I am just writing to let you know that if you think your Monday has been a little crazy you are not alone.
The picture you see above is looking through my playroom door where I had taken the knob off trying to rescue the kids this morning after they locked themselves in the playroom.
Let’s rewind…
I had a ton to do today. I was working in the office almost directly under the playroom upstairs, I can hear the kids playing really well for a long time. I was so relieved because I had a LOT to do and was glad they were playing and not watching TV in the other room. I could hear the train table get moved out from the wall so they were building a new track. It was quiet for a little bit and I could hear my 4 year old yelling for me. I went upstairs.
“We are stuck!”
“Well unlock the door.” I say
“We have been trying to.” The 4 year old explains because it appears he has appointed himself as leader at this point. The other kids are 3 and 2, so I am sure he just told them he was in charge.
“Turn the little round lock part the other way” I try and explain.
” I yam” ( sorry I had to add his little lisp in there, the story is much better if you can hear him talk!) he says and I can feel the knob and it seems that he is doing the right thing.
I run downstairs to get a screwdriver to take the knob off. I take the knob off and with the screwdriver am trying to get it unlocked. It is NOT going anywhere. Paul was downtown and I considered leaving them in the room until he got home. They were perfectly happy and I could always drop fruit snacks through the hole in the door 😉
” I have to go potty” the 4 year old squirmed, and my vision of a quiet morning with kids locked in the play room was gone. I could not take the hinges off the door as they were inside, so I recalled my days of sneaking out a 2nd story window and wondered if I could get in there. I had to get the 4 year old to open the blinds, and unlock the window. This was a 15 minute task. Plus I had to keep telling him it was ok to stand on the furniture and the girls play kitchen.
I climbed up on the bunk beds in the room over and went out that window. I briefly considered changing my clothes in case I fell off the roof. I wouldn’t want any of our cute Woodlands firefighters to have to rescue me in workout pants. But I figured jeans and heels would have been too much 🙂 I did grab my phone though in case I had to make a call as I was falling off the roof. You never know…
After much breaking and entering, and more instructing a 4 year old how to pop a screen out, I decided I had to reason to worry this child would ever be a cat burglar.
They were obviously extremely worried they would be stuck in the playroom forever. The 2 littlest couldn’t stop giggling watching me climb in through the window and I am considering they did it on purpose just to watch me practice yoga at their amusement.
Then of course I had to have the “never climb out or in a window” talk because of the awesome example I had just set.
The door handle is staying this way until Paul can fix it when he gets home. It took me another 10 minutes once inside the playroom to get the lock to move enough to get it undone and open the door.
Then they refused to leave the room. I thought that is why I climbed out on the roof to get your guys out, and now you are perfectly happy to stay in the playroom?
Finally, I begged them to watch TV for a minute so I could make sure there were no windows open or anyway they could shut the door again. Sheesh kids these days, they would rather play than watch TV. 🙂
Happy Monday!
Part comedian, part Dad, part athlete. He will boss around your children while they play ball.
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This mini-Martha Stewart can handle ANY craft you send her way. She isn't all bows and rainbows, she's got karate kid moves!
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The resident Labradoodle, Miller got his name because Mom won and got to name the baby! Need something chewed up? He'll take care of it. Especially if it's expensive..
AHahahhaha
Tiffany! OMG what an adventure already! hopefully none remember this adventure when they are teens..
OMG, that is such a cute story! I am thankful I live in a one story house. Gosh knows that rescuing children in a locked room needs to be done quickly before they panick (or potty). The hinges never seem to be on the helpful side of the door.
Your story is too funny, and one that I’m sure will be remembered for years to come by your kids.
I’m assuming you don’t have one of those little keys to unlock the door. Well, I went to the local hardware store after I once got locked out of a room and he told me how to easily make my own key (he said he makes them to give to customers who come in for them, since the store doesn’t sell them). You cut off a 3-4″ section of coat hanger and then use a hammer to flatten the one end, and then bend over the opposite end (like an “L” shape) which will aide you in turning your “key”. If you’ve flattened out the one end good enough, you can insert it into your door knob and easily unlock the door. Works like a charm. I keep the key above the door moulding so I can quickly have access to it when needed.
My kids figured out if you pull the cotton off the end of a Q-tip you can stick it in the knobs with the small hole and pop the lock. They were 4 and 6 at the time. I was shocked when they showed me.
Some years ago, we had a similair event. My niece, 3 and my son, 2, fell asleep in the car and we carried them to our bed to sleep. We closed the door and didn’t think anything of it. My niece wakes up and locks them inside. When we figured that out, my husband tried to take off the lock and busted the door. We never replaced it. The doorframe stayed busted and we had no doorknob on our bedroom door for years. It will be s story that you can tell when they get older.
That reminds me when I was a kid and locked myself in my neighbors bathroom. My dad, fortunately, was a locksmith and went home to get the tools to pull the knobs off and unlatch the lock. I remember bawling my eyes out because I was locked in. So, be very glad your kids were calm and happy to play with the toys while you were rescuing them.
I can hear it already “BUT MOM, WE DON’T WANT TO COME OUT..WE WANT TO PLAY COPS AND ROBBERS. WHY CAN’T WE GO OUT THE WINDOW??? YOU DID IT . WHY CAN’T WE????????”
Too cute….
VERY funny. I’m glad that you didn’t fall off our hurt yourself like I did once sneaking out the window with my cousin (story for another time). What would you have done if you couldn’t have opened the door and been stuck with the kids. Again, so funny.
Oh no! My daughter is notorious for locking herself and/or the dog into rooms. I, too, am unskilled at removing door knobs and I just make it worse. Usually have to call DH home from work (because obviously she would never do this when he’s home!).
OMGosh! What a morning!
Just a question from one concerned mom– why is there a lock on the door??
If there was a fire, God in heaven bless those little ones.
My opinion, but especially since they’re so young and would not be able to get out of a window or other outside access.
Cute story! I’m glad you were able to get them out. Tell the hubby to put the door knob on backwards so the lock is on the outside and you can lock them in but they can’t lock themselves in! LOL just kidding
glad you had the talk about going out the window but I think with my kiddos I would have left them in the room rather than fear that they follow my example (even after a stern talking to) and try and climb out the window later.
Tiffany, it’s a good thing you remained calm and came up with a solution. With seven children, you have probably experienced just about everything!
I have had several doorknobs freeze up. Some were closet knobs (no lock). All you can do at that point is replace the entire assembly. The most recent occurrence was with an exterior doorknob. The door was open when it seized up. We couldn’t even close the door! Fortunately, my husband was home and we were in no hurry. He had to break the knob assembly to remove it, then there was no way to latch the door, and a big round hole in the door, to boot. And, of course, it was a day when the mosquitoes were plentiful. We happened to have an exterior doorknob assembly on an interior door, so we put that one on the kitchen door until I could get to the hardware store to buy a replacement. Then we had to set about killing all the mosquitoes that slipped in. Thank goodness there were no children involved in my incident!
Ok I enjoyed your post so much I know it wasn’t funny when you were trying to rescue your kids but I laughed so hard I choked!Thanks for makeing my Monday more enjoyable.
Looks like all your practice from sneaking out as a teenager paid off 😉 Glad to hear you and the small humans made it through fine!
That lock has been a butt since mom first put it in, Maynor and I had some problems with it before.