For The Love Of Toddlers!

[mzundastood]

It's only 10.30am and I am already exhausted by the mornings events. Up we got (early) toddler and I to hear beeping from the cupboard from the pre payment meter.

Not a problem she thinks put money on key yesterday (feeling slightly smug at this as normally I forget). Lets get the key. Checked where I left it. Yes your right it wasn't there.

Curse self for smugness as should have put key straight in meter not left it on kitchen worktop (very far back out of toddler reach).

Cue full scale womanhunt for said key. No where to be found. Ask innocent toddler if he knew where key was, did he move it etc. Nope.

By now the washing machine has been emptied, tumbler drier checked, contents of kitchen bin emptied out and sieved through by hand (if you have not had a toddler this may seem very gross and odd behaviour, please accept this will become part of your life one day) washing basket emptied, toy boxes checked, car, my pockets, ironing basket (found top I forgot I had, bonus!) everywhere. No key.

Phone my mum who was here yesterday for lunch hence why sat key on worktop thinking acht put it in later. "Mum did you see toddler with the key for meter or did you move it?" "No defiantly not" she replies. Can hear dad in background muttering on about how i will have to find said key or i will have no electric, why did she not put it straight in the meter, honestly this is just soooo like her. Yes dad thanks for that, very helpful.

"Have you checked?" She proceeds with huge list of places to check. Yes mum I have that's why I am now phoning you (on mobile as electric has now ran out and cant use house phone, right in the middle of Mr Tumble which has traumatised toddler on a level beyond my understanding).

Give up in defeat. Pjs bottoms soaked with hauling wet washing out machine to check in there, can smell evidence of bin raking on my hands even though i washed them. Think what do i do now?

Toddler is now bringing remote control to me "Tumble, Tumble, Tumble" tugging at my wet pj bottoms trying to drag me to living room. I can feel my stress levels beginning to rise. Ask toddler again calmly explain no key, no Tumble, mummy has got to find the key.

As if by magic toddler jumps up and down excitedly and shouts

"THERE IT IS! THERE MUM" looking at me as if i am completely stupid for not being able to see this in the first place.

And there is the little magic purple key that will restore order, calm and caffine to my home.

I have an oven built into kitchen units the magic key was sitting just under the ledge of the over on top of drawers that sit underneath it. I would never have found it today.

I am going to think my DS just happened to see this as it was at his eye level.

Not that he knew it was there all along and had much enjoyed watching his frantic me searching for it?

[BlackeyedSusan]

next time... if you are so tired and harrassed by a toddler that you forget daft enough to not put the key on straight away, you know what to do....flick the switch on the consumer unit/fuse box and pretend there is no more tumble tumble until it is found.