• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • San Diego Momma
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
San Diego Momma

San Diego Momma

Sharing some humor, a bit of writing and way too much information

Home / Etcetera / In The Spaces

In The Spaces

Etcetera

My husband’s yelling woke me up.

Then I heard the home security alarm.

 

I hurled myself out of bed and looked at our alarm system flashing red, and wanted to cover my ears to shield against the piercing beep.

 

But there was the yelling. And the scrambling. And oh my God, is someone in the house? The kids! Where are the kids?

 

My husband ran into the bedroom, trying to turn the thing off. But if someone were in the house, wouldn’t we want to leave it on?
I couldn’t hear what he was shouting, but we turned the alarm off and I grabbed the phone.

 

We ended up in the kitchen, he grabbing a steak knife and a hammer, me picking up my cell phone and holding it in the same hand as the house phone.

 

We still hadn’t said a word to each other.

 

Now, he planned to go downstairs. The red light blinking on our alarm told us that a door had opened downstairs.

 

I dialed 911 on both phones and paused before hitting “send.” He started down the stairs, and I peered in my girls’ bedroom not 50 feet from me. They remained asleep.

 

i imagined joining them inside, dragging their heavy dresser across the door and opening the windows and screaming.

 

But there was my husband. My husband! I heard slamming and more yelling. I ran to the top of the stairs. 911 remained undialed. What if it were nothing? I waited.

 

Adrenaline made me unaware of what I’d feel later — the heart pulsing, the lungs rasping, the eyes darting. For now, I didn’t breathe.

 

My husband bounded upstairs. “The door from the garage to the house was open.”

 

“Did you look in the garage?” I said it, almost accusingly. How could he not look? The kids!

 

“No, Last thing I want to do is confront someone.” He looked down at his hammer and measly steak knife. “I shouted to scare them off.”

 

We stood there, eyes shifting between where the girls slept and the landing leading downstairs.
Finally, we decided to call 911 and ask them to send a local police officer to check things out.

 

Here is where we started to think the horrible, necessary thoughts of what we would do if someone were in the house. Fight back? Give in? Barricade ourselves in the kids’ room?

 

The 911 operator stayed on the phone with us the whole time. Soon enough, an officer (just one?) arrived, with his silent, dark police car.

 

He walked the perimeter, shining the flashlight in nooks and crannies. We let him in and he searched inside, with me as unwanted backup. I re-checked under beds, behind desks, and even in our Harry Potter closet, the one that winds around to end in a low, hidden area under the stairs.

 

He determined that our door hadn’t latched properly and that a wind jostled the security sensor setting it off. And he left.

 

My husband and I sat upstairs on the couch, wondering how an inside door could be shaken by the wind.

 

But we didn’t say it aloud.

 

And I just wanted to crawl in the furthest corner of my house with my family, deleting the spaces around us, until it was just us with no lights flashing, no hammer, no wind.

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

February 22, 2008 · 11 Comments

Sure I’d love to see you again

Previous Post: « An Update
Next Post: He Ain’t Heavy (But Yes He Is) »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Melissa says

    February 22, 2008 at 4:20 pm

    Oh, man, did that happen today?! Happy Friday! I tell you, I’ve never been so terrified until I had kids. Before if someone broke in, it would be bad, but not B.A.D. I’m glad it all turned out OK.

    Reply
  2. mommypie says

    February 23, 2008 at 12:02 am

    Wow – that kind of fear is the WORST – makes my heart pound just imagining it. Glad everyone’s okay (and that you have an alarm!).

    Reply
  3. Rose says

    February 23, 2008 at 7:58 am

    Ok, this was very good storytelling. I was literally on the edge of my seat and SO relieved at the end that it was only the wind. And what WOULD my husband and I do if it were us and it were real? That’s something to think about.

    Reply
  4. Mommy Zabs says

    February 23, 2008 at 8:24 am

    my heart was pounding.

    Reply
  5. admin says

    February 23, 2008 at 9:32 am

    Thanks for the comments, girls!

    I was already looking older, and this incident aged me 10 years.

    Oh well. At least we’re safe!

    Reply
  6. Absolutely Bananas says

    February 23, 2008 at 2:24 pm

    SCARY!!

    Reply
  7. rimarama says

    February 23, 2008 at 5:08 pm

    I’m so glad you and your family are OK. I want to buy the wind story, too. Ack!

    Reply
  8. Smiling Mom says

    February 23, 2008 at 10:27 pm

    Oh my gosh. What a terrible experience. I’m glad to hear you are OK.

    I just found you via Absolutely Bananas. I’m a San Diego girl too…except now I’ve transplanted to Northern CA. :-) But my heart is and will always be in SD.

    Reply
  9. foolery says

    March 10, 2009 at 11:41 am

    Holy frijoles. I know you’re all right but this was still scary.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. sandiegomomma.com » Blog Archive » Not on My Watch says:
    December 3, 2008 at 10:19 pm

    […] plan all worked out in case someone breaks in and triggers the warning system, a plan (scream) that went unimplemented the night the alarm actually did go off and I sat there like an idiot just waiting to be found by Bloody […]

    Reply
  2. San Diego Momma » Blog Archive » Me, Me, Me, Me, Me, Me ME! says:
    March 6, 2009 at 3:57 pm

    […] The One Where I Almost Crapped My Pants […]

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

I love words. Every one, every time. (Except “moist.” That word can go.) …read more

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Sure. I’d love to see you again.

Categories

Archives

Blogroll

  • Blog This Mom
  • Da Goddess
  • Dirt and Noise
  • Discover San Diego
  • Foolery
  • Juggling Life
  • Mama Mary Show
  • Mel, A Dramatic Mommy
  • Mom Zombie
  • Mommy’s Martini
  • Motherhood is Not for Wimps
San Diego Momma

Footer

Archives

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Categories

Christmas carols for dad... Through the nursing ho Christmas carols for dad...
Through the nursing home window...
❤️
Mama’s mid-century vibes and dad’s suit swagge Mama’s mid-century vibes and dad’s suit swagger...
Walked a 5K for Wounded Warriors last night and de Walked a 5K for Wounded Warriors last night and despite my phone being stolen right before this pic, I couldn’t deny there are still good things in the world like red sunsets. Even if thieves and bad people muck stuff up every now and again.
Well. One of us takes her time to carve things rig Well. One of us takes her time to carve things right....No. I don’t know what it is. (It was supposed to be Chucky but she carved the wrong parts.) (I still admire the attention to detail.)
#OneDayHH — 8:23PM — Felt like the right time #OneDayHH — 8:23PM —
Felt like the right time to try Schitt’s Creek again. I couldn’t get into it last I tried.
But non-football-watching wives of football watchers do as they must do. And they must do it alone.
#OneDayHH — 6PM — Early evening still life. #OneDayHH — 6PM — 
Early evening still life. 
Husband working/watching football.
Outdoor cushions sheltered from possible rain showers tonight.
Buddha watching over all.
#OneDayHH — 3:50PM — Pulled my old diary out y #OneDayHH — 3:50PM — Pulled my old diary out yesterday for a work something...
About to put it back and this earnestness catches my eye from adolescent Debbie...
😳
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Hello Chicky

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.