Oh how I wish I could say I have nothing to blog about! Here is a small snippet of what has been happening around here and hence the not so much blogging.
It was the day of enrichment, which is always a crazy day at this house. (I'm the enrichment leader.) I was busy trying to get the last-minute details finished up and asked Jake to bring the phone to me.
He isn’t moving very fast (he rarely is) so I start yelling to him, “Jake! Bring me the phone!” and so on. I can hear him talking to someone, which confuses me a little, but I’m thinking maybe he hit the redial button? I yell at him even louder.
I hear him end his friendly chat by saying goodbye as he comes down the stairs and hands me the phone. I ask him, “Who were you talking to?” He proceeds to inform me, “I called 9-1-1.”
I’m sure the look on my face must have said it all but I proceeded to ask him, “Do you see a fire around here? Is there an EMERGENCY?!” His reply, “No, I just wanted to talk.”
I then begin to inform him that when someone calls 9-1-1 they send a police officer out to check and make sure that there isn’t an emergency and now a policeman is coming to our house. He looses it…big time.
Jacob is screaming and crying and then Josh starts bawling. I’m confused about Josh’s reaction, so I ask Josh why he’s crying. In his squeaky little voice he tells me, “I’m going to miss Jake.” I
almost laughed.
I ask Jake why he’s crying. He wails, “I don’t want to go to Jaaaiiilll.” Neither of them could be consoled and Nathan decides to join in on the crying too.
Meanwhile I’m FREAKING out (on the inside) because the house is a disaster. (It’s enrichment night, remember?) I’m trying to clean because they’re on their way to take my children, I’m just sure of it.
I was also wondering what I should do…call 9-1-1 back to explain? Leave as fast as I can? Keep praying that he didn’t really call who he was claiming he called?
And then the phone rings. (Remember three boys are in hysterics at this point.) I answer the phone to be greeted by a sergeant informing me that 9-1-1 dispatch had just informed him a “polite young gentleman” had just called “wanting to know if they were having a good day.” Oh my Jacob.
I tried my best to explain and apologize (and was again praying…this time that the police sergeant didn’t think I was beating my children with all the screaming and crying that was going on).
He said he would explain it to dispatch and tell them not to send an officer. I told the sergeant they were crying now because they thought the police were coming to take Jacob away. Then he chuckled and said, “Good luck with that.”
I think Jake’s learned his lesson (and I think it scared Josh out of ever doing it). I was finally able to convince Jake he wasn’t going to jail and he was able to calm down.
This morning he told me, “Mom, I should have called Grandma Nelson to talk instead of 9-1-1.” I’ve also had the pleasure of listening to numerous scenarios (most of them involving blood) that would be considered emergencies and then it would be okay for him to call 9-1-1.
Someone told me that every family has a 9-1-1 experience. Have you? (Help me feel better about this!) And those of you with younger children…watch out!