This idiom is a good one for those of you who, like me, oftentimes realize something just in the nick of time.
For example, y
ou are sneaking up behind your Uncle Joey to give him a wet willy and take revenge for all the times he has embarrassed you in public when –gasp!– you realize it’s not your Uncle Joey that you have sneaked up on, but your neighbor Alfred who has let you eat from his garden countless times. You slink away quickly, having almost ruined a wonderful friendship with your neighbor.
It is a good thing you realized it just in time, or te diste cuenta a tiempo.
darse cuenta a tiempo = realize just in time