You've Got to Be Kidding Me! (YGTBKM)

A title I've used (at least) once before, but those words were the first to run through my head.

"Luke locked himself in the bathroom, Mom," said Brie.

"YGTBKM" says I in my mind.

Upstairs I go to the "blue bathroom." Try handle on door (old door handles tend to be cantankerous). Door handle seems to work fine but door won't budge.

"Luke, did you lock the door?"

"No, Mama."

So, I ask that same question at least a thousand times because I am in complete denial that for the first time seven years since being in this house, that one of our children has actually managed to lock him/herself in the bathroom with the equivalent of a deadbolt for a lock (and of course no key or even keyhole for said lock)!

Plan A: Denial.  Doesn't work.

Onto Plan B: "Turn the lock Lukie to open the door. No, not the door handle, the thing below the door. No, not the door handle, it's the silver thing below the door. Can you turn it? Try and turn it."

Plan B: Doesn't work.

Back to modified version of Plan A which I'll call Plan 1A and a half: Unscrew door knob in wild hopes that the doorknob is, after all the problem. No dice there. Okay, maybe it will work if I poke finger through the hole once we remove the doorknob and point Luke toward the lock he needs to turn. Darn, the doorknob is stuck - Luke can't pull it out.

Scrap Plan 1A and half.

Plan C: call fire department (YGTBKM!)

Pause here for a second...did I mention we recently visited our local fire department as part of our homeschooling curriculum? How coincidental that just 5 days after getting a tour and talking with the kids about the difference between real emergencies and non-emergencies I get to call that same department to come and get Luke out of the bathroom!!! YGTBKM! Though on the upside - Brie asked if we needed to call 911, so I was able to reinforce that this was not a 911 type emergency and I just happened to have the direct phone number to our fire department written down because of the very-fresh-in-our-memory-tour. Unpause.

Execute Plan C. Fire department kindly responds to call to rescue 3 1/2 yr old from the bathroom. They try a Plan A of their own - pry molding off door frame and release lock with handy tool. Plan A fails because bathroom door lock is a deadbolt. (BTW - Reese was watching this whole process VERY closely. Just making a note of it now :) )

Plan B. Attempt to send firefighter through very narrow bathroom window. Other two firefighters who attempted to execute Plan A aren't sure if he can make it throught, but...he does! AND without having to rip the screen! Phew. Lock undone. Luke out. Replace window. Profusely thank firefighters for coming to the rescue. Carry on with plans to go to Joann Fabrics.

Seriously, though, I can only take such a light-hearted and humorous look at this because I was highly confident that they'd be able to get Luke out. However, I probably would have freaked out and totally lost my cool if I knew Luke was hurt in there and I couldn't get to him or if I wasn't sure if they'd be able to get him out without smashing the door apart (which would have been really scary for him).

Oh, and it was great to see how much Brie retained from our firehouse visit and emergency plan discussion we had. When she knew I had called the fire department, she went right out front to our "meeting place" to greet them.

Now, onto pray that this is the only time we have the fire department come to our house for any reason ever again. God is good always!