Hanging by her fingertips!

I just have to share this crazy scaring experience with all of you. Yesterday in a desperate attempt to take advantage of one of the few nice days we've had a few friends and I headed to our neighborhood park for lunch and some play time. Unfortunately the wind was crazy and we didn't get to stay as long or enjoy the weather as much as we would have liked. So as we were packing up to go I called my children and gathered my things. My Princess responded to my call to leave with a, "No, mama" and ran the other direction. I decided I would never catch her with all that stuff in my arms so I walked the short distance to the truck where I unloaded our things and opened the doors for the boys to get in. Just as I headed back to the play ground to retrieve my delinquent toddler I thought I heard, or perhaps I just felt, her calling me. I quickly scanned the play ground and saw her at the top of what my boys refer to as the 'fire-escape ladder'. Up at the highest platform of this particular jungle gym there is a large hole with a ladder coming down one side. Doesn't that make you question the designers, it always has me too but until today it has been something Princess has steered very clear of. The second I saw her I had the urge to run to her. Just as I reached the ground cover for the jungle gym I saw that she wasn't actually on the ladder but was dangling! She was hanging by her fingertips on the opposite side of the hole than the ladder and she was whimpering as if she wouldn't hang on much longer. I grabbed her, she clung to me, and all was well. But what a close call! Apparently next time I should leave the things and take the toddler to the truck first. Although my mind goes wild with those possibilities.