Oops

My friend Amber once locked herself out of the house with her two-week old on a hot summer day. You can read about it at www.amberwire.com. (If I were more savvy I could link right to the post, but as it is you'll have to navigate back to June 28, 2009). In short, she was very alarmed to have put her little one in danger of being overheated but was saved by a well-placed cell phone. In her bra.

I can top that.

Yesterday, I locked myself out of the house. With my 10-month-old son INSIDE. On the loose, and very mobile.

I was working in the kitchen all morning making homemade chicken stock and feeling like a very good little homemaker. Having done all the calculations, I am afraid to admit that I was rather impressed with myself for finding a way to make it cheaper than storebought and of course more delicious. I had one eye on Jamus as he was crawling around the family room (gotta love an open floor plan). I decided to grab a couple of bags of blueberries from the freezer in the garage to make some blueberry syrup. As long as you're going to be in the kitchen all day, you might as well multi-task! Proverbs 31!

Jamus is so fast these days, and very curious. Every time you open a door that is usually closed, his eyes get big and he darts for it. So, of course, like a good Mommy I close the door to the garage behind me so he doesn't fall down the cement steps. The door closes and I hear the finality of that little "click" sound.

OH CRAP. I realize right away that it is very likely locked. I check it and sure enough I am locked out of the house with my baby inside. I feel the panic rising as I think about his favorite dangers. I know I have to act fast. I check a spot in the garage where I had once thought of putting a spare key. Nope. I run outside and look under the welcome mat even though I know we moved that key after only one night (too obvious).

I briefly consider breaking a window. I decide against it but I realize that it is a good backup plan.

Unlike my friend Amber, I did not have the foresight to carry my cell phone in my bra. Gratefully, however, I am wearing a bra, and so it is a little less embarrassing when I ask my pastor next door neighbor to use his phone. I call Joel and tell him he must come home immediately. He agrees.

I went around the house looking in all the windows while I waited. I couldn't see him, but I could hear him happily banging away on something. "Oh good," I thought to myself, "still alive." I went to the back door to be sure he wasn't playing with the tv or lamp cords. I was ready to break a window if I saw him crawling toward them. By the grace of God, Joel got home in under 5 minutes and Jamus was safely playing with his toys when we got in.

So this morning I checked on the blueberry syrup Jamus risked his life for and it has inexplicably turned into jelly. I guess I'll have to wait till next year to be nominated for the Proverbs 31 awards.