It was 9pm and we had just returned to our temporary home (Oma and Opa's house while ours is getting remodeled) after watching the Homecoming Queen getting crowned at the Homecoming half-time. I had all three kids because Chris was staying to help wrap-up the raffle prize distribution at the football game. When we walked in the house I saw our dog staring at us through the back door. He's supposed to be in his pen so I guessed that he broke out, and rather than go outside and try to deal with that situation while also trying to get 3 very tired kids to bed, I decided that Chris could deal with putting the dog securely back in the yard when he got home. I let the dog in the back door and some of the plastic containers from the recycling that he'd demolished in his free time came tumbling in with him. The kids were super excited that the dog was in the entry way because he isn't allowed in the house -so maybe I didn't think that one the whole way through.
To contain the dog and the kids, I let them give him treats while I closed off doors so the dog couldn't roam. That task complete I sent the kids off to the bathroom to brush their teeth and get ready for bed. As I was filling a bowl of water for the dog, Addie came running into the kitchen, "Mommy, mommy, come quick and look at what happened to the bed!!" The girls had "made" their bed this morning by decorating it with almost every toy that lives in their room so I wasn't overly concerned, guessing that their brother had moved some of their babies.
Instead I walked into their bedroom to discover Wyatt's converted toddler bed/crib at a 45 degree angle. I immediately asked who moved the bed and they each swore they didn't do it. I tried the window and, sure enough, it wasn't locked and slid open easily. I told them to go back to the dog right away, and it was here where I grilled them about WHO MOVED THE BED??!! Each was adamant that they were not the culprit, and then Nora and Addie suggested, "It MUST have been PETER PAN!!"
Needing to cut right thorough that little game I suggested to them that Peter Pan wouldn't need to move the bed, instead he'd fly over it. NOPE! Peter Pan must have moved the bed, they insisted!! After two or three rounds of this I couldn't take it anymore, I had to tell them, "PETER PAN IS NOT REAL! I need to know RIGHT NOW if one of you moved the bed, because if you didn't then a bad person could have and I need to know NOW and I'm telling you it was NOT Peter Pan!!" There were tears (bonus points for keeping your cool Mom-of-the-year) and the dog was shoved out one door, and the kids out the other (they aren't that far apart). Chris wasn't answering his phone, or his texts, and my father-in-law was announcing at the game. Not knowing what to do, because I still wasn't sure one of the kids didn't do it, or that some other family member hadn't, I set off in the vehicle and started dialing numbers. After every single one of the numbers I called failed to answer I decided to call the police. The dispatcher was awesome and the two police men who pulled up to the house right in front of my husband (who finally looked at his phone during the homecoming game) were amazing as well. I gave them all the details and I explained that I wasn't sure if there was a situation or not, but that I wasn't willing to hang out with three kids to decide. They assured it is was no problem, and I'd done the right thing - better safe than sorry! They checked through the house (no small task considering we have boxes from our house in just about every room!) and didn't see anything. We went through the house and everything that you'd expect a thief to take was still there. Then they checked the back yard, and it was all clear there as well. The screen was even on the window in question so I felt confident and comfortable that one of the girls was telling a story (as opposed to a considerate thief who would replace a screen). I asked one of the officers poke his head into the car where the kids were watching a video and he very nicely talked to them and explained that they needed to tell their Mommy the truth, and they could do so when he left but it was important to tell the truth. They drove away and I went through the kids one more time. Another round of adamant denials from Nora and Addie, and then Wyatt...my sweet innocent, loving, tender, momma's boy, Wyatt quietly said..."yes, I moved the bed." My jaw dropped. Still not completely believing my 2 year old, I asked him to show me how he did it. Sure enough, he marched right into the room, grabbed the corner post and started yanking.
AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! And HE WAS my good kid!! He pouted the rest of the time we were getting him ready for bed, and I'm hoping he understands it's important to tell the truth right away. I'm just happy to report that the window's locked, everything is safe and secure, and MAYBE my daughters will believe me tomorrow when I apologize and explain to them that I was afraid and just had to say that to try to find out the truth, because in fact, there really IS a Peter Pan...but Mommy just knew HE wouldn't move a bed!
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