Scary...

Today was a day I will always remember...

I went shopping to Old Navy for their sweet $5 deals...and as I was loading Anna and Jacob into the car to go home, I thought it would be a good idea to start the car because it was so hot out. I had the air going in the car but not the air conditioning. The doors automatically locked when I turned on the car and I thought for a second that I should unlock them...and I should have!

Because I had all the doors open I didn't think anything of it, until somehow I managed to close all the doors and lock my children in a hot car while it was running!!! I was panicking because I don't have a cell phone and I didn't want to run all the way to the store to call someone. I had planned to call Randy because he's usually the calm one under stress. I didn't have much time to think because the temperature in the car was already super hot. I thought maybe I should just break a window, but then I saw a couple across the way getting into their truck. I ran and amidst tears managed to ask if they had a cell phone I could use. I explained to them what happened and they said they would call the police because they would be there in no time to help me out. So the kind lady (I forgot her name) called the police, and a few long minutes later we saw the fire department coming down the road. We flagged them to where we were and they said they just 'happened' to be driving down the road. By now it had been close to 10 minutes for the kids, and they were both doing so well. Anna wasn't crying, but she was awake and moving around, and Jacob just kept smiling at me when I would look into the car. I have to say I have never felt more helpless and guilty! I can't believe I locked them in there!!

Anyway, a couple of minutes later we saw the police officer coming down the road and he had some tools to open the car. I guess he had two sets because one of the fire fighters was on one door and he was on another trying to open the car. For those intense minutes, I prayed harder than I have prayed in a long time. And of course, my prayers were answered when the police officer got the door open!


We even had a 'random' pedestrian drive by and stop and get out of his car and offer to help the officer to get the door open.
I am so so grateful for the kindness and help all those people were to me today. When we got the kids out, Jacob had sweat running down his face but was otherwise ok. We gave him water and took them both out of the car. They checked Anna's pulse because she's so young...and everything was ok.


What an experience... I have heard of mothers who have done that with catastrophic results, and I thought I would never be one of those moms who locked their kids in the car. I'm so thankful everything turned out ok and that I was able to be helped by so many people.

Note to self: keep an extra set of keys in my purse.