We had just set down at the restaurant when my cell phone vibrated. It was our 15-year-old son, whom we left in charge, calling. “Mom, the phone just rang and it was a man with a deep voice. He asked if my father was home and I told him he was busy. Then he asked if my mother was home. I said, ‘May I ask who is calling?’ Then he just hung up. What if he is outside and he was trying to find out if our parents are at home? He probably wants to break into our house.”

Maybe I should back up for a minute and tell you how my day started. I had to go into work at seven this morning while everyone was still asleep so I ran home for lunch to see everyone. As I walked in the door all of the children started hugging me and yelling happy anniversary. OOPS, it sure is our anniversary isn’t it. Super Dad is off from work this week and he was in the kitchen when I walked in, so he knew I forgot. Yup, I was caught. Again, that is I am terrible at remembering it is our anniversary. So, we made plans to go out to dinner and I ran back to work.

Ok, now back to the restaurant. “I think you will be fine, it was probably just a salesman calling, check all of the doors and make sure they are locked,” I tried to reassure him.

After about 10 minutes, I tried calling the children back. I got the answering machine, which I spoke into asking them to answer the phone, but they didn’t. I tried two more times and even called Lane’s cell phone and my fax machine but they wouldn’t answer. We dutifully asked for to go containers and headed home.

All the lights were off except one. The children were all hiding in the playroom. They were all scared that someone was going to get them. Then Buck, the almost 13 year old says, “That guy had a scary voice just like the one in that babysitter movie where the guy is upstairs.”

“When did you see that movie?” I asked.

“I haven’t, but I saw the commercial,” he answered.

Photo Credit Scary Sky
Uploaded on February 4, 2007
by Montrasio International
Creative commons license