This Is A True Story

Well, our guests from the cousins party (see next post) were gone by about 11:30 and so we had the placed cleaned up, and the car packed up by about 12:15. I got in the car and realized I'd forgotten my purse. I knew Adam's parents had locked up and gone to bed, so I took my house keys off my key ring (my house key and their house key are on their own ring) and went to the house, unlocked the door, put the keys in my coat pocket, and got my purse from upstairs. Then I got back in my car. Nate needed help with his seatbelt, so I leaned back and helped him. Then we drove home.
12:30 Got home, got everyone out of the car, got to the door, reached in my pocket, no keys.
Looked all over for keys: on porch, on walkway, in parking lot, in car. No keys. Start car, turn on heat, put kids in car to stay warm. (Did I mention that it is 20 below zero outside? Did I mention that I am in a dress with nothing covering my legs?)
12:55 Realize that keys are not to be found. Decide on game plan. Say a little prayer that went something like this: "Please, Father, you know where those keys are. I'm exhausted. Please help us to find our keys."
12:56 Decide that keys must still be at in-laws. Drive to in-laws while saying this prayer: "Please, Heavenly Father, if the keys are at the in-laws, let them still be in the door, so we won't have to wake them up and let them know how careless I am."
1:15 Arrive at in-laws, keys not in door, make Adam ring the doorbell. Adam checks house, no keys. I check house, no keys. Desperation sets in as we realize we may have to sleep here tonight.
1:20 Adam tells me to check the car one last time. Since I buckled Nate in, maybe the keys fell from my coat pocket. Look in car, feel under seats, look in Nate's carseat. No keys.
1:22 Nearly rip car apart. They must be in the car. Look in middle console between the seats. There they are! Where.I.always.put.them. But I didn't remember putting them there! It was all habit, brain had checked out.
1:30 We're on the road home and my prayer is this: "Thank you, Father, for helping us find my keys. Please help me to not be so stupid."
1:45 Arrive home, kids are asleep, husband is silent (and likely very upset). Tuck everyone into bed......
2:00 Aidan wakes up. Is hungry. Of course.


And the next morning I woke up to a sore throat. No big deal. By noon it was a very big deal: sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fever. Flu. And I was supposed to wake up and frost the 10 dozen sugar cookies I'd made for our cookie exchange. I hope Megan will forgive me for cancelling a half hour before the party. I felt like (insert word here). Today, pretty much the same. I spent yesterday in bed. The whole day, sleeping, only waking up to feed the baby. Ah, the joys of cold and flu season. Yuck.