The Tale Of The Lost Keys

Now there are things that I lose all the time: my phone, my mind, and my keys. Today's story is about the time I lost my keys two weeks ago.  Caleb and I were on the way to the school to pick up Caitlyn. She came bouncing out as usual chewing on her book bag strap.  As she hopped into the car, she told me she had left her jacket on the playground. So I pulled into the school parking lot and we proceeded to get out. I zipped up my purse, threw it under the backseat, and locked the doors. We made our way to the playground and I stood at the door and waited. We chatted a bit to the teachers and principal and were about to make our way upstairs. Then, Caitlyn decided she needed to make sure she didn't leave anything in her classroom which was right down the hall. Reluctantly, I agreed. Kids always forget everything. Turns out she didn't leave anything, but rummaged through her desk to get her reward tickets. We strolled out stopping once again, this time to chat with Cate's teacher. We made two more stops to the water fountain and the bathroom. This is where it went wrong.

If you have a toddler, you know the bathroom to a toddler can be an amusement park or a terror chamber. Unfortunately, this was a terror chamber. Too many things operated by themselves and made to many loud noises. The toilet alone requires skill and quick thinking. Maybe this is what threw me off. Unknowingly, I had placed my keys on the door hook on the back of the bathroom door. I don't even remember doing it. Anyway we proceeded to "No, don't touch that. Stand here.  Uh-uh. Don't put your hands on that.  Don't you touch that toilet!  Wait a minute.  Don't unlock the door.  Leave that alone. and Just Pee!"  Clearly winded and out of breath and 3 yoga poses later, I waltzed right out the stall with Caleb so he could get soap to wash his hands and had to demonstrate and have a pep talk to get him to put his hands under the automatic dryer. It was not nearly as loud as others but we were still on the verge of a panic attack. We made it out the door. The second my foot hit the threshold, I noticed I didn't have my keys. I told Cate to go in and get the keys off the toilet paper dispenser - where I thought I had left them. As a matter of fact, I "knew" I had left them there. Where else would I put them? She came back and said she didn't see them. Of course, I'm like she probably half looked, unlike me who would do a thorough search of the "premises." Besides, I used to want to be a cop. I used to be Harriet the Spy. Surely, I would go in and walk right out with them. Wrong.

Now, I stood there outside that bathroom door trying to figure out just how crazy I really was. I mean come on, I'm crazy but not that crazy. Am I? We walked back to the classroom, looked up and down the hall, and checked the door by the playground. No keys. It's 3:07. AJ will be out of school soon. I asked three janitors on the way upstairs and no one had seen any keys. I'm sure my keys were laughing at me, hanging on the back of that door and I didn't even have a clue. We asked the secretary if anyone had turned in keys because I was sure I walked into the school with them. But did I? Maybe I didn't. I kept replaying the events in my head. Where we went. What we did? Surely alzheimer's doesn't set in this early. Why couldn't I remember? I decided to check and see if I had left them in the car.

As we walked outside we were greeted by the 90 degree heat and had to refrain from passing out. When we reached the car, I peered through the window. No keys in the seat. No keys in the ignition. I wasn't sure if they were in there or not. Then, I remember the purse in the back seat.  Maybe because this is how I am,  maybe I took the keys out of the ignition and absentmindedly threw them in my purse before throwing it into the back seat.  Yes, that must be where they are.  I started searching for an unlocked or not all the way rolled up door or window.  I always lock all the car doors and windows when I get out of the car even for a little while.  So I found none.  We stood outside in that scorching heat for a minute trying to think who to call.  And because I have a ragedy phone, I stand outside and fumble with the idiotic thing that refuses to call who I press to call.  Won't call at all.  Hangs up before I make the call and overall makes me want to slam it into the ground...  And they call these thing smart phones.  I finally got the thing to work and called my mother in law to ask if she could pick up AJ because we clearly were not going to make it.  Next I called Andre who could do nothing for me being he was all the way in Pennsylvania. 

"Well, it looks like you're going to have to call the police department or a lock smith."  I could do the police department but the lock smith meant I was probably going to pay a fee.  He said the locksmith would likely cost around 75.00.  If you're cheap like me, the first thing you say is 75.00! Oh, I don't want to pay that.  The second thing you say is,  Uh-uh, I'm not paying that. I had no idea what I was going to do but I know I didn't want to pay someone to break into the car.  I walked pitifully back into the school office and called the police department who informed me that they only open doors if a child or pet is locked inside.  Uhhhh!  I asked for a phone book and got ready to call the locksmith.  I tried to call the first one.  Phone starts acting up.  Get it together phone.  Ok it's calling.  No answer.  Oh, how I hate having to pay someone to this.  I had rather bought something else I didn't need like the dress calling me from the boutique store..  I called a second one.  Disconnected.  I'm on my third one.  Please Lord. It rings once, twice, and I get an answer.  I asked if they would unlock car doors and she said that they did.  My next question was how much did they charge.  $40.  Oh, not bad but still nearly the price of a dress I've been eyeing.  Okay.  I started telling her what kind of car I had and was just about to tell her where I was when the school office door opened.  Standing there was the secretary and two girls holding a SET OF KEYS!  My keys!  I happily told the woman on the phone that I would not be needing their services and couldn't stop thanking the little girls that found my keys.  Of course I had to ask them where they were, because I didn't have a clue. 

Think of that.  I would have called that locksmith to come and break into my car to get my keys which would have ended up not even being in there.  I would have been out 40 bucks and still out of the car.  So to thank the little girls for saving the day, I decided I needed to do something for them.  I got their names from the office and sent these to school the next day.





These little supergirl cups stuffed with treats, decorative lip chap, and nail polish with a message that said "Thanks for saving the day" because they really did.  That was a blessing.