and due in early March, so this wasn’t very surprising. We just took note of it and got into our car and left. I dropped off Matt at his office, and away went the girls and me for Willie’s Super Valu, Home of the People Lovers!
I promised Kirstin something special for breakfast if she just wouldn’t complain too much about being hungry while at the doctor’s office. The great mother I am, I was only able to get Emily fed this morning before we left for the appointment.
We turned into the Willie’s parking lot and found a space. As I turned the key in the ignition, I looked in the rearview mirror to see how Emily was doing.
She had snot running out of her nose and into her mouth. It was gross! So I figured I’d just clean her up a little before heading into the store. I got out of the car, opened Kirstin’s door, got her unbuckled so she could get out, told her stay right next to the car, and headed over to the other side for Emily. Not thinking, I did as I always do when I get her out. I tossed the keys next to the car seat. Then I reached over her and grabbed a tissue and got her cleaned up. I got her unbuckled and out of the car and shut the door. By now you can see where this is going.
I walked over to Kirstin, shut her door and did my accustomed gesture: I checked my pockets for my keys.
There was no misshapen bulge where they keys usually sit in the pocket.
I checked again. Nope, still not feeling anything. Hmm…
One thing to understand about my car: it gives you seven seconds after closing the door until it actually locks. Knowing this, I shot my arm out to Kirstin’s door again.
And it locked just as I pulled up on the handle.
CRUD! (My real words were a little different, but you get the picture.)
Well, I did some fast thinking as I walked into the store with the girls. Matt has an extra key for my car on his key ring. I would just see if I could find someone with whom to leave the girls for a minute and go back out to the car and make sure the keys were in it. We grabbed a cart; I put Emily in the child seat, and walked into the store. And there was Julie, the girls’ adopted Grandmother and checker extraordinaire. She had no problem taking a second to watch them while I ran out. And sure enough, there they were, sitting next to the car seat. Because of the added movement of cleaning up Emily with the tissue, my routine was thrown off and they stayed there.
Now I knew for a fact I had to call Matt and see if he could come down with the extra key. So, I asked Julie to use the phone, and called him. Of course, more bad luck. I just got his voicemail. I didn’t know if he was in a meeting or not. I didn’t know how long we would be stuck at the store. I figured I could at least buy some breakfast and get Kirstin fed, so we started heading to the bakery section for some doughnuts. I thought we could sit in the seating area while we waited and have some breakfast. As we headed that way, I looked through the door, and who should be coming in but Jill and Erik and their youngest, soon to be middle child, Owen. Yay!
They came in and we made small talk about how cold it is and all that, and I told them my predicament. We did some shopping, and then Jill took my girls with her while Erik and I went in search of Matt. Low and behold, he was already on his way, and we met him on the road. So, we turned around and went back to Willie’s. Matt unlocked my car, all three of us went in to the store, we found Jill, chatted for a few minutes longer, and then left.
What I thought would take maybe ten minutes in the store turned into more than a half hour debacle. All because Emily has a cold.
