Mommy Learns an Important Lesson

Sigh.

So, Greg wasn't feeling well this morning and I wanted to let him sleep. I've been working up the courage to take all three of them out with me and I thought this would be a good opportunity to try it out.

So we went for a quick trip to Target. We got the triple cart (it was already out in the parking lot) and the girls were so amused by the novelty of it that they were perfectly behaved. So far so good.

We get to the grocery store, and I'm feeling confident. So, to get the 3 of them into the car when there's just one adult, I put all 3 of them in on the passenger side of the car, then lift someone (Emma) over the folded-down captain's chair behind the front passenger seat (it kind of acts like a barricade). Get the two in the back buckled in, shut the passenger door, and then go over to the driver's side door to get the last one buckled in behind the driver. So, unloading is basically the same in reverse.

So we get to the store. I throw my purse back over by the sliding door on the passenger's side, since that's where I'll be when I actually get the 3 of them out of the car. Throw my keys back there, too.

Get out, open the driver's side sliding door, unbuckle Emma.

Shut driver's side door. Walk around the van to the passenger's side sliding door. But before I get there, what do I hear?

Click.

Click. Beep.

Click. Beep.

Yup.

Emma picked up my keys, went straight for the fob for the van, and locked all of the doors. Locked herself and her sisters inside. Locked me out.

I started laughing.

She continues: Click. Beep. Click. Beep. Clearly, the beeping is amusing her.

By this time, I've walked back around to the driver's side because if she does happen to accidentally unlock it, the driver's door will be the first to open. With one hand on the driver's door, I start begging her to unlock it.

First, I was trying to get her to pull up the the lock from the inside. I was getting no where.

She smiles at me. But doesn't have the keys.

"Emma, where are my keys?"

She picks them up out of her car seat.

"Good girl. Can you push the button?"

Click. Beep. Click. Beep.

By this point, Becca and Julie are starting to get worked up.

"Emma, can you push the OTHER button?"

Click. Beep.

"The OTHER button."

And finally, she unlocks it.

That child is going to cause me so many gray hairs. But I'll have to say, I'm really proud of her for listening to me and following directions.

I guess the back story here is that the girls have been amused by my keys lately (and anything in my purse). A few weeks ago, Julie was running around with them in the kitchen, and I didn't think too much about it until I could hear the van start beeping. That darn lock button that makes the car beep. It's better than candy.

The girls did fine in the grocery store, and walked through the parking lot holding hands. But I sure learned my lesson about kids and keys.