Keys are NOT toys

So, it's not unusual for me to give her my keys to play with. And frequently when we are getting her into the car she steals them out of my hand and I let her play with them while I unload the cart into the car.

Well, today changed all of that. She was playing with the keys (all strapped in her car seat) and I was unloading the cart. I shut the back door to the Tahoe and I heard this "whoosh" sound of the lock on the doors. As I walked to her door, I heard it again. Oh shit! I grabbed the handle and sure enough - she locked ALL of it. One "whoosh" locks the driver & passenger doors, but the second "whoosh" is required to lock the back doors. Had I been thinking quick enough I would have opened the back door again rather than go to her after that first "whoosh" - but I didn't.

So, the result was me looking at her dangling my keys at the car window, offering them to me. I tried to convince her to keep pressing buttons, but she just wanted to hand me my keys. And there it was - PANIC! My 16-month old daughter is locked in the car with my keys and with my cell phone.

Luckily, a woman with a toddler pulled up next to us. I was so freaked out about the whole situation that I could barely get the words out to ask this stranger to borrow her cell phone.

I called Andy & he said he was on his way and to call the cops. I called 911 (never actually had to do that before) and they transferred me to the local police department, where they said they were sending an officer and a lock-out company.

I felt like an idiot and thanked the lady for her cell phone usage. She told me she had done it before too - same thing. Guess it's something we learn the hard way.

I don't know how long she was in there exactly. It felt like forever, but it was probably 15 minutes. I wasn't wearing a watch and the clock I use is on my cell phone (in the car.) The cop came and about 30 seconds later the lockout guy came and I had my baby back. She was calm the whole time. I stood by her window with my face pressed against it singing songs to her. By the end she was sick of the singing through the window game and wanted to hold her dolly (which was out of her reach) and wanted me to pick her up. When the door got opened, she started balling (I think she knew what was going on.) I grabbed her out of her car seat and held her tight and told her mommy would never again give her car keys to play with in the car. Daddy arrived a couple minutes after the guys left.