If you ever want to feel stupid (man, that’s a bad opening line), then call the office of the church where your children are attending VBS and tell the secretary you’re pretty sure you left your twin stroller in their parking lot (hey, it’s better than the twins, right?).

You’ll already be feeling pretty sheepish when you call, but prepare for a sensation of complete and total idiocy when she titters disbelievingly into the phone, and you have to say, “No, really. I’m serious. Could you please go see if it’s still there?”

And when, thank goodness, it is still there, prepare yourself to be very disappointed when you discover the disappearance of the mint green bauble necklace that was stuffed inside the front pocket of the stroller because it broke (after some convincing tugging from the twins), and there was no where else to stash it.

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Even though you know it’s ridiculous, you will immediately imagine a scenario in which the laughing secretary sees your fabulous necklace peeking out from the pocket and absconds with it as fair payment for having to scour the parking lot in sweltering Texas heat just because you got distracted buckling your toddler in and forgot to load it in the back.

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{Top: J.Crew/Goodwill, $4, Jeans: Anthropologie/Goodwill, $6, Bag: Fossil Outlet, $70}

Finally, prepare yourself for the dual sensation of relief and guilt when you discover your missing necklace on the floor of the gym daycare and realize that your 2 1/2-year-old was the absconder after all.

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I do believe this is a classic case of the old adage: “All’s well that ends well.”

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Because if I had spotted that secretary sashaying around wearing my necklace, my children might have needed to VBS me right out of tackling her to take it back.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who goes temporarily insane and leaves important things lying around parking lots or other completely inappropriate places?

Any embarrassing stories you’d like to share? You know, to soothe my pride?

7 Comments

  1. In my traveling days BK (before kids), I left my Blackberry in a rental car once…and was so grateful the folks checking the car were honest and called me, then mailed the phone to me. My whole life was on that thing!

    When my twins were little, I had recurring nightmares that I’d left one behind. My focus on making sure I had the right number of kids in my car before leaving anyplace often came at the expense of other things. I left a Costco-size package of paper cups on the bottom of my cart one time – but I came home with the same number of kids I’d arrived with. 🙂 It all depends on your perspective.

  2. I’m not so bad about leaving big things…but 9 times out of 10, I will leave a drink on top of the car and watch is come crashing down at a stop light. Great post!

    Sam
    The Kitchen is My Dance Floor

  3. I was on the other end of the phone call. a customer called that she was sure she had lost an heirloom locket in our parking lot and would I please go out and look for it. what it is triple digits out but I did and after a very long and extensive search had to call back and let her know that I had not found it. Her reply “oh, did I forget to call you and tell you never mind that I hadn’t worn it that day after and it was on my dresser waiting for me”

  4. Thanks for the funny story so I know I am not the only one! haha! I was so sure one day that I dropped my cell phone in the parking lot of the church of my son’s preschool. I called the secretary & she went and looked (in the freezing cold wind) & even called it w/ her phone…nada. Only to find out it was in my car the whole time….embarassing! I know there are many more stories, but I can totally relate 🙂
    Love the necklace BTW!

  5. Totally know where you are coming from. I lost a stroller while hitting up yards w/my sis. We loaded up all the kids but I left my nice little fold up stroller sitting in someone’s yard. Needless to saw when my sweet sis when back to look for it later that day it was gone. Hopeful it blessed someone who needed it.

    When I can’t find things around the house I feel like my mind is gone. I can’t focus, until that shoe, folder, set of keys, shirt or etc is found. I guess I think I can’t control the world but I should be ale to control where my stuff is. Silly, huh?
    ~Krista

  6. Stuff like that happens!! I manage the election office for my county, and I definitely referred to it as the “erection office” a few days ago. Freudian slip?! My face was RED!

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