By Sunday morning (as Joe was headed out the door for the drive back home) it was decided that Lil MAY have heat stroke, but since Grandma has pretty precarious health, I'd better keep Lil away from everyone else. So my (AWESOME AND FANTASTICAL) mom came and got Lacey for the day, and I stayed at my cousin's house with Matthew and a very weak and VERY tired Lilia. It was a bit of a disappointment since I was losing the opportunity to go to church with the family, as well as to spend more time with Grandma. BUT you make the most of it, and I for sure didn't blame poor Lil for landing us in this spot. Sunday was pretty boring. Lots of cartoon watching, book reading, and Matthew chasing. But there was one not so boring incident...
I had just finished changing an especially bad diaper and instead of throwing it in the trash, I chose to take it out to the garbage can. (Aren't I considerate?) Lil was asleep on the couch, and Matthew was watching a show. I was still in my pajamas and totally shoeless. But it was like, 15 steps from the front door. No biggie right? HA! As I went out the door I was careful to close the metal screen door behind me so Matthew wouldn't escape. Instead of trying to escape, as I lifted the lid of the garbage can I heard Matthew close the main door (wood) behind me. The little stinker. I went to go back inside and found that the screen (metal- not mesh) was LOCKED. And I didn't have a key! It seems the screen door is the type that only locks on the outside. The inside knob still turns when it is locked. I had no idea until I got back to the door that it was locked! Okay... no problem. I will ring the doorbell. What? No doorbell? CRAP. Okay... lets go check windows. (I know, you all think I should check the back door, right? Well I KNEW it was locked since the night before I had noticed it wasn't and I had LOCKED IT! But I did check it again, just to be sure). WELL- it turns out that my cousin's house was a bit on the older side. And ALL the windows were the kind that automatically click shut when the window is closed. You have to push the lever to unlock it as you slide it open... sorry- off the topic there a bit. Back to the point.
To recap:
Both doors locked.
All windows locked.
Both kids INSIDE. One sleeping and sick. And one (troublemaker) very much awake.
Pajamas. Barefoot. No Keys. No Phone.
Family is all in church. No one to call. And only one phone number memorized...
I spent about 5 minutes banging on windows and the back door trying to wake Lilia up. She didn't budge. Through the back door's window, I could see her passed out on the couch, and I could also see Matthew playing with my cousin's laptop, watching TV, dancing with something on TV, and of course, yelling back at me like this is SUCH a fun game. After a while I realized it was useless to try to "raise the dead" and so I hopped back over the fence (it was locked too) barefoot. I then hot footed it (literally) across the street to the only neighbor who was home (I tried three other houses first) and BEGGED them to let me use the phone. Explaining quickly who I was and why I was standing in their yard disheveled and crazed... I called my mom's cell (knowing full well that she was still at church), and PRAYED she had not turned off the ringer. Well- I guess two miracles in one day was one too many, cause her phone was OFF. I left a message to call me ASAP. And then went back to check on the kids. As best I could. Turns out, the show on Netflix had ended and Matthew was getting upset. I was no longer playing the "Yelling game" and he wanted me. The neighbors had followed me across the street and over the fence, and we all took turns looking through the back window at the keys sitting on the coffee table, and the 16 month old crying hysterically. Finally it was decided that we NEEDED to do something - NOW. My cousin has a back porch that is totally screened in, and it was the only entrance to the house that was NOT glass or wood. I knew the door from the house to the porch was unlocked since I had stashed some not so kid friendly items on that porch just a few hours previous. With my permission, the neighbor tore away the plastic covering the screens, and then punched his arm right through the screen. He tore a hole big enough for me to fit through, and I scrambled inside to calm my poor son. I then let them in through the house since I didn't want them to have to hop the fence again. I proved to them I was not some crazy chick, but a legitimate "momma in distress" and then thanked them for vandalizing my cousin's house and bid them a good day. And sat down a cried.
I felt SO GUILTY for the damage. And bless their hearts, my cousin and his wife took it in stride (and maybe a chuckle or two). They completely understood, and shrugged off the damage. But mark my words... I WILL be paying to have that hole fixed.
Lil had a couple really terrible nightmares on Sunday, but otherwise she had finally stopped throwing up around 11 am so we felt sure she was on the mend.
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