Locked Out!

Yesterday morning it was time to make bread again, so I took the wheat grinder out to our balcony to try to save our eardrums and started the process. A little later, I went out to check it and heard Josh slide the glass door shut behind me, but didn't think too much of it...until I tried to come back in and discovered that he had also locked it after shutting it. Great. Of course I didn't have my phone with me, I was just going to be out there for a second.

Me: "Josh, can you open the door for me?"

Josh: "Okay." Tries to open the door, but can't get it right away. "Mamy help you?" (Translation: Mama, do it for me?)

Me: I knock. "I can't do it Josh, please open the door."

Josh: Thinking it's pretty fun to play through the window with mom. "Mamy help you?"

Me: I try pulling on the door hard to see if I can get it past the lock. Nope. More begging and pleading with the same results. Hmmm...maybe I can get in through the the other sliding glass door to the kids room.

Josh had recently learned how to move the lock switch up and down, so we put poles in the tracks of both sliding glass doors to keep him from opening them. We live on the 3rd floor and with the climber that he is it's just too dangerous for him to get out there without our knowing about it. I had removed the pole in the living room door to come out, and I was hoping that somehow the pole in the kids' room wasn't in there. Nope, it was there. Rats. That door is unlocked at least, but the bottom of the door won't budge since the pole is there behind it. The top will come out an inch or so...maybe I could lift it off the track and up over the pole? I try for a minute or so and get my hand nice and scraped up. I can't do it with just my hands, but luckily, David's tools are out here. I try prying the bottom of the door up with a screwdriver, then a hammer. Nope. Back to the first door.

Me: I knock again. "Josh, will you please open the door for me?"

Josh: "Mamy help you?"

Me: "Josh, do you see the lock?" I trys pointing to the lock switch through the glass. "Go up, down, up, down."

Josh: Points at the glass by where I'm pointing.

Me: "No, over there." I try pointing again.

Josh: Sees his magnets and goes to play with them.

Clearly this isn't working. Thank goodness Mary is asleep (at least I hope she still is). Maybe I can shove a screwdriver into the key hole and get it to turn the lock. That's not working...maybe the needle nose pliers will work. The end of the pliers just broke off in the lock. Rats. At least I have my wheat and our water-filled soda bottles to survive on (always thinking of food). I bang on the door to get Josh's attention away from the TV and his magnets and try getting him to open the door again.

Me: "Josh do you want to ride your bike?"

Josh: "Yes, bike!"

Me: "Okay, open the door and come and get it."

Josh: Tries pulling on the door.

Me: "You have to unlock it."

Josh: "Mamy help you?"

I go back to the kids' room door. While trying to open it Josh comes into his room. Maybe he can move the pole from behind the door.

Me: "Josh, can you move the broom?"

Josh: Tries to move it. "Stuck. Mamy help you?

For the next several minutes I keep going back and forth between the two doors trying to figure out a way to get back in. More banging. I start yelling and pleading with Josh to open the door. No luck. My face is "glistening" with sweat and my shirt is starting to get wet.

After about 30 minutes or so one of the girls who lives below us calls out from her balcony asking if I need help. Realizing that I'm not going to get back in of my own accord, I ask her to call David to come home from work and let me in.

Finally, about 15 mintues later, my knight in shining armor comes and rescues me. I love David!

I go and check on Mary, she's sleeping. If she did wake up screaming I'll just pretend that she didn't. Thank goodness. What a morning!