Mar. 9, 2008 - The Officers at My Door
Tell me I'm not the only person this has happened to.
I think this is about the 3rd or 4th time over the years. I'm cleaning the basement with the four older ones, minding my own business (my mistake), when I notice my 12-month-old with the phone. How it got on the floor from the top of the file cabinet, nobody ever admits to. And she's pushing buttons. And she's pushed 9-1-1.
Okay.
I should have listened to see if she connected, but I just hung up. I waited for them to call back, which has happened before when other young children have done so in my house. No call back. Yay, I'm thinking, she never connected.
It's a "school" day, snowing outside, and I'm wearing shorts with my hair in a sloppy bun, my kids look like ragamuffins (we're cleaning the basement, remember?).
I hear the basement door open, and my husband shouts down, "Honey, the police are here."
NOOOOOOOOoooooo!!!!
I have a trampoline blocking the bottom of the stairs so the baby doesn't climb up, towels are everywhere, and my five children come spilling out of the woodwork to stand and stare up at the officers. They asked if everything was okay, and I apologized profusely, stating it was an accident and I waited for the return call to say my baby had the phone. They kindly asked me to let the baby play with a pretend phone next time, and then they left.
Apparently my husband had told them at the door that everything was okay, and it was just an accident, but he said it looked like they didn't believe him, so he invited them in to check, said his wife was in the basement homeschooling the kids (which we weren't).
Yes. Right. So then. Now I feel like I'm on some black list of homeschooling families that have messy homes and CPS will be knocking at my door any minute. All these years I have managed to fly below the radar without a soul bothering us or knowing a thing about me.
That has been, oh, at least a week ago, and no visit from CPS...yet. Well, really, we weren't doing anything wrong . . . except crank-calling 9-1-1, right? Everyone has a messy house some days, don't they? With police officers dodging toys and books, staring down at a wild woman in shorts on a snowy day with too many kids looking unkempt?
Well, after the first night of unease, I gave this over to the Lord. You know, this is why I am a member of HSLDA, and it was just one of those things.
Lesson learned. Everyone of my children as babies has at one time or another dialed 9-1-1. How, I have no clue. Keep the phones away from your babies, folks. And don't wear shorts on below freezing days when police men come visiting.
Amen.
Comments
Mar. 28, 2008 - Snow Shorts
Posted by tierat
Well, you have such a way of describing what is happening, I feel as if I'm watching a tv show. I can so see you and the kids and Lupe over your shoulder looking a bit frazzled. I'm glad to hear no CPS came to the door.
