Life Lesson # 1

Garrett has gotten himself quite a bit of blogging attention over the past week with his Last Breakfast, and his experiencing big boy cereal, and then his Cool Aggie photo. But I must take time to share this recent story, before I forget it. You know how the mind goes after becoming a parent!

My mother-in-law came over to visit one morning last week. We were all outside, she and I visiting, and the boys playing in the water sprinkler. Garrett really doesn't enjoy himself in any type of water, unless it's his warm bathtub or a genuine swimming pool. He's not particular or anything, but who am I to talk, because you won't see me playing in the water sprinkler which can do things like shoot water up my nose and make me feel like my brain has been power washed.

Anyway, G (I'm not being lazy by typing "G". That's his main nickname.) decided that he wanted to go inside. I ignored his whine for hours, I mean 5 minutes, before I relented and said, "G, we are all having a good time out here and are not ready to go inside. If you want to go in, then go." Now, when I said that, I thought for sure that he would stay outside with us, because he loves me so much. Or really because his grandmother wasn't going to follow him inside and sneak him another snack.

He went in, and the rest of us carried on without him. After a while, Jack and Liam were tired of being cold, so I got up from my reclining position to get some towels out of the house.

(Note: Do not be jealous that it is cold here. No, it is in the 90s, as it should be in July. However, my boys have zero body fat and get cold with the slightest of breezes.)

Only the back door would not open. Garrett had locked the door. No big deal. If he locked it, then he can unlock it. I've seen him do it many times when letting the dog in/out. "Garrett, come unlock the door." He came right to the door and tried to unlock it, only he couldn't. For some odd reason, the lock gives us trouble from time to time. And this was one of those times.

And this is what runs through my brain in the next two years, I mean minutes: Okay, don't panic. Think this through. We're not burning up out here. We have shade and water. At least Garrett is not locked in an automobile. Okay, think. The front door? Locked, always is. Garage door? I just closed it not 5 minutes ago. Hmm. I can call my mom to bring my spare garage door opener over. "Mother-in-law, do you have your cell phone in your pocket?" No, okay. I'll go ask to borrow a neighbor's phone.

Not a single neighbor was home! Now, my mom's house is only 1.3 miles away, but it's July and in the 90s, and I'm barefoot. I was not about to walk that distance barefoot.

I returned to the backyard to try to convince Garrett to try the lock again. No such luck. I began to panic at this point, envisioning the rest of my day on my back porch. Two boys, mother-in-law and I in the heat all day long...sweating and hungry...not a fun idea.

Aha! Mother-in-law realizes that she had her car keys in her pocket! She does not have a key to my house, but I drove her car to my mom's house to retrieve my garage door opener. Hooray!

When I got home, I immediately ran into the house, worried that Garrett would be panicked at this point. Nope. He was lounging on the couch. He sat up and with an innocent, angelic voice asked, "What happened, Mommy?" To which I replied, "You gave me a gray hair is what happened. Don't lock this door ever again!"

Life lesson #1: Have a spare house key in your backyard.