The Catbird Seat

Have you ever watched one of those cop shows where someone is locked in a room, hiding out from John Law, and the cops on duty finally get tired of yelling through the wall/door at the perp…and so they just kick the door in?

Did you ever think to yourself, “Yeah, right.”

Well, I witnessed it IN PERSON today when Paul had to do that very thing. (not the perp part, thankfully.)

It was SO cool.

Had I not been so concerned over Elizabeth (the reason for the door kick-in), I might have just swooned.

Here’s the story:

Paul was cutting the grass, I was in the kitchen getting supper ready, Jane was watching “Mary Poppins”, and Elizabeth was…well, Elizabeth was being a Ninja in various parts of the house.

There was a momentary lull in the kitchen noise, and I thought I heard Elizabeth crying. I fully expected to walk in to the familiar scene of a guilty-looking Jane and Elizabeth crying from being man-handled, grabbed, yelled-at, or some other provocation initiated by Jane.

Except Jane was sitting quietly on the couch, looking at library books and singing along with Jane and Michael Banks. (Our newest friends, btw. In case you didn’t know, they are the children’s characters in Mary Poppins.)

Elizabeth could be heard crying loudly and desperately behind Jane’s closed, LOCKED door.

I ran out to get Paul, who promptly tried a couple of proper ways to unlock the 1950’s lock on Jane’s door (we are, after all, renting.)

After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, a quick evaluation of the possibility of coming in through the window (negative) and escalating cries from Elizabeth, I asked Paul, “Do you think we could just break the door?”

“I think I’m gonna have to.” he said, matter-of-factly.

And at this point, as I’m standing in the hall, looking at the door and wondering to myself, “How is he ever gonna do this?”, Paul said, (and I’m not making this up), “Stand back.”

I moved out of the way.

And he kicked the door in.

With one kick.

Just like on television and movies.

I think my jaw dropped open.

It was so cool.

It was then that we discovered that our little Ninja had also managed to lock herself in Jane’s closet as well. Other than being thoroughly and utterly terrified, she was completely unharmed.

Which was quite the relief, since I had imagined us walking into a room bloodied by some major injury to my littlest daughter. (I know. I have quite the imagination.)

Thankfully, the closet door locks from the outside (don’t ask me how she managed to lock herself IN), so her release from the closet was as simple as opening the door.

After lots of love and affection from both Paul and me, and of course, the cherished paci, Elizabeth was as good as new.

Paul had a big glass of ice water from being hot and tired cutting the grass. He seemed completely unaffected (either way) by the fact that he had just kicked a door in.

Maybe it’s not such a big deal to him, or to the 3 or 4 males that are kind enough to read this blog.

But it was to me.

I was, and am, proud of my husband for being the very thing that most men are constantly trying to prove to themselves, their wives and their children: the Man of the House.

And not just because he can kick in a door with one kick, either. (wide smile.)

Filed under: Catbird, Like a fire, Local Color, Tidbits, Elizabeth on July 12th, 2007