It finally happened. I locked her in the car.

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What a morning. 

Things started out so nicely. I was running a little late but Izzy was being quite cooperative and helpful. She dressed herself and helped me put the dog in his crate. We even had time to play a round of 'Grumpy Old Troll' in which Izzy blocks the doorway and I have to dramatically repeat whatever password she thinks up.

I did have a little trouble finding my keys, so I grabbed my husband's extra car key instead. I put them in my pocket and decided that I'd find mine later today. But on the way out of the house I noticed my keys on top of the microwave and swapped out the sets. For a brief second I thought about keeping that extra key in my pocket but decided it was silly to have both keys.

Yeah....

We go outside (the password to get past the troll was 'apple street', by the way) and I unlock the car, tell Izzy to climb in her seat and I open the front passenger seat to put my bag in. Then I reached over the console to put the key in the ignition and start the car. I shut the passenger side door and go to Izzy to finish strapping her in, close her door and go around to the driver's side. I pull the handle. Nothing.

I try not to curse around Izzy and if something slips out it's usually only 'damn' or 'shit'. But since we were separated by some steel, plastic and glass I let out a nice long, audible 'Oooooh Fuuuuuuudge'. But I didn't say 'fudge'. No, no, I said the mother of all curse words. Yeah, you know the one. Then I felt like a total ass for not only locking my kid in the car but for the possibility that she heard me drop the F-bomb.

I'm not sure how the car got locked. I must have hit the button on the fob when I put it in the ignition. Really I don't know. But I will be either leaving a door open or keeping the keys in my hand from now on.

Anyway, it just happened to be garbage day today and one of the garbage men was standing at the end of my driveway. He asked me if I was okay and I replied "No! I just locked my kid in my car!"

His reply?

"Oh. That sucks." 

And with that he turned away and went back to his job.

Dude. I realize its only 80 degrees out and my kid isn't in danger yet (and thankfully I had also turned the A/C on low when I started the car) but COME ON! Nothing? Not even an offer to call the police for me or anything?

I walked back to Izzy's side to see if I could instruct her to pull up the lock. But the locks sink too far into the door for her chubby fingers to dig out. I was still in panic mode and started going through the catalog in my head of what I should use to break a window. Should I break a house window to get in and get the extra keys or should I break a car window? And while I stood there simultaneously panicking and shooting the trash man dirty looks, my composure came back to me. I walked around our house looking for a spot to break in. I had already decided that if I really had to, I'd break a window in the back of the house.

Eventually I found a window that wasn't locked. I pulled our garden hose box up under the window, opened the windows and attempted to lift myself the rest of the way up.

Note to self: Do more strength training on my arms.

I turned to ask the trash man for a boost (FYI, this really all happened in about 3 minutes) and he was gone. Thanks for the help Waste Management guy. I'll remember you at Christmas.

I look back at the car and Izzy is happily sitting in her seat watching Humpty Dumpty trying to scale this wall. I try to lift myself again and get half way through the window and get caught up in the curtains. Ok, lets try again. Finally on my third attempt I get my hips up on the window sill and I shimmy myself onto the bed and into the house. I also got a nice scrap and bruise on my left thigh for my efforts.

I retrieved the extra key and we were on our way. But let me tell you, thank goodness I have lost some weight and have been working out. I never would have been able to lift myself into that window if this had happened back in March.

So everything is fine. It's such an awful, helpless feeling to see your kid sitting in the car and you can't get to them. I am so thankful that it wasn't really hot out yet and that it did happen at home. But geez Louise, I hope its at least another 3 years before I pull this stunt again! 

Would you believe I still made it to work on time too? 

(By the way, if you are looking for a house to break in to, I will be diligent about locking my windows from now on. Besides, we don't have anything nice anyway. You wouldn't walk away with much unless you want an obese cat and a dog that shits in laundry piles.)

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