There is a story in our family that is filed under the "famous" catagory. Each family has that catagory...stories that are told and retold and known by all members of the family as if it happened to them. Last year I spoke of one that also was filed under "most embarassing moment." But this one is one that is just soooooo sweet...I was a Toddler. The toddling age or possibly just emerging from toddling. Say 3-5 years old. (Maybe my mom can clear that up in the comments.) My dad and his dad had recently taken me to the park where the ducks were and we all took pictures. It was a fun day.
My dad had just left for a morning run and being the early riser that I was and also given the fact that apparently my father couldn't as much break his sleeping breathing pattern without waking me, I was awake in our house. My mom and my new-ish little sister (the one who slept in) were NOT awake.
The story goes that I gathered my toy camera, my sock monkey and a blanket. Did I have a blanket too? Hmm, I don't remember. But the mental picture is waaaay cuter if I have a blanket so I am going to say I had one with me. OK, camera, sock monkey and blanket in hand, I left the house on a search for the park where we fed the ducks. I believe it was my mom who woke up feeling that "something is wrong" feeling when she found me walking down our block.
How cute is that?! I just wanted to take pictures of the duck! Oh I love that story. It's precious. It's adorable. I have always felt that way.
UNTIL TODAY.
I started the "awake" portion of my day today seeing that I had a missed call from David on my cell phone. I called him back and the first thing he asked was:
"Is Lucy in the house?"
Uhhhhhhhh....
"I got a call this morning from Kim [our wonderful salsa making neighbor] saying Lucy was at their front door ringing the doorbell."
OHMYFREAKINGGOSHICANTBELIEVESHELEFTTHEHOUSEAND-
"Sweetie? You still there? Kim said Lucy told her that her mommy was sleeping but it was OK for her to come over. Kim walked her back to the house, locked the screen and called me. So I thought I'd call to make sure Lucy was still there."My mind is spinning and the moments it slows down and allows coherant thoughts, it really isn't very comforting....
-We live on a busy street she could have just walked out into traffic
-I didn't even HEAR the door open or close and it isn't a very noisy door. My Mommy instinct must be off.
-She probably woke the neighbors up since their vacation just started this week.
And the most fun thought of all?
The fact that I KNOW Lucy changed out of her pajammys into a dress she found in her closet that was waaay too short. And that she wasn't wearing any underwear. She was going commando.
Lets reflect on the story of me as a child once again...
MOM, I AM SO SORRY!!
OMG!!! That scared me!! Thank God your neighbor was home!
ReplyDeleteHome Depot has those alarms you can peel and stick to your door--when you switch it to on, it wil make a LOUD noise, or you can switch it to chime-or off. $10 for two of them. They really work!
It will be funny to you someday....
A deadbolt that is keyed on both sides. That's what we had to do when JC was about two years old. He wandered out once when I was in the shower...
ReplyDeleteSCAAAAAAARY!!!! Props to Lucy's guardian angel!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Lolly on the door alarm thingys. I've seen them at Walgreens too, or any drugstore-type place.
Oh my gosh. I can feel that unsettling feeling that you are probably STILL experiencing even hours later.
ReplyDeleteSo glad nothing happened to her!
Oh Benny, I have been thinking abou this all day today and I am still sorta freaking out and praying for extra angels to be assigned to sweet Lucy. And I am still PRAISING God that NOTHING happened to her. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus.
ReplyDeleteglad she's safe... didn't something like that happen to michelle coffman, too? a neighbor sat with john on the front steps or something?
ReplyDeletethere are those flip locks too - you put 'em up high where they can't reach... our friends had to put one on their pantry door cause they have little ones who are midnight snackers! seriously, they find the kids sleeping in the kitchen with wrappers all over them and chocolate smeared on their faces... (i'm exaggerating a little)
nope-no blanket...but really cute footed jammies...and a neighbor saw you...and the rest of the details have been erased from my memory-except the praise to your Heavenly Father for protecting you.
ReplyDeleteI think you were two because Kristy was very little.
Yeah Guardian Angels and Yeah Kim!!!
I love you Binky-Boo
Oh my goodness!! Lucy Goose, you brave little soul. I love the no undies part, but how scary.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you Nathan's mom :) Hope all is well. The boys miss Nathan.
ReplyDeleteOh my! I know that feeling, I took the laundry around back one day, I closed the front door, and the front apartment door, leaving my daughter inside watching TV. All I had to do was put the drying rack out back in the sun, it would only take a minute. In that minute my daughter somehow got the doors open and when I walked around the corner of the house, she was standing about 3 feet from the front door. I FREAKED out. We lived on a busy street too. Praise The Lord, she didn't venture any further than that!
ReplyDeleteWhen Eric was 2 he decided to go visit my neighbor. I heard my doorbell ring and my neighbor holding Eric said "missing something?" After my shock I said "why did you come in my house, take my baby then ring my doorbell?" We both got a laugh out of it but we were both so grateful he just wandered next door.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Troy
I am totally identifying. . .I used to wander out of the house all of the time much to my mothers dismay. . now I have a wandering child. I am right there with you and just know that we (meaning you and me and our daughters) are a very special breed!. :)
ReplyDeleteThanking the Lord that your little darlin is safe and will continue to be so in her little commando world!
I love the story... children do have a way of escaping!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young I sleptwalked in the middle of the night while my family was on vacation at the beach. This involved me climbing down from the top bunk bed in the back of the trailer, walking past my parents bed, unlocking the front door, walking out of the trailer while locking myself out, and doing who knows what for who knows how long. Hah! I woke my parents back up trying to get back in and the door being locked. That freaked em out just a little...
Also, my younger sister climbed out of her stroller when my mom went into the house to grab something she forgot and opened the front gate and walked across one of the 2 biggest roads in town to my grandmothers house across the street. My mom got a call from my grandma asking why she was there. I think we had padlocks on our front gates from then on out.
You aren't alone! :)
Nice meeting you. How do you know Carol? I know her through church :)
~Heather
We currently have three really high deadbolts on all of our doors, because Elly did something along those lines. I awoke one morning to the dog barking, and thinking he had to go out, I rushed out to find him barking, not because he had to pee, but because Elly was sitting in the middle of the floor, back door wide open, with a beer!! (We keep the beer outside in the fridge in our bbq!) Needless to say, we now have three heavy duty, high deadbolts!
ReplyDeleteps-Lucy would fit right in in our neighborhood, we have a whole gaggle of commando girls running the streets!!