Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Houdini, I Need Your Help!

When watching grandboys, one of the most important Granma super powers is her hearing.  There are two things that make this particular super power a problem, and therefore all the more coveted.  First, Granmas have, by definition, put a few miles on their ears.  It kind of makes me feel 90+ to admit that, but it's true.  But the bigger problem is on the grandboy side, especially when grandboy becomes grandboyS.  Two grandboys do not make twice as much noise as one - they make three times as much.  Three grandboys make five times as much noise as two.  Those are just rough estimates, mind you, made by a Granma with aforementioned diminished hearing.

Some things Granma's hear but ignore.  For example, a little while ago I was playing with three grandboys in their bedroom when I heard a small "click."  There were no tears, so we continued on our way.  The next sound, also heard but discarded, was the closing of the bedroom door.  The third sound, spoken very softly with a kind of four-year-old hush that grabs the attention of Granmas everywhere, was, "Ah-oh.  I just locked the door."

This may not sound like a problem until you realize that the bedroom door locks from the hallway side, their parent's solution for keeping should-be-nappers corralled.  Still not a major panic, since it is a standard passage lock.  I only needed something ridged and skinny to pop the lock from the inside.  A hanger should do it - except that they were all of the plastic variety.  Bedroom toys were limited to the stuffed variety, which are great for cuddling, but totally useless for picking locks or popping hinge pins.

Fortunately, besides myself and three grandboys, my cell phone was also locked in the room.  I called their mother for her suggestion.  No problem, there is a Q-Tip on top of the door jam for just such an emergency.  Apparently Christine has heard the click and close followed by ah-oh, too.  Perfect!  Except that the swab-passing-as-key was not in its designated hiding spot.

Not wanting to call again, I made another sweep of the room.  The baseboard door bumper seemed to be my savior.  Unscrewing it from the wall, the attached screw should work.  Close!  But just a little to fat to grant us the freedom I was hoping for.

When I later told my son, the boy's father, about my dilemma, his suggestion was to climb out the window onto the porch roof, jump off the roof, and come in through the front door to unlock the bedroom door.  I immediately spied a couple of problems with this plan.  First, I wasn't at all sure the front door was unlocked, which would have left an open window and two locks between Granma and grandboys three.  Secondly, and more to the point, Granmas do not jump off roofs - well, they do on occasion, but only metaphorically.

I had not yet reached complete 911 panic, though it was on the horizon, when I saw the various pictures on the wall.  Taking one down, I was rewarded with the sight  of a small nail - small enough that the rest of the nail was embedded only in the drywall, and not something more substantial - better than a Q-Tip if only because it was available.  The next sound I heard was the small click of a lock releasing its hold, it echoed in my ears along with my sigh of relief!

Not exactly an escape worthy of Houdini, I suppose.  But call me Granma MacGyver, if you please!

2 comments:

  1. Your hearing may be approaching the diminished sort befitting Granmas everywhere, but your brain matter is top notch and your creativity laudable! You go, girl!

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    1. Thanks, Holly! They are so much fun! I love it when I can act their age!

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