two words

When my mother in law was here last week we were just talking one night about life in general. We women can talk about life in general forever sometimes. I mentioned to her during that conversation that I will never again say "never." I explained to her how it seemed like this year all the "nevers" I ever said came back to haunt me. Lesson learned.
That being said today I locked my two youngest kids in the car. Never done that before, until today.
We got up early. I even showered. The kids were cooperative and happy. We picked up our little friend that we drive to preschool on Wednesdays and headed to school. We walked the kids in and Adelle and Emmett played for a few minutes before saying goodbye to Brax and heading out.
Emmett always plays with my keys when I am loading him into his car seat. The thing is he doesn't usually want to be loaded in so when I offer my keys he takes them and I am able to strap him up tight without him battling me. So it was today. I strap him in and walk around to the other side to get Adelle all buckled. Both kids buckled I slam the door only to hear click before I get a chance to open my own door. That has never happened before. Emmett pushed the right button at the wrong time and locked himself and his sister in the car.
For the first couple minutes I'm outside Emmett's window telling him to keep pushing buttons, which he is not doing. He's waving my keys around in that cute little hand I mentioned last post. Then I am asking Adelle to try and get the keys from Emmett. She can't reach because she is buckled into her car seat nice and snug. Huh. Next I am thinking I have to call a locksmith but oops, my phone is locked in the car with the kids. Of all the days of the year today was a day I could not call my husband to rescue me.
So I humbly run back into the preschool (it's only a few feet from the car people) and tell my story to which my dear friend, aka Braxton's teacher, lends me her phone book and cell phone. I go back out to the car to find Emmett upset that I had left and keys no longer in hand. He must have dropped them.
I used the phone book (side note this must be why they still have phone books because I haven't used one in ages thanks to internet and 411) yellow pages and looked up locksmith. I called the first number I saw and some friendly guy answered. I told him my story and he said he was already on his way, he'd be there in less than 10 minutes. Relief. Meanwhile Emmett is still upset because he doesn't understand why I am outside the car while he is inside the car crying. He's looking at me like, "open the door and make me feel better." I ask Adelle to sing a song to Emmett and she says, "I just want a pretzel." The pretzels are in the front seat but I can't get to those either. She agrees to sing to Emmett so with my assistance we sing If You're Happy and You Know It.
Just then KEY WEST pulls up. A happy man, the one I spoke to, gets out and looks at me sympathetically. I already like him based on our phone conversation. He maneuvers a few things and opens the door. There is the key laying on the floor between the middle row of seats and the door. I get Adelle a pretzel. First things first. I tell him thank you again and again. I want to hug this man. I want to explain to him the whole story so he doesn't think I'm crazy. My mind is racing because that is always what my mind does. How am I going to pay him? Certainly he doesn't take my debit card? I don't have my check book. Do I have enough cash? I look at this man and say, "so, how does this work now because I don't even have my checkbook." Without hesitation he told me, "this is how it works. You tell me thank-you and go on your way. I go back to the office and wait for another call." That is when my heart wants to jump out of my chest. I almost cried. So I continued to thank him and he proceeded to tell me that for 18 years he's been getting kids out of locked cars for free. Wow, it was almost to easy. He didn't want anything and he was for real, not just saying that. I would have paid him a million bucks.
I love everything about this experience. I love that I said my morning prayer before leaving the house instead of while I was driving like sometimes happens on busy mornings. I love that this man heard the terror in my voice and helped me, because he wanted to. Not because he knew me or because I meant anything to him. Just because he was a nice man and he could tell I was in a real bind.
Today was a nice reminder of two words: Thank You. It's OK to mess up and it's OK to have to rely on others. I was at the mercy of this man and he knew it and yet, he didn't expect any form of payment except for me to be thankful.
Two words for the day KEY WEST! They rock!