Another First

Monday night was our friend Tim's b-day, so Alan, the girls and I headed over to have dinner at their house w/friends. We had a great time, but when it started getting late and a storm was rolling in, Alan and I decided to hurry home to shut the windows and get the girls in bed. Because I'd come to their house from work, we'd driven separately, and as the raindrops started and the wind howled, Alan and I raced toward our cars. The girls went with Alan, so I ran to my car and headed home.

By the time we drove the one mile home, the rain was blinding and blowing sideways. Alan pulled into the driveway just in front of me, jumped out and ran into the house to start shutting windows. I thought it was wise of him to leave the girls in his car since it was raining so hard. I ran to the house, soaked by the time I got to the front door. I closed all the first floor windows, then grabbed the only umbrella I could find--Disney princess--to get the girls out of the car.

Once at the car, I was horrified to find it empty. My first assumption was that they had gotten out to exult in the storm and were splashing in puddles on the sidewalk or street. I ran frantically up and down our street with my Disney princess umbrella yelling, "GIRLS!!! GIRLS!!! EVELYN!!! AMELIA!!!" to no avail. Then I ran into the house, thinking that somehow they'd made it inside while Alan and I were frantically shutting windows.

"KIDS!!!!! GIRLS!!!!" I screamed over and over, soaked and dripping on the entryway rug. Alan came racing down the stairs and said, "What's wrong? What's all the screaming??"

"Where are the kids?!?"

He stared at me. "They were in your car!"

Then I stared at him. "I thought they were in YOUR car!"

Then Alan looked at his phone. A text from Tim. "Forget something?"

We'd left the girls. As we stared at each other, Alan looked out the front window and said, "Look--it's Sung. He brought them home. They must have loved riding in a car with no car seats!"

Feeling like an idiot, I raced back onto the dark street under my Disney princess umbrella and pressed my face against the front passenger window of Sung's car. But it wasn't Sung's car. I scared the tar out of some woman whose husband happened to come to a stop in front of our house because their windshield wipers weren't working. Trying to cover myself, I yelled over the din of the storm, "ARE YOU GUYS OK?? I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU GUYS WERE OK!" She nodded, smiling weirdly and probably trying to regain control of her heart rate.

So I drove back over to Tim and Diana's. I had no idea just how drenched I was until I walked into their living room and everyone burst out laughing. Except the girls. They were so disappointed that we'd not left them there longer. So much for my worry that it would permanently scar them to recall watching both their parents driving off in the rain as they stood alone on the sidewalk.

Another first. :)