Our Little Houdini

So yesterday after S1 got home from school I received a phone call from his principal! I was immediately curious because what could he have done to warrant the principal calling? Well, it turns out that a "patron" had found S1 out in the middle of the busy three lane road in front of the school! The person had managed to get him out of the road, but he wouldn't go to the school with him. So a second person ran into the school and got the principal and said,"We think we have one of your students who was out in the road"! When S1 saw the principal, he went with her back into the school.

It turns out that S1's teacher and main aide were gone that day. There were substitutes but they aren't familiar with the kids and their faces. Well, the subs had been watching the door to make sure that no one left the room. It turns out that S1 climbed out the window! Now, you have to understand the windows in the class. They are about two feet wide, one foot tall, about two feet off the ground. There is a top section to the window, about four feet tall, that doesn't open. When the bottom section opens, it opens from the bottom, pushing out about six inches or so. Obviously the opening was enough for S1 to lean over, get his head out with his arms down and "crawl" out the window and off to freedom. He tried to do this once from one of our living room windows and just pushed the screen out of his way. I found him hanging halfway out. Needless to say my living room windows are always locked.

Anyway, when the principal told me S1 had crawled out the window I actually laughed. He's so clever when it comes to getting away. You have to admire the ingenuity. I can't really even blame the subs because who thinks kids are going to be climbing out the windows? The principal was upset when she called to let me know and had already made a plan to keep this from happening again - including ordering screens for the windows. I let her know that he may just bust those out but she thought at least they might slow him down enough for someone to grab him before he could take off again.

I have no doubt that S1 saw this escape route and chose to exploit it. He probably tried to get to the playground but there is no entrance from the front of the school. So he then probably went for the road and the lovely yellow line down the middle just begging to be followed! This is the third time in four years he's managed to get out. The first time S1 went right out the front doors and they found him sitting on the bus parked out front, sitting in the driver's seat with the seat belt slung over his body and him "driving" the bus. That was in kindergarten. I think the second time was in first grade and he slipped out of the cafeteria during lunch and was found out at the playground. I figure once a year isn't so bad, that's how often he escapes from our house! Of course it should be zero, but I know my little Houdini and I can't keep him on a leash all the time.

Oh, after I got off the phone with the principal I said out loud, "Thank You Heavenly Father!" S3 looked around and said excitedly, "Where? Where is he mom?". Due to my vocal exclamation S3 thought I was talking to someone who was here physically and he was excited to get to see Heavenly Father I think. I had to explain that I was just so grateful that S1 was safe that I needed to say it out loud and right away. That even though Heavenly Father wasn't right there with us, he could still hear me. It was such a sweet reaction that S3 had to my outburst.