It could never be me...could it?

That face oh how I just cherish that face. It isn’t real often that I get super serious here on the ole blog and I can’t say I ever want this to be a serious blog. I want you to come here to see my family, experience our life and share our food! But today something has been weighing on my heart.

Each and every summer I hear stories over children being left in cars…and I used to think how in the world does that happen? How does one simply just forget about their child in the back seat of the car? Didn’t they help the kid in? Didn’t they secure all their safety belts? Didn’t they??? Then at the end of last summer my attitude towards this completely changed. I can’t say I have shared this story with anyone, and the day it happened shook me to the core…I don’t think anyone could tell by looking at me but I was deeply troubled by the incident. 

So here’s my story: 

It was a typical Tuesday Morning I was in my typical morning routine, lunch packed check, child dressed check, breakfast in tow check, teeth brushed check, we headed out the door. As I was buckling Charlot into her seat she says to me “Momma can we get donuts for Telpha’s please?” Not exactly what I wanted to hear but she was so polite and I could tell she really wanted them so I said “Sure.” Off we head to Casey’s to get a half dozen donuts. She and I head in get the donuts; I pay and back out to the truck we go repeat the routine, buckle in hand her the cup I get in I buckle in and we are off. I am driving I am thinking about the busy day I have ahead of me I am thinking about what I have to do once I get to work. I brake for a squirrel, I continue thinking about the rest of the activities for the day and I continue to drive. Then from the back seat I hear a sweet little voice say “Momma I think you missed the turn off for Telpha’s.” I had nearly gotten clear out of town, all the blood drains from my face. Oh my gosh I had gotten into the trance that they speak so frequently about in many of the cases where kiddos are left in the car…how in the world. Quickly I turned around I was starting to cry, I couldn’t believe that my child had to remind me to drop her off. What just happened? The rest of the day I didn’t think about much else. I kept going over the what-ifs. I knew I should but I couldn’t help it. 

Still to this day I can remember everything about that morning except going on pass the street to Telpha’s. And still to this day it troubles me. I know many of you are saying well your child is old enough that she can talk surely she would have said something if I had made it clear to work. And you are probably right. The thing that this incident, that my child will never remember and I can never forget, did for me is it made me realize that in this busy world we live in things happen. Horrible things happen and we have to do our best to insure that they don’t happen to us. So here are few things I do.

1. I have the best daycare provider on the planet, who if we haven’t arrived within a bit of our usual time…gives us a call, sends a message, something.

2. Each morning I leave my purse, lunch, cell phone, and tablet in the back seat with Charlot.

3. I try to take a different route to the sitters house a couple of times a week 

I will say I am sure these are not fool proof, but I know they make me feel better. And if any other momma’s out there have any suggestions please feel free to share. I would love to go a full summer without reading an article about a child being left in a hot car.