I locked myself in my car yesterday and it wasn't for some "me" time.

When baby C was born I started picking R up from school 30 minutes before the end of the school day.  This allowed me to pull up to the front of the  school, grab her and go.  It meant  I didn’t have to wrestle baby C out of her car seat, into the carrier and then navigate L through crazed parental parking attempts.  After March break we returned to regular pick-up time as we started walking instead of driving with C cozily nursing or sleeping in the carrier and L bouncing all the way there and back.  

But it was cold yesterday so we drove and parked in a prime spot.  It was quite early and C was starting to fuss at a low but ever increasing rumble.  So, I climbed into the back seat to nurse her and tell stories to L.  I obviously turned the car off and closed the door. After settling baby C back into her car seat I opened the door to go get R (who’s classroom was directly in front of my parked car, so I could see the parked car at all times.)  

Oh, wait, scratch that – I attempted to open the door but it wouldn’t open.  I clicked on the button on my key fob and pulled on the handle again.  “Ok, breathe.”  I thought.  :Just lean forward and press the unlock button from the driver’s door.”  I yanked,  I swore under my breath.  By this time, L could sense something was wrong and inquired as to why I was still in the car.  Panic actually started to set in.  It got worse when I turned to look at the back of the car (it’s a cross-over, to help with imagery) to see if that provided a way out, and dropped my phone.  Now remember also, the windows are up fully and tinted so even if panic overtook me and I started yelling and banging on them, at full dismissal time, parents and kids are trying to get home and not looking for a crazy mama who locked herself in her own car.  I realized I was going to have to climb into the front seat.  Now, while I am short, I am not small.  I am also the opposite of graceful and agile.  So while the exit strategy may seem obvious to you, it required me to:

a)stop panicking

b)grab the booster seat I’d tossed in the front and put it in the very back

c)unlock C’s baby seat and slide it towards me

d)climb over the base of C’s seat and between the two front seats (narrow space!)without getting tangled in the gear shift, front mirror etc.

e)explain my crazy antics to L

ALL while keeping my outstretched, stretchy jeans from falling off my ass that I was in grave danger of landing on!

Go ahead, you can pee yourself laughing now.

Needless to say, the first thing I did once free from the car, was re-set the back door locks from "child-lock" to standard. (Just on R's side because she would never try to open it without explicit permission)

Have you ever found yourself trapped in an odd location? Has a child-safety feature ever trapped or foiled you to this extreme?