I think I already earned the years top prize.
Sigh.
So, we had the police call last night, checking up on us.
It was last-game-in-the-garden-before-bed with the boys, No.1 had gone indoors already and I thought Bear had wandered into the house with him. After about 5 minutes C came out asking where she was (bearing in mind she has broken out of the back garden when No.1 left the gate open – she has radar for quick exits, has made us neurotic). I casually said she was back inside with No.1 – who followed out after C and said ‘no, she’s not!’.

As it was nearly bedtime, knowing the garden gate was shut, I went upstairs, not worried, presuming she had got tired and gone and found a nice bed to be comfy in.

Nothing.

C and the boys were checking the garden and downstairs (she NEVER replies when you call her, which makes it hard). C double checked the side gate (which is ALWAYS fastened).

It was open.
Shouting out to me, C tore off down the road calling – this is the busy main road out front, always full of cars driving too fast…
Next door but two neighbour came out as he passed and said “are you missing a little girl?”.

They had picked her up on the opposite corner – she had managed to travel about 600 yards, and cross the road on a blind bend.

She’s not 18mths old yet.

The neighbours had already called the police, as they didn’t know who she belonged to. So 20 minutes later, once she had been half-suffocated with hugs, I was getting her to bed, and the police showed up – they had to attend and make sure she was ours and safe.

(Thinking about it, we think we had a delivery last Friday, and because we weren’t in he came round the side. The gate doesn’t actually swing open, it’s jammed firmly between house and fence, completely un-move-able by children. Whoever the idiot driver was moved it, left the parcel, and NEVER THOUGHT TO REPLACE THE GATE. We, of course, didn’t check it because we simply never have to.)

Oh, and putting No.1 to bed last night, it transpires I didn’t add suncream since 9 in the morning before Cricket. Sunburnt shoulders, chest, back and cheeks.

Add those two to the fact that Jolly is on report at school for his bad behaviour, the fact that I was sponging and tumbling 3 school jumpers every morning last week because I kept forgetting to put them in the machine before I went to bed, Jolly’s hair is so long it’s in his eyes like an old english sheepdog…

sigh. Neglected my children are. Neglected.

I’ve been a crap careless mother, and nearly lost my daughter because of it.

(Not to mention the burnt son…)