When I was building my home, I was staying on my grandother's farm with the kids, a few miles away. My sister was there with her family during the summer. One day, when the house was closed in but steps were not built except by the sliding glass door, which cannot be unlocked from the outside,, I drove over with my four year old son and his cousin, about half a year older. Middle of the summer, grass a foot high, mosquitoes bad. So I left the kids in the care, near the house, while I went, climbed on a box to reach and unlock the kitchen door, get in the house, and go round to unlock the sliding glass door. Look out the door as I am unlocking it, and my three year old son son is lstanding up in the driver's seat, big grin on his face, driving the car straight for the top of the cliff. Cathy is jumping up and down in the back seat cheering him on. I think I broke every sprint record in the world...don't know how I got to the car before the car got to the cliff.. I have not left keys in a car since.
VERY trepeditiously went to tell my sister what an @ss I had been, leaving the keys in the car, and how regretful I was I had put her child at risk. She cooly told me, "I didn't want to tell you, but last week I went into the village to get the babysitter, had all six kids in the station wagon. Hadn't slept and was exhausted. Got out of the car to open the gate, drove through, got out of the car to close the gate, and heard the babysitter, who was in the back seat, calling, 'Mrs. Cleary, Mrs. Cleary!'. Turned around, and saw the car driving off. I had left the keys in the ignition and the car in drive." My three kids were in that car, and neither they nor she had told me!
We were very fortunate the children were alright both times.
And thus starts the saga of automobile/kay adventures with my children. Will post a second adventure later. I think I could write a book about stories revolving around our cars.
