The Candrians Down Under: September 2011

Now, if only I'd heard that advice before, maybe Ella's baby blessing would have gone more smoothly. The battery on my electronic key has been low for weeks. I ordered a new battery but of course when it came on Friday it was the wrong size. At which point I should have gone to the store and bought one, but ya know, I didn't. That was going to be on Monday. Why put off until tomorrow what I can do the day after tomorrow? I was getting along just fine and I figured I always had my valet key to fall back on, although I don't really know how it works. After this whole fiasco, I still don't know how it works (I can't find any key hole). I always figured there was a non-electronic way to enter my car and turn it on, and always figured that if I didn't know that Rob knows everything and would know. Turns out he does not know everything. So clearly this was his fault.

So, we got to church and I parked and I'm gathering my things, and I decide to leave my small purse in the car and only take in my big church purse. I am a full-on mom now and need a special big mom purse for church. So I locked the car - something I haven't been doing lately because I've been afraid it might not detect the key battery, but...the purse was there and my brain was not so I locked it.
From the inside.
Because I can't lock it from the outside.
Because the key battery is too low to lock it with the key.
A shining, sparkling, gold-star moment for my decision making processes.
In my defense (do I deserve one?) I thought that the side door was open and that Ella was being taken out of the car....but nope. It got opened, and then shut again, with her still in the car. And as soon as I came around and realized she was still in the car was the same moment I realized I locked the car and my battery was really really really low and Ella starts crying and OH. NO. I just know my key is not going to work - the disaster is too perfect. It does not work, no matter how much I tell it to. So stubborn. So, it had enough battery to start the car and get us to church, but not enough to unlock it. And of course, we can't find a hole for the valet key to open it manually.

This story is too long, so let's just say that after several ideas, including running frantically in to the chapel to borrow a key from a friend to try to switch batteries (different sizes, didn't work), we ended up with a small crowd outside our car. Including the bishop. We had way missed the blessing but, hey, the party at the car was a pretty happening place.

Ella is right inside that car window crying and I am right outside the window crying.

Rob found a valet key hole to open the trunk and was making a pretty pathetic attempt to reach his hand through to unlock the door through the tiny shoebox size hole that goes in to the cab. Not even close. But then some friends offered up their 3 year old daughter to squeeze through. I thought not a chance. No WAY would she fit through. But while I was busy mugging some other poor fool for their key fob battery, the girl got in.

Then it was really fun while everyone yelled directives trying to get a little toddler - one small enough to fit through a hole a cat could barely get through - to unlock the door. After she stopped to play with some toys, read a book, and send a few text messages, she managed to unlock the door and the crowd went wild.

Ella was so sweet and stopped crying the minute I picked her up. I figured we'd already missed the time for her blessing by a long shot so I took her aside to nurse. She was like a peaceful little angel while I was still racked with stress. She totally soothes my soul. (If we were hippies, her name would have been Peacelove. We threw it around when we were having fun with names.) I hope we don't end up with one of those reverse relationships where the daughter is always comforting and advising the mother.

Oh, they let Rob bless her later in the meeting than usual, and it was beautiful. She was alert and peaceful for the whole blessing, and then just sat contentedly in Rob's arms the rest of the meeting.

And for a final note, you would not believe the number of people who told me that they had locked their kid inside the car also. Like, pretty much everyone and you are not cool if you haven't tried it yet.