Locked Out

Today when we returned home from Katelyn's swimming lessons, I unlocked the side door to let Katelyn and Emily in the house so I could unload my purse and Happy Meals from the car. Anxious to get inside and make a quick trip to the bathroom, I heard the side door close with a click. Emily had locked me out, and was in possession of my keys. I jiggled the doorknob, and knocked on the door. "Emily!" I called. "Let mom in!" After several failed attempts, I shouted for Emily to get Katelyn to unlock the door.

"Katelyn in her room!" Emily yelled back.

"Go and tell her to come out!" I heard Emily run to the other side of the house and bang on Katelyn's door. Judging from Emily's frustrated screams, I knew Katelyn had refused to open her bedroom door and most likely told Emily to go away.

This scenario repeated itself 10 times- Emily running away to retrieve Katelyn with no success and returning to scream for me through the door. I banged on the door and shouted (as loud as I dared, knowing some of my neighbors were home) for one of my daughters to unlock the bolt and let me in, to no avail. I nervously looked over my shoulder to make sure none of my neighbors were catching a glimpse of me beating the door and doing as mild a potty dance as I could manage. As ten minutes ticked by, I wondered what on earth was keeping Katelyn in her room for so long. If only she knew that I was locked outside, holding her Happy Meal and on the verge of an accident.

Fifteen minutes later, the side door opens, with Katelyn standing proudly on the other side.

"Where have you been?" I asked her. "I've been locked out here this whole time!"

"I know," she said. "Sorry, I was just trying to find the right outfit to wear."

I paused and turned to look at her with wide eyes. "You KNEW I was locked outside?"

"Yeah," she answered, in a (Duh, of course I knew) tone.

"You should have let me in," I semi-scolded.

"I TOLD you, I was trying to find the right OUTFIT to wear!" She shrieked, exasperated.

"So what did you do, order it online and wait for it to be delivered?"

"Huh?" She answered.

I sighed heavily, and scribbled myself a note to make another spare house key.