Have you ever thought for just a moment, “I’m a horrible mom!” Surely, I’m not the only one?? Well, I had one of those moments last night(and today actually). I’ll just set the scene:
Rob and I had the opportunity to go to a reception for Jim Daly, CEO of Focus on the Family, last night. Our babysitter was outside with the kids so I waved goodbye from the back door, shut the door, and went out the garage. I realized on my way that I didn’t have my cell phone, but I didn’t want to be late so I kept going. The babysitter had Rob’s cell phone number if she needed us.
SO. . . we get home at 10:30 p.m., and all is unusually quiet. We soon realized that the babysitter and the kids were gone! Her stuff was there. Her car was out front. The back window is open. You can imagine the panic that began to build in each of us. I grab my phone and call her. When she answers I ask, “Where are you?” She replies, “well, you locked us out so. . .we waited for the pizza guy, and then walked to my parents house.”
I WHAT???? I must have subconsciously locked the backdoor when I shut it to say goodbye. WHY didn’t she call? Because my phone was in the house along with Rob’s number & all the emergency numbers. You WHAT???? I could just imagine my babysitter walking about a mile with a pizza box, a 6 year old, a 5 year old, and a 3 year old!! All I could think was, “I am a horrible mom!!!” All I could say was, “I’m so so sorry,” over and over again.
Rob was horrified and embarrassed, as was I. We went straight to get the kids, and then the fall out began:
--We met our babysitter’s parents for the FIRST time (they were very gracious to us)
--We picked sleeping Cobb up off the leather couch and discover little tiny hairs from his new buzz cut.
--Ridge wet through his diaper soaking the babysitter’s brother’s bed (of course, she couldn’t change Ridge b/c the diapers were in our house!!)
--When we got home, Charly wet through her pull-up all over her bed.
--Rob and I woke up in the middle of the night. And unbeknownst to the other, we lay there with our hearts racing and thinking through all the possible “What ifs. . .”
--Cobb, Charly, Ridge, and I are cranky today because of lack of sleep.
I know that most of the time I am not a horrible mom. However, I will readily admit that I do not have it all together. Thankfully I can lean on the Lord to help me parent and protect my children well. Thankfully, the babysitter and each of my kids has forgiven me. And thankfully, my kids were protected and loved through this crazy adventure. I still just can’t believe it, even though Rob kindly reminded me that I have done this once before.
4 comments:
oh my goodness...i love this story and loved that you shared it. not that it was fun for you, but i'm glad everything was ok and i'm glad to know there are mom's like you out there...it is comforting to me! :) You are a GREAT mom!
Sounds familiar! Must run in the family. Now & from here on out that'll simply be a funny story, nothing else. And yours tops ours. We left for a dinner out once mistakenly without our cell phones; came home to find baby James had whacked his head badly & the babysitter's mom was over helping her look after it. They'd been unable to get in touch with us. Super embarrassing. We met babysitter's mom for the very first time; yep; & she is a neighbor of ours - at the time, our family had just moved in, too, so were imagining the rumors about our parental carelessness through the neighborhood ... which of course were just in our heads! :) Agree, y'all rock as parents.
Did you pay her DOUBLE? Or TRIPLE??? That is hilarious...now that it's over, of course :) You are not a horrible mom!
Oh, Haley....I felt your mom pain as I read this blog BUT it is a GREAT story. My mom will love this one. She checks her email daily for blog stories on kiddo's that I send her. You are a GREAT mom and you are beautiful from the inside out!
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