The Mason jar rescue

Little S had his first full day of daycare yesterday and I was just as nervous and excited as he was. We got up a little earlier than need be and I quickly bundled him up head to toe in snow gear and headed him out to the car parked on the street below. As I fumbled for my keys and searched for the missing diaper bag I quickly remembered the frozen snow piled car that we'd laughed at the day before. It looked like our car was wearing an outfit. I realized we'd need a scraper and probably even a little warm water to quickly unfreeze the windshield wipers. Little S was waiting impatiently on the doorstep for me and I was trying to watch him so I grabbed the first thing I found, a large Mason jar I keep by the sink to keep my scrub brushes in, not the most practical thing. It does not have a lid. I had to try and hold S's hand, a diaper bag, my purse and a large open jar of water all while walking down the very steep icy street in front of our house towards the car.

I set about de-icing the car. It was a much bigger job than I could have imagined. My piddle of water wasn't much help unsticking the windsheild wipers. It was cold so I stuck Little S in the car, letting him enjoy the warmth and hoping that the heat would quickly defrost the windsheild wiper so we could get there in time. There was at least 6 inches of snow piled onto every inch of the car so I diligently continued with the snow removal on the outside while Little S stayed warm inside. He insisted I close the door as only a toddler can insist. "Oh that's okay" I thought. He'll be warmer."

And then suddenly... to my horror...he locked the door. POP.

"Oh my god Little S!" I started pounding frantically on the window. "open the lock Little S! OPEN! OPEN ! Pull up! PLEEEEASE. Look at mommy! Look here! PLEEEEASE!!!" I was screaming and pounding and pointing. I was a maniac. My child was locked inside a running car parked on a high hill above a LAKE! I was a madwomen. I ran to the neighbors house just in front of the parking lot and pounded frantically on his door. "Mr. Dupont!!! Open up!" He wasn't answering. Most of the elderly people here take a long time to answer. Most are nearly deaf or just plain slowed by old age and too many staircases. Maybe I could run and get our contracter Mr. Garcia." I started for my house where he was working but then I reminded myself that my baby was in a running car parked on steep hill above a lake! What was I thinking!

Meanwhile there was no one around. The parking lot was completely silent. My cell phone was locked in the car with Little S. I felt completely helpless.

Finally mother bear instinct took over. "Rooooar!" I bashed the rear passenger window with the mason jar. Relief.

Julie of A Little Pregnant once wrote a post about leaving her son Charlie at home and going out shopping with her mother. It was all a huge miscommunication as she forgot to tell her father they were going out and he was supposed to babysit. She invited the readers of her blog to share similar bad mommy stories. The stories are priceless. I remember laughing while reading them and thinking, "wow that was dumb! What an idiot!"

Now I can add my own story.