Locked Out

Little Sir is very very happy. He has a story to tell, and he doesn't care who he shares it with. The fact that it might bring embarrassment upon his mommy somehow makes the whole story-telling that much more pleasurable.

It all started like this. I had come home from substitute-teaching on one of those particularly brutally windy and cold days last week, just in time to kiss DH good-bye as he rushed out the door for work. As we were scurrying around the house, grabbing coats, hats, Little Sir's backpack, etc. , yelling questions back and forth ("What did Little Sir eat for lunch?" "Who's babysitting him today?" "I have to drop him off at K's after karate so I can go teach lessons." "Did you fix the flat on your car?", and so on.) These days, this is basically how DH and I communicate in person...on the fly. We actually speak more on the phone than face-to-face.

In the midst of all that, Little Sir is yelling, "Someone's knocking on the door!" "What?" "Somebody's knocking on the door!" "NO! Not now! Who is it?" "I don't know. There's a "Stranger's" car in the driveway."

Sigh loudly. Grumble, grumble. It better NOT be a JW or something, or someone trying to sell us something. NOT today!

I open the door to see 2 ordinary-looking young men standing on the porch, obviously freezing to death. "Are you selling that bus out there?"

Oh no. Not now. DH and I look at each other. If he does it, he'll be late. I have about 15 minutes leeway before Little Sir and I absolutely have to roll out of the driveway. Ok. DH leaves, and I play saleslady.

I grab the keys to our converted schoolbus/RV (which IS for sale...anyone interested?) and take the young men on the tour. "It's fully self-contained, has all new kitchen appliances, tub as well as shower," blah blah blah. They are suitably impressed, as everybody is. Discuss the engine, price. Blah blah blah. "We'll be back..." They never are.

I stick the bus keys in my coat pocket, run back in the house. , "Are you ready, Honey?" I ask Little Sir. He's all bundled up like a snowman, over his karate clothes. I briefly think I should either change his pants into something heavier, or pull sweats over them...second guess myself...no, we'll only be outside for a second, then in the car, heat on, he'll be fine. Make sure the back door is locked, lock the front door behind me, check my coat pocket for the keys, and race to the car. "Ok, Hon', let's get buckled quickly. We don't want to be late!"

I reach in my coat pocket for the car keys, pull them out and, "Oh, no! NO!"

"What's wrong?"

"These are the bus keys!" I frantically search the other pocket, my pocketbook (where I KNOW my cars keys are not...my keychain, the one with the HOUSE key on it!)

I quickly close Little Sir into the car. At least he won't be out in the wind. Ok. I can figure this out. I am an intelligent woman.

I check the back door, even tho' I know I just checked it from the INSIDE to be sure it was locked. I check all the windows, but they have these security stops on them...can't open them more than an inch from the outside. Sigh. Ok. What do I do now? DH is already too far away to have him come back. What do I do? I don't have my car keys, so I can't drive to get help.
Think! Nothing. No ideas.

Ok. Call DH. "I'm almost to Southampton. Do you want me to come home?" "No. That's crazy. Then you'd be really late for work. I'll figure something out."

Back in the car. Tell Little Sir what's going on. "Try the window." "I did...they're all locked." Well, actually, I didn't try ALL the windows. Not the ones in his bedroom. Ok. Couldn't hurt to check.

By some miracle, one of those opened! Yay! But it's over my shoulders. Ok. Go get Little Sir. "You have to help me, Hon'. I'm going to put you through your bedroom window, and you go unlock the front door, ok?" (Normally, he is NOT allowed to unlock the doors!) "Ok!" HE'S got a big smile on his face. HE thinks this is an adventure. HE is laughing as I put him through the window, and drop him on the other side, ever-so-carefully. I hear his footsteps through the house. I hear his little voice on the outside of the front door, "I did it!"

I am so happy, so proud of him! "You did such a great job! I'm so glad you were here with me!"

Oh no. I check the time. Too late to get him to karate, now. He would've missed half the class. No point. "I'm sorry, Love. That took so much time, we can't go to karate today."

"That's ok." he beams back at me. "I saved the day!"

On our way to K's now, to drop him off for a few hours of playing with her kids while I teach music, he is happily chattering in the backseat. "I did it! I went through the window. I opened the door all by myself. We were locked out and I saved the day!" I call DH and let him know, and let Little Sir tell his exciting news on the phone.

And as soon as we got to K's, he had to share his story.

It's great to get to be the hero sometimes. Even when you're only four years old.



(Many thanks to Luna for sharing her story, and inspiring me to blog about mine!)