An Heir and a Spare
Despite my traumatic pilgrimmage to the Target dressing room in search of "in-between jeans" last Friday, my top motivation for getting out of the house these days is not to lose the baby weight but to enjoy the midwinter heatwave that means it's warmer outside at 5 p.m. in a light breeze than it is inside our house with mittens, a scarf, and a giant mug of hot chocolate at high noon. About a week ago it got up to 78 degrees in Oakland, but because I never stepped out of the house that day, I only heard about it on the news after the sun had gone down. Not much use in that.
Last weekend we headed into the city for Wombat's first trip to San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge (he slept through the whole thing), and today we made it over to Alameda for a picnic on the beach. (The same beach where we still throw eggs from time to time.) It was warm enough for little kids to run around in their swim trunks (but little kids are crazy) and for a few brave visitors to wade way out into the bay at low tide. One guy stuck a toe in and yelped to his friends, "It's cold as ice!" to which I yearned to reply, "It's January, fool!" but kept quiet so as not to draw attention to the fact that I was at that particular moment feeding a small person with my boob. (A post on breastfeeding is coming eventually, but the short version is that I'm blessed that it's been remarkably easy for me--so easy that I do it anywhere and everywhere and ALL THE DAMN TIME.)
But back to the beach, today it was the perfect temperature for a picnic, and I'm glad I was busy feeding the baby AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN while Simon packed the lunch because he of course went above and beyond anything I could have managed: there were sandwiches and side dishes and an array of beverages and gingham napkins and a bottle of bubbles, all packed into a big old storybook picnic basket. We didn't spread out on a red-and-white checkerboard blanket (it was an Arsenal one; thanks, Kilo!) and no one was wearing a straw hat or a sun bonnet, but it was still a pretty picture, and we didn't have to fend against mischievous ants carrying away our gherkins.
The real story starts after the picnic, however, when we went back to the car to drop off the lunch gear before taking a stroll along the beach and, after a quick diaper change on the tailgate, managed to lock both sets of keys and both cell phones inside the car. (Baby's fault!) Happily, the beach in Alameda is well within walking distance of civilization, and even happier was that we have friends who live close to where we'd parked (albeit waaaaaaay at the other end of the beach), so all we'd have to do was walk waaaaaaay down to their condo and hope they were home. Which they weren't. And we couldn't call them (or anyone else) because (a) our cell phones were locked in the car, (b) we didn't have their (or anyone else's) phone number memorized, and (c) our backup list of phone numbers was locked in the car. Doh.
But all was not lost! At our friends' New Year's Eve party, we'd met and really clicked with the couple who just moved in down the hall (they have a black cat and an orange kitten and drive a gray Element and are expecting a baby in three weeks = twinsies!), so if we could just get in touch with them...But we didn't have their phone number (or a phone) and we didn't know their last names so we couldn't find their code on the security call box, and we couldn't get past the locked gates into the complex to knock on their door, and no one was answering the landlord's phone, and we were running out of options and the sun was going down and we didn't have any spare diapers (the keys were in the diaper bag, locked in the car), and if we could just get someone to let us inside the complex we might have a chance...And then just as we were contemplating Plan B: Call a Cab, we saw some residents exiting one of the locked gates and were, thank heavens, able to beg and plead and point at the baby with such pity that they let us in. Yay! Now, we just needed those friends to be home and willing/able to give us a ride home (so we could break into our own house and hopefully find a spare car key laying around; if not, Plan C: wire hanger).
And guess what? Someone was home! And while she didn't give us a ride to our house, she gave us the keys to her husband's car(!), which they'd already outfitted with a carseat base, which happened to be the same brand that fit our carseat. Joy! And that was the turning point of the evening. We drove home, were relieved that our spare key was still hidden outside (meaning neither of us had to climb onto the roof and break into the house), went back to our stranded car, drove back home while discussing how to thank our new friends (fruit basket? stripper?), and managed to get in the door right when Wombat, who had been an absolute angel throughout the ordeal (which was, you realize, all his fault, dirty diaper and all, THE NERVE), was launching into an all-systems malfunction of epic proportions.
So, what have we learned from this ordeal?
1. It's easy to blame the baby when said baby can't defend himself. Baby = better than dog farts.
2. Don't put the car keys in the diaper bag if you want to leave the diaper bag in the car, ex-lax.
3. Keep spare keys in reliable places, like and such as ON THE BABY. I mean, it's not like we'd ever accidentally lock the baby in the car, right? Right?! (Although I guess if that happened we at least wouldn't have to pay for a locksmith since the nice gentlemen of the fire department would surely help us out...)
Now that I think about it, so long as we never ever ever forget the baby, he can henceforth be our emergency backup for everything: keys, phone numbers, breath mints, whatever. We'll get him one of those photography/fishing vests with a million pockets and then stuff him up until he can't put his arms down. And Dr. Phil says children shouldn't be born with jobs to do. Bah! I think he was talking about jobs like "saving marriages" or "mixing martinis," but I don't see anything wrong with making a newborn carry a few spare keys, do you? It's never to early for a kid to learn responsibility or that he's a little bit smarter than his parents.
We keep a spare car key hidden somewhere accessible underneath the vehicle - often wired where it won't fall off. Sure has come in handy!
Or stuck in the wheel well via magnetic holder thingy.
cute wombat. we had that carseat (x3). what an adventure! love the idea of the baby fishing vest. brilliant!
Have locked baby (toddler) in car. Have had eight firemen try to help me for over an hour. Do not leave keys with baby.
I love that you both stayed calm during this and didn't let it ruin your day. In my house it would have ruined not only one day but probably the week.
Have you left the house yet without the baby? THat has happened to a few friends of mine. They didn't get TOO far before realizing it.
I forgot the baby once -- locked her in the car and walked to the school where the rest of the family was getting seated for the dance recital. (and was promptly turned around and sent back. Fortunately I had my keys on me.) So I would agree with commenter Nicole, leaving keys with baby is not necessarily going to save your butt.
Thing #1- I was reordering and foldering my feeds and somehow you were placed in FOOD AND CRAFTS. FOOD AND CRAFTS! HA!
(And YES, I DID get all frantic going 'what the hey? Where on Earth? WHAT DID I DOOOOOOOOO?')
Thing #2- Oh, how I wish you knew where I lived. In the middle of the beach! A minimum of walking!
Thing #3- I'm emailing.
This reminds me a little bit about the last time my wife and I went camping and lost the car keys in the lake. It was before we had kids, so it was just us being young and stupid and not putting a floatie on them (there was a floatie on the boat keys, of course).
Hmmm... spare key = good idea, I'll get on that!
What a wicked-awesome adventure.
The wrap is on its way!!!
Wow....that post gave me an anxiety attack!! I'm so glad that everything worked out in the end (but then, everything always seems to work out just as it should, doesn't it? :) ). By the way, I visited the Bay Area for the first time since I was a little girl (as most of my life has been spent in the middle and eastern parts of the country...and, well, Europe and Asia....), and I absolutely adore it!! My boyfriend and I have plans to move there in about a year and a half!! What a wonderful place to cultivate a life.
You're starting him early on the Mexi-Coke, I see.
great story. sounds like you guys were really serene about it.