After spending nearly a week at Grannie and Pops house while Daddy was gone, we headed home Thursday so that we could have small group at our house. The kids did AMAZING in the car drive. We didn't have to stop, and no one cried or got upset. It was awesome. I was so excited we didn't have to stop so we'd get home an hour before small group started and I'd have time to clean the house a little extra before everyone got there. As I turn into our neighborhood, Josiah is starting to lose it and I notice the electric company trucks at the bottom of the hill. Then, my garage doors don't open. Ahhh...looks like we don't have electricity. Did I mention it's 107 degrees out? So I got the kids and Bella out and went up to to open the front door to see if it was too hot inside to have small group...my key doesn't work. Took the kids and dog around to the backdoor to see if my key works there, nope it doesn't. Start to get a little flustered...Then I realize the gate on our fence locks only from the outside, so I'm now stuck in the backyard and sweating with two kids and a dog. Got the hose out, drenched Bella, filled up some water bowls that were in the backyard, prayed she wouldn't get overheated and then went down to the bottom of the hill, lifted the kids over the neighbors fence, climbed over it myself, then used their gate to get out. Called friends that were in small group and tried to explain what was going on, they offered to call everyone else, thankfully!!! Addilyn starts telling me she's soo hungry and soooo thirsty. So I put two kids in the car that do NOT want to be back in the car and head to find food. Get to Jason's Deli, eat, eat ice cream...try to nurse Josiah who is hot and cranky and does not want to be under a cover...take Addilyn potty, head to the car and can't find my keys. Unload the entire diaper bag, can't find them. Go back inside, look in our booth, in the bathroom, can't find them. Derrick calls right as I sit down in the bathroom to sift through my diaper bag once again and I lose it. I cry and admit I'm scared and don't know what to do. "It's ok, Mom, it's ok" Addilyn says. Then Josiah crawls over to the toilet and starts to play in it and my pity party is over, save the baby from the disgusting potty. Mommy mode back and I'm good. We go back to the table, check again and don't find the keys then go to the front and hope and pray that maybe just maybe someone turned them in. THEY DID!!! The manager tried to quiz me on what the keys looked like, etc and I could barely get words out without wanting to cry and unload my whole story. Then, right as I get those, a friend (and neighbor) calls and says that they still have our house key from the last time they watched Bella (over a month ago) and her husband was headed up the hill to give it to me. Oh, thank you thank you thank you. I explain where I am and just ask to leave them on the porch. Then get off the phone, get my cranky baby and rockstar big girl into the car and head home wondering just how hot it is inside our house. As I'm heading home, I get a phone call that since I wasn't there, he used the key and got in the house and could turn on the lights and it wasn't too hot. HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!
That night, I was telling Addilyn how great she did and how proud I was of her and she told me, "Mom, I didn't even cry! You did though. It's ok to be a little scared. I'll be brave for us."
Then, the next morning, I wake up to this
in my kitchen. A paraplegic mouse. So, it can't ran away from me.
I know it's super important for lots of women now a days (yes, I'm old) to not need a man and to be independent. Knowing this, I sort of felt like a wimp going to my parents for the majority of his trip. Whatever. I need my husband. He not only would have never gone anywhere without a working house key on his key ring, and could have taken care of the mouse for me but he would have prayed with me, calmed me, and loved me. He is my better half, my forever, and my spiritual leader. And, he is not allowed to go out of town without us for a long time.
