I'm Still Waiting for CPS to Show Up at my Door...

I think it was on Sunday as I was doing dishes and Nathaniel was off in our room doing something on the computer when we hear the stomping of feet above our heads. Nathaniel says, "Where are the kids?" I said, "They are just upstairs running around, aren't they?" He said, "That didn't sound like they were upstairs..." And he left to go and check on them. It's a good thing he did too. He brought Nathan back downstairs with him and says, real normal and calm like, "They were running on the roof." I knew he was not calm on the inside, but he hides his emotions well. I on the other hand went flying up the stairs to find the girls and to get an explanations as to why my 3 children we RUNNING AROUND ON THE ROOF OF MY TWO STORY HOUSE!!! Eliza had apparently thought it would be fun to open the locked window (that is only knee height anyway with no screen...oh, the joys of renting) and let the fun begin. I still am in shock as to how all of this played out. They all got out on their own, but Nathaniel went upstairs before they could all get back in. Nathan was still outside and so Daddy helped him back in...which was good, of course, because if he would have slipped, he would have fallen off of the roof and landed on the sidewalk below. If any of you know me, you know that I am a pretty cautious (a.k.a. paranoid) mom. I am big on safety. I am the carseat Nazi. The lady that won't let her kids venture farther than the reach of her arm at any parking lot, store, or gathering. I won't let my kids even go back to the car at the park unless I am with them for fear they will be kidnapped. They can't play in the yard themselves...you get the idea. I am not a lenient mother. I am always worried about their safety. But here they are, running around on the roof of my house all careless and carefree. There's only so much I can do I guess. I prepare, prevent, worry, and watch as much as I can, but as soon as I turn my head...kids will be kids. There were some things that worked in our favor in this horrible scare. The part of the roof that they climbed out onto was flat, then after a few feet in slopes upward, not downward toward the ground, and their deaths. This roofline also hid the incident from onlooking eyes...therefore, the neighbors won't think I am a negligent mother. Nathaniel was home at the time and being where he was rather than where I was tipped him off to the problem. From where I was, it just sounded like they were in their room. I do figure that if I was home alone, the spirit probably would have clued me in. I am just very grateful that everyone was safe. I can just picture angels helping my little Nathan out of the window so that he didn't fall off the roof in the process. I called my Dad and was trying to remain calm as I asked him what to do to ensure the safety of my children as they played in the toy room. He told me to put silicone on the edges of the window and that would keep them shut. I had nightmares all that night about my children falling off of the roof. They are, however, safe and sound and sealed in the house thanks to the silicone. Best $5.49 I ever spent! And, since the roof covered up most of the show, I think we slipped under the radar with CPS. Whew!

Crime scene.
Notice how low the window is and how tempting it must be to a youngster.
Do you see how the roof does not extend all of the way across the window? You can also see how it is flat right outside the window and then fortunately slopes up.

View from outside looking up at the window.