Madeleine Escapes

We have a fenced in yard. We had the fence put up last year shortly after we moved in. My parents generously gave it to us a gift with their main reason to keep Maddie safe in the yard, and it gave the dog a place to run around. Anyway - Maddie typically goes out in the backyard and likes to play. Today was no different. However - what I didn't realize was that Maddie figured out how to open the latch on the gate and walk OUT of the yard. One minute she was out in the back yard and the next minute my doorbell was ringing.

I didn't know that she had escaped from the yard yet. So - I figured that it was Brian ringing our doorbell. We had our driveway sealed today so we can't drive in the driveway and go in the garage - so I figured he walked up the front lawn and rang the doorbell. However, the doorbell kept ringing and ringing - VERY obnoxiously. So, I am thinking, "Gosh Brian. Hold your horses! I am coming as fast as I can!" I open the door and who do I see? Not my husband! No - instead I am greeted by my little sweet Madeleine. I gasped. I said - "Maddie! How did you get out of the yard?" She just looked at me, walked inside and told me, "Mommy, I had to get something." UH..... Okay? Well excuse me then! (The item that she had to get was her toy lawnmower which is in the garage). So this probably means that she ran across the freshly sealed driveway to get to the front door. Lovely.

It took me another 10 seconds to realize that if the gate was open - that meant that the dog had escaped! So - I ran out in the yard and fortunately Maddie had been thoughtful enough to close the gate. She hadn't latched it -but at least Gracie was still in the yard. Gracie was found next to the gate and I could see it in her eyes that she was figuring out how she could escape too. I can see her doggy mind thinking, "If the little girl can do it - then I can do it too!"

Needless to say - I guess we will be putting the padlock on the gate and Maddie and I had a big talk about opening gates and leaving the yard!