I thought I would be ambitious on this Monday morning and head up to Cutler Ridge to the South Dade Government Center and do Kourtney's VPK registration. That took about an hour and 15 minutes in a small, crowded room juggling three kids. But I got it done and was feeling up to taking all the kids over to Southland mall to let them run some energy off in the play area. We were there for about an hour and as I was packing up, I couldn't find my keys. I dumped the diaper bag, cleaned everything out of the stroller and walked around the play area. No keys.
I walked out to the car carefully retracing the route I took through Macy's. No keys.
I took the kids out to the car in the blazing hot Miami sun. I was thankful the car was there and not stolen! It was open and I remembered that I had forgotten to lock it. I went through the car top to bottom. No keys.
I go back to the play area and let the kids loose again while I search. I put my hand down inside of the the cushions all the way around the seats (EEK!) and looked through every plant that lined the seating area. I searched high and low. No keys.
I headed to the other side of the mall to the security office. I was told that a security officer had found a set of keys and he was walking them there right now. I was so relieved and breathed a sigh... but they weren't my keys. We exchanged numbers and I headed to get my starving children a pretzel which ended up being lunch. I couldn't eat, I was too upset and it was getting close to nap time so the troops were weary and showing it. Kourtney said things like, "Do we have to stay the night here? I saw beds in that store (Macy's)"... and, "what will happen to our car, will it just sit there forever?"
I thought of my thankful post a few months ago when I locked my keys in the car. So I became thankful... I was extremely thankful that my keys were lost and not my children, that the car was not stolen, that we were in a place where the kids could eat and play. Back to the play area again, out to the car again. No keys.
I walked to every sales desk and person I could find on the bottom floor of Macy's and asked if anyone had turned in keys. I went up the elevator to their lost and found and exchanged numbers. It had been 3 hours at this point. After dumping my bag, going through the stroller, searching the play area, Macy's, and my car about 4 times I gave up and asked Travis to come get me. Blake fell asleep the kids returned to play and Travis went home to look for a spare key.
My prayer turned from "please Lord, help me find the keys" to "please Lord, let Travis find our spare key." Sorry - with three kids ages 4 - 9 months I am not so organized as to know where my spare keys are, but that is a post for another day.
I called Nissan just in case the spare key was not found. We would need to tow the car to Nissan and then pay $210 for a replacement key and $90 for a clicker. Please Lord, help Travis find the key! He pulled up and I watched from the door as he attempted to start the car. It was a beautiful sound when it started up.
I got home from my 4 hours spent in the mall and got an email from my close friend Melissa Browns. We went to school and church together our whole lives. Someone she knew from Toledo who was our age was killed in the line of duty as a police officer. He was married with 3 kids ages 4 - 5 months. He and his wife were saving money to be missionaries in Thailand. Suddenly my lost keys and frustrating day were put in perspective. I never found my keys, but my entire family is safe in my house tonight and for that I am thankful.
I walked out to the car carefully retracing the route I took through Macy's. No keys.
I took the kids out to the car in the blazing hot Miami sun. I was thankful the car was there and not stolen! It was open and I remembered that I had forgotten to lock it. I went through the car top to bottom. No keys.
I go back to the play area and let the kids loose again while I search. I put my hand down inside of the the cushions all the way around the seats (EEK!) and looked through every plant that lined the seating area. I searched high and low. No keys.
I headed to the other side of the mall to the security office. I was told that a security officer had found a set of keys and he was walking them there right now. I was so relieved and breathed a sigh... but they weren't my keys. We exchanged numbers and I headed to get my starving children a pretzel which ended up being lunch. I couldn't eat, I was too upset and it was getting close to nap time so the troops were weary and showing it. Kourtney said things like, "Do we have to stay the night here? I saw beds in that store (Macy's)"... and, "what will happen to our car, will it just sit there forever?"
I thought of my thankful post a few months ago when I locked my keys in the car. So I became thankful... I was extremely thankful that my keys were lost and not my children, that the car was not stolen, that we were in a place where the kids could eat and play. Back to the play area again, out to the car again. No keys.
I walked to every sales desk and person I could find on the bottom floor of Macy's and asked if anyone had turned in keys. I went up the elevator to their lost and found and exchanged numbers. It had been 3 hours at this point. After dumping my bag, going through the stroller, searching the play area, Macy's, and my car about 4 times I gave up and asked Travis to come get me. Blake fell asleep the kids returned to play and Travis went home to look for a spare key.
My prayer turned from "please Lord, help me find the keys" to "please Lord, let Travis find our spare key." Sorry - with three kids ages 4 - 9 months I am not so organized as to know where my spare keys are, but that is a post for another day.
I called Nissan just in case the spare key was not found. We would need to tow the car to Nissan and then pay $210 for a replacement key and $90 for a clicker. Please Lord, help Travis find the key! He pulled up and I watched from the door as he attempted to start the car. It was a beautiful sound when it started up.
I got home from my 4 hours spent in the mall and got an email from my close friend Melissa Browns. We went to school and church together our whole lives. Someone she knew from Toledo who was our age was killed in the line of duty as a police officer. He was married with 3 kids ages 4 - 5 months. He and his wife were saving money to be missionaries in Thailand. Suddenly my lost keys and frustrating day were put in perspective. I never found my keys, but my entire family is safe in my house tonight and for that I am thankful.
3 comments:
You have the right perspective Kelly, I still have a feeling they may not turn up. Sorry you had to go through all that with 3 kids in tow, not easy!
Kelly, you've always seemed to see things in the right way (eventually), and that's why I've called you PollyAnna in the past. You make a mother proud, and I too was thankful that what you went through yesterday involved only the LOSS of some car keys. Your stories make me tear up! Grammy
The keys were found! They said they found them in the play area. So I am convinced that someone accidentally took them and then brought them back!
Kelly
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