Pride: The Root of Many At Home Accidents

Last week I posted about the morning the kids and I washed the cars.

What I didn't post about was how I backed the mini-van into the garage and accidentally hit the side of the house with the passenger rear view mirror, and took out a chunk of stucco.

Here's what happened...

I had backed the car out of the garage, and we began to wash. We washed the drivers side, but the hose in the front yard is kinda short, so I had to pull the car out of the drive, turn it around, and back into the driveway to wash and rinse the passenger side. 

While washing the back end of the van, The Boy noticed the chipped paint and cracked passenger taillight.  He said, "Mom! What did you do?"

To which I replied, "I did not do that, your Dad did." 

"Really?" he says. As if it seemed impossible that his Dad could do such a thing.

"Yes." I say. "Don't you remember taking that camping trip to Tyler State Park when we lived in TX? When your Dad backed up in to the campground and took out a small tree?"

Our mini-van was brand new at the time, and I was VERY grateful that I hadn't been the one to put the first "ding" in it. 

Of course he didn't remember, he was only 5 years old.

"So, for the record," I say, "Your Dad did that. Not me."

That's when we finished washing the van and The Girl suggests washing The Misters car as well.

"Great Idea!" I say, and instruct the kids to stay out of my way while I back the van into the garage so to make room for The Misters car on the driveway.

I was concerned about the kids moving from the spot I had told them to stay, so I was keeping my eye on them, instead of the fact that I was about to plow through the wall of the garage.

Until i heard a huge CCCRRRUUNNNCHHHHH!!!!! sound. I looked to my right and the mirror was all bent backwards and folded over on one edge. 

I do believe that it was at this point when a bad word came out of mouth. 

But I won't repeat it here. 

I put the car in drive and hoped against hope that it wouldn't be as bad as it sounded.

The mirror, with a bit of pink stucco scratches, was none the worse for the wear. 

The house? Well, let's just say that The Mister, who had just crossed the last Household Maintenance Chore off his list, has something new and exciting to learn: Stucco Patching.

When I got out of the car The Boy says, "What did you hit?"

"The house." I say with a resigned and quiet tone.

"Wow! That's much worse than a tree, isn't it?"

Yeah, well, it just might be.

First pride, then the crash— 

   the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.

Proverbs 16:18 (The Message)