I Blame Law & Order

Picture this: It’s a perfectly normal Thursday. I’m debating whether I will attempt to get work done while the kids are awake, or if I will try to squeeze 8-hours worth of work during their (maybe) 2-hour naptime. I make the kids breakfast and sneak off to the computer while they watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

I’m halfway through an email to one of my clients and I hear the doorbell ring.

Now, normally, I don’t answer the door. I don’t look to see who it is. I don’t care. If it’s a package, just put it down and back away quickly. I ain’t signing nothing.

I keep the blinds in the front closed and I don’t care if they see my car parked there and know that I’m home. As far as I’m concerned, I only open the door for people who have called/texted/emailed that they are on their way in a matter of minutes. I’ve watched enough episodes of Law & Order: SVU to know that nothing good comes of opening the door when you’re home alone.

My kids, on the other hand, don’t seem to be soaking in my lessons of “Sit down/be quiet/don’t ruffle the blinds when you hear the doorbell ring!” As always, they hear the doorbell this time and run to the window, pressing their little noses against the glass.

I groan and start fussing. “How many times do I have to tell you two that we don’t…..?”

Before I can finish, my daughter yells, “It’s PopPop! And Auntie!”

*screech* “Wait, what?” I peek out the blinds. Sure enough, it’s my dad and my sister.

I open the door.

They came to babysit.

Oops. Guess my “don’t open the door” policy might need to be amended. Just a tad.