Home Alone for the First Time

A few months ago we got rid of our telephone land line since we rarely used it.

Now that Prince Christopher is 8 he can stay by himself for a little while. But what if something happened while I dashed out to the grocery store for milk? What if he set the house on fire? What if the Jehovah Witnesses pounded on the door? He had no way to reach me. And I am not getting a 2nd grader a cell phone.

Back to the land line for us. It was an ordeal involving the phone company, the cell company, blah, blah, blah. Trust me, you don't want to go there. The best part of it was when, after I had been on hold for a million years, the ATT guy couldn't tell me the phone number to the ATT store. I said, "You realize that you are a communications company, a telephone company at that. Surely you can understand my amusement in the irony as I curse your employer." The sad part was that he didn't get it.

Anyway both my older boys were in school on Monday so Mr. 8 year old and I had a special day together. After a shopping trip, the dentist (Look Ma! No cavities!) and lunch we got back to the house. I didn't work out this morning, I truly need to. It keeps me sane.

We went over all the things he needs to know for my 45 minute escape. Don't answer the door, don't answer the phone, call me if you need me. Kiss, kiss, off I go.

At the Y I am on the treadmill going 9 mph when my phone rings. It's him. I was nearly propelled to the back wall of the gym as I frantically answered it. He hung up. I called him back in a panic. "What's wrong? Are you okay? Are the police on the front porch?"

He wanted to know if he left his Nerf football in the car.

I told him that I would be home in 10 minutes and he can look for himself. After I hung up I figured my heart had had enough of a workout for one day.

Anyone know a good cardiologist?