Monday, January 18, 2010

Confession....

It's true, I am a worrier. I worry about EVERYTHING! I worry about my kids, my health, my family's health, our safety....you name it I worry about it. It's exhausting, but it's me. Well, my worrying finally got the better of me this weekend, and I'm pretty sure that my worrying ways have finally earned me the

MOM OF THE YEAR

award.

How you ask? Well...Saturday afternoon Brett and I had to go and run a couple of errands. These errands would literally have taken us 30 minutes to complete. The boys did not want to come with us and truth be told it would have been nice to quickly run them with just little Ethan in tow. But, I was worried about leaving Austin home with the boys. Erik and Cameron are both extremely responsible and capable of holding down the fort and I have on occasion left them home alone for short periods of time. I have yet to allow Austin to stay home with them mainly because he LOVES to answer the door and being the worrier that I am, I am terrified that while I am gone some crazy person will show up at my door and Austin will answer the door and let said person in. This thought evokes FEAR in me like nothing else and I just can't do it.

That said, Brett decides that the boys (minus the baby) can all stay home for a couple of minutes while we go and run our errands. Immediately panic sets in and I tell Brett that there is no way that I am leaving Austin home. Brett does not agree. I decide that I will perform a test. I tell Erik and Cam that we are leaving, but that in a minute I will come back and ring the doorbell to see if Austin comes running to answer it. We perform the test and Austin passes. I try one more time (just to make sure) and Austin passes. Then I decide to go and give this a try (even though I am still worrying like crazy). Then I remember that my cell phone is in the house and there is no way I am leaving my little babies home without a way to get a hold of me, so.......(this is where the story gets good)
I realize that I don't have a key to the house on my keychain, so I ring the doorbell and no one answers. I ring it again and again and again....no answer (good boys). Then I decide to go and pound on the door in the garage (surely they'll figure out that that is me right?!) So here I am banging and banging and still no answer. So then I decide to go back and forth between front door and garage door banging and ringing the doorbell and still no answer. Finally I use Brett's cell phone (why in the world didn't I think of this sooner) and I call the kids. Cameron answers in a quiet, timid voice and I tell him to open the garage door. He does and there stand all 3 of my kids crying....I scared the living daylights out of them. They were convinced that there was some crazy person at the door (which apparently there was) and they were SCARED!!! They even said a prayer for their safety (how cute is that?) I hugged them and apologized, grabbed my cell phone and then I along with my 3 scared little kiddos (who were not about to stay home alone now) shuffle out to car to go run errands with one smirking husband behind the wheel.

So there you have it, MOM OF THE YEAR award goes to....ME!

6 fabulous comments:

Tami said...

Oh my gosh, Melanie! I am dying of laughter! But at least you know for the next time, that nothing will get Austin to open that door! I can't even imagine being at the point when I leave my kids at home yet (not that I'd do it now, obviously), but I think I'm going to be a worrier like you. You totally earn Mother of Year!

Andrea said...

What are you the boogie man? As if pounding on the front door wasn't enough, you had to go to the garage door? I am laughing so hard - but at least you know they passed the test with flying colors; not that they will be staying home alone anytime soon after that.

I don't think my kids would have passed the test. Alex loves to answer the door and although I have taught him to look out the window first, he hasn't quite learned to keep the door closed for people he doesn't know. Needless to say, I have come down to the door many times in pajamas, to find the UPS man outside waiting for me.

Roxanne said...

I LOVE that! Your boys are so great and listen so well!

mackenizedubray said...

I read it outloud to my children and we laughed until we cried.
That is why our children love us...we are crazy lunatic mothers.

Rebecca said...

That was quite a test! Too bad they won't want to stay alone again any time soon!

That is a funny story! Thanks for a good laugh! I remember how difficult it is leaving your kids alone. It is nice when they can finally do it.

Muriel said...

That is the greatest story ever! I also leave my older boys home alone for short periods (usually when my Cameron who is 2 is taking a nap). It's my 5 year old daughter I don't trust to leave. ;)