How I make you feel better about yourself!

After our great week at the beach I've been trying to get back into the swing of things - something I always struggle with after vacation. Tomorrow I leave for a trip to North Carolina for my cousin's wedding (sans kiddos) so on Monday I will once again trying to find normal somewhere.

I still have to do my post for my now four year old Catherine.

I am looking forward to posting pictures that Renee took of my family while we were at the shore.

But in the meantime I am sharing a story that definitely, without a doubt, goes up there as the most stupid, careless thing I've ever done. Why am I sharing this? Maybe if I put it out there I'll never let it happen again! Who knows? But I definitely can't forget it, so it's going on the blog...

I have to start off by saying. No one and nothing got hurt. So just remember that as you read.

On Tuesday I was taking the girls swimming at a friend's house. We had been at the park in the morning, came home, scarfed down some lunch, grabbed our suits and piled in the car. As we started to leave I realized that I couldn't find my cell phone in my bag. Matt wanted me to stop somewhere on my way home and I knew I would need to touch base with him while I was out (who am I kidding, I hate to go out with my cell fun regardless!) I searched for a second and then figured I had left it in the house so I hopped out and ran back inside. I didn't see it right by the door so I grabbed a house fun to call it and see if I could hear it ring. When I didn't hear it ring I started to go back outside in case it was in the car and I just hadn't seen it. What I saw was my car in the street, not my driveway.

My car was in the street!!!

With my kids in it!!!

And I was standing on my porch, not sitting behind the wheel!!!

Do have enough explanation points to convey the situation?

Basically when I was pulling out of my driveway (which was parked on a downhill slope in the driveway of our dead end street...I am very thankful for that right now!) I had obviously forgotten to put the car into park when I got out to look for my phone in the house. Because the car was downhill, it moved very slowly (or I have to assume I would have noticed...or been hit by it when I walked behind the car) out of the driveway and into the street, heading towards our neighbor's driveway.

I thanked God an innumerable amount of times for allowing the neighbors immediately next door to be home. The 18 year old son ran over and put the car in park. I walked out and kind of freaked out, which of course, on my end, means inappropriate laughter. It wasn't until after I thanked them over and over again and drove away with the girls that I started to get all teary eyed thinking about what could have happened. I told the girls that God was protecting them and that mommy would never do that again. It was nice to talk to Matt who reassured me that most likely the car would have just bumped the mailbox across the street and wouldn't have gone wildly careening down the street.

I wish I had Catherine on tape telling the story because it would be pretty hysterical. She says things like "the car was driving all by itself and we were inside!". When I told them how thankful I was that God had our neighbors there to help Catherine then prayed "God please don't let mommy do that ever every again." My stupid mistakes are improving my kid's prayer lifes!

So there you have it, I'm sure I made all of you feel immensley better about any dumb mistakes you've made recently! Please be gentle on me - I already know I'm an idiot and beat myself up for this - maybe you can be brave enough to share one of your mistakes!