Flashback Friday: A True Story

The following is a true story. No details or events have been altered or exaggerated in any way, as much as I would like it to be so. Tonight is Meet the Teacher Night and I think ours may be the only family who goes to this type of event with any amount of trepidation and painful memories. Flashback to Elementary Open House 07. I had gotten Hannah and Jackson ready for the mid year open house for parents to come and ooh and aww over the projects and progress of the school year thus far. Justin was with Rhett finishing up baseball practice and so we decided to meet at the school. Pregnant and tired, I can remember waiting outside with hundreds of other parents anxiously waiting for the doors to open. Rhett was running late and Jackson was on the proverbial last nerve. Running over rock beds, playing in the dirt, just plain running off--i was ready to leave and it hadn't even started yet. The doors open and there is still no Rhett or Justin, so as people flooded in, Jackson, Hannah and I sat in the foyer to wait. By this time I had already wrangled Jackson outside and was feeling content to let him do his karate kicks around the empty foyer. It didn't even bother me when he climbed onto a wooden bench along the wall. I had a moments hesitation when he started eyeing what looked like a security alarm panel right above the bench. Surely they wouldn't put something they didn't want kids to touch inches above a bench meant for sitting; but mom instinct said I should go check it out. I get to the bench about 3 seconds too late. He pushes a button and my stomach drops, especially when I see that the button is marked "Fire Drill." Nothing happens. In the 4 seconds it takes to breathe a sigh of relief and do a hook around the waist maneuver to get Jackson off the bench, lights start flashing and the fire alarm is triggered. Oh no. Oh no, oh no oh no. Wake up, wake up now! That's all I really remember thinking.
Trying at first for discretion I go to the office and tell the now alert looking staff that it appears my son has pushed the fire alarm button. No fire, just an accident, so I think we'll go look at the Art Room now...no such luck. Within 2 minutes there are teachers with walkie talkies and a couple of loud mouths who start ushering everyone out of the building. As I take an oblivious Jackson and a hysterically laughing Hannah out of the building, Rhett and Justin stroll up wanting to know what all the commotion is. I quickly explain that his son pushed the fire alarm, the entire building has now been evacuated, the alarm is still going off, walkie talkie people are now trying to contact the fire station and to top it off, everyone is asked over loudspeaker to please remain orderly and calm. We laugh now, but didn't know I could feel even more horrified until the next day when the kids came home talking excitedly that talk of who pushed the fire alarm (they were sworn to severe family loyalty) was the scoop of the day. We breathe a sigh of relief tonight as we have made it through a school event while managing to not evacuate the entire building. Progress? I think so.

I thought I had a few more years before my kids would think themselves too cool for stuff. It's pretty apparent they find themselves above taking pictures after the open house.

I would also like to point out, (from complete pettiness), that the reason we are taking pictures after the open house instead of during was the result of me instructing husband and children to take lots of pictures and everyone coming home saying they forgot.