Lock Out

A friend asked me if I've had any big mom freak out moments now that I have four kids and I honestly couldn't think of anything good.  Well, today I definitely had one so I am writing it down before I forget.

Tucker was at school and Bob was at work and I was walking home with Penelope, Scarlett, and Leon from a neighbors house.  When we got close we saw a friend who was bringing a big tv box to me.  See, it was getting close to Father's day and I wanted to trick Bob into thinking I got him a new tv.  It should have been an easy sell because our tv just broke and father's day was less than two weeks away.  My friends had just bought a new tv and was giving me her box.  I wanted to put it in the garage with blankets over it with only a corner sticking out so bob might "accidentally" see his "father's day present."  What I actually got him was not near as cool as a tv, I just think it is fun to trick him since it so rarely happens.

Anyway, the friend had a tiny dog with her and tiny or not Scarlett got scared.  I also had my hands full with Leon and my diaper bag so we opened the garage and went inside really quick so I could I set Leon in his swing and put down my bag.  Scarlett stayed inside, penelope stayed outside.

I went back out and we chatted for a while after which she left and I hid the box under blankets in the garage.  Penelope and I tried to get into the garage door and, surprise, it was locked!  My heart instantly started pounding.  My keys were in my bag, which is now inside, and I knew the other doors were locked.  Scarlett had locked the door from the inside.

I instantly started trying to call her and get her to open the door.  I didn't hear any response.  So I ran to the front of the house and started looking in the window.  I saw Leon in his swing and Scarlett was no where to be found.  My friend left already and I didn't even have a phone because that was in my bag as well.

For a minute I was hopeful because we have a hide a key.  Bob wanted it to be really well hidden so a burglar couldn't use it, and I wanted it to exist for this very situation.  So bob buried it under rocks near or door.  I thought I knew where it was, but I was wrong.  Anyone who drove by got to see me panicky digging with my hands in the front of my house and Penelope standing there getting upset as well.  I couldn't find it!  I once again had no idea what to do.

So I went back to the window and started calling Scarlett.  I heard nothing!  Then Leon started crying.  He is in his swing but he started kicking his feet and he wiggled himself down to where his feet were touching the ground and he was half in the swing half out crying.  Scarlett hears his cries and of course runs to the rescue.  I am standing in the front yard watching in horror as my 2-year-old tries to pick up my 2-month-old and put him back on the swing.  It wasn't going well.

In my desperation I keep yelling (so she can hear me through the closed window) "Scarlett open the door."  I knew this was a longshot because she doesn't know how to work the locks and doen'st know how to unlock the door.  She must have just been playing around when she locked the door and had no idea what she did.  She just looked at me but didn't make any move to open the door.  I even told her I would give her candy but she still didn't come toward the door and now Penelope wants candy.

A couple more minutes passed and I really didn't know what to do.  I thought about breaking a window but since I could see Leon and he was crying but ok, I thought I would wait for Scarlett to decide to try and open the door.

Then I remembered that sometimes Bob opens the bathroom window upstairs in the mornings when he showers.  So I checked and sure enough the window was cracked.  I ran around back, climbed on top of the swingset and onto the roof.  I then pried the old rusty window about a foot open and climbed in.  That wasn't easy and I would never have done it if I had any other choice.

I took a deep breath and picked up Leon and let Penelope inside.  It was over...mostly.  Leon had calmed down so I put him on his tummy for tummy time and make a quick lunch for the girls.  A couple minutes had passed and I realized that Leon was being unusually quiet.  He usually gets fussy after a minute or two on his tummy.  I walk into the family room and see him face down into the carpet not moving.  My heart stopped.  He never falls asleep that fast and his face was literally straight into the carpet!  I stared at his back really hard and couldn't see him breathing.  I was so scared I flipped him over and he woke up!  I was so happy but shaking at the same time.

It was a stressful 20 minutes and definitely a mom freak out moment.

I took these pictures after I made sure he was breathing.  He went back to sleep with his face slightly to the side.