Humbleness

You frequently hear about little kids getting hit by or driven over by cars. It is so sad. Most of the time I think to myself that it could happen to anyone and we all need to try to be more careful with our kids.

But some days, probably after I've become complacent for too long, I am a little more self-righteous about it and think that it'll never happen to me because I watch my kids so well.

Then days like today come along. (luckily, my kids were not hurt so I could learn my lesson this time) Today was one of those days where I heard about a small kid getting hit by a car and I thought to myself that someone should have been watching them a little closer. My own kids were, at the time, "safely" playing in the fenced-in back yard. I make sure to check on them every couple of minutes or whenever the sounds coming from them go louder or softer than a certain level.

Well, today (like I said, I must have been complacent) I must have given them too much time between checks. Adelyn had opened up both gates that lead to the front yard -- something I didn't know she could do (but should have known she would learn soon enough). Even still, I should have caught them sooner. Hadley had crossed the road (along with Koda) and was playing in the cemetery. I even checked on them at this time and saw Adelyn riding on her tricycle, so I figured Hadley and Koda were nearby, since they almost always stick close together. I found out what was really happening when a couple of concerned drivers saw Hadley and Koda and one of them came, knocked on the door and asked me if they were mine.

Even worse was an hour or so later, when a cop knocked on the door and asked to check on them (one of the drivers was more concerned than I realized). I deserved it and I hope that this lesson was strong enough that I never need another one.