Thursday, August 27, 2009

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!

7 comments:

Rachel said...

Megan!!! That must have been soooo terrifying for you, I can't even imagine. Praise the Lord the girls were safe. I'm sure we all have similar stories ranging from leaving baby gates open to knives within reach.

When our Joe was 2 or 3, he pulled a dresser over on top of himself...God protected him, because a kid size chair stopped the dresser from landing on him.

And, the other day I let Trey (15 mos)fall completely under the water at Grandma's pool. Awesome.

Feel better now?

LifeAtTheCircus.com said...

Megan! I am so glad you started with telling us that everyone was ok... that must have been terrifying for you! Hooray for the quick thinking teenage neighbor boy!

You are not alone. I do crazy stuff all the time. My mind is blank at the moment, but not for lack of material to work with... more b/c there is so much to draw from....

stella g. said...

oh my! Megan, i'm so glad everyone was ok. if it makes you feel better i was a kid in the car once when that happened. i was terrified at the time (we hit a tree) but it sure made for a great story afterwards.

Susan Calzada said...

Oh my gosh, Megan! I can't imagine! Makes you realize how God is probably protecting us against our little stupid mistakes every day and we don't even think about it. So glad that everyone is ok!

Happy said...

I, too, am glad the girls were kept safe and there was a quick thinking young man to take control of the situation.

And everyone is right...we've all done things absentmindedly that may have left our children in a bit of danger.

Derek let Caroline fall into his uncle's pool on Wednesday...

I let her drink Windex the night before. Called poison control for the first time. Good times.

And Noah and Caroline were alone in a moving minivan one night last winter. I got stuck on a hill and got out to let a neighbor help me and the van just started drifting on ice down a rather steep hill.

I screamed a lot and tried to hold on to the door handles.

The neighbor was able to open the drivers door and turn the wheel into the hillside and the hillside stopped it.

I fully comprehend your panicked feelings and all the what ifs that take place after you realize everyone is okay.

Renee said...

oh . my . goodness!

you would think that something like that would happen to nolan before it happened to your girls, with the way he loves to play in cars and pretend he's driving!!!

SO glad they are okay and SO glad you live on a dead-end street.

the girls sound like they handled it very well and i love catherine's prayer!

Courtney said...

Way to keep it real Meg. Glad everyone was ok!
Sorry we missed you this weekend. It was great to see the girls-they are too funny! I think you're all due for another Pittsburgh visit soon....Maybe Catherine and Ella could drive! ;)

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