This happened a few months ago and at the time I didn't feel like blogging it - it was too terrifying and humiliating to me - but now enough time has passed that I'm over it. This was written a couple of months ago. Nothing ever came of it.
Yesterday evening Calvin was in the pool screaming/wailing
becuase he didn't like the color of towel he had. Clare was sweet enough to
trade with him twice and he still changed his mind last minute and
wanted a different towel but she was already in the house and he didn't want it
after she had used it. He sat out ton the steps of the pool for a good 20-30
minutes crying/wailing at the top of his lungs while the rest of us went inside
and got changed and dressed and ate, etc. Some neighbors kept walking by the
top of the driveway and eventually one of them -super old guy - came down the
driveway and stood by the pool gate watching Calvin. Dave went out to talk to
him. The old guy thought it seemed like a long time to be crying about a towel
(tell me about it!) and mumbled and grumbled about how "it just didn't seem
right." A few minutes later a police officer started walking down our driveway
(obviously they had called the police before talking to us). By the time the
police were here Calvin was sort of settling down and came in while Dave was out
on the front porch talking to the officer. Dave gave the police officer a brief
history of Calvin (getting kicked out of public school, special ed. and now at
special school for behavior problems. The police officer suggested we try
medication (Thanks, I'm a Dr. and yes we have tried some). The police officer
also said, "oh, 4 kids is kind of tough...maybe you should put on a movie or
something for them so you can get a break." He said he was here basically because
some neighbors of ours have too much tim e on their hands. Anyway, it sounds
like he was a nice enough guy. I am assuming the police will have to call CPS
which I assume will be a big pain. One of my friends had CPS called because one
of her kids went to school with a burn on her arm and she said they came over
and interviewed all the kids. Actually this happened to two
different friends. Both got reported at school for burns.
Dave
is not the least bit concerned about any of this but I am. Dave says, "oh,
tons of big families have been turned in to CPS for one thing or another" and
though it is true I've known a few it is still very disheartening.
Calvin has a bruise on his chin. Not sure what it is
from. It might be a hickey from sucking on something but he has no idea where it
is from. Anyway, I asked him where it is from and he said, "It might be from
when Daddy was getting me out of the pool with a stick." ha! How unlucky can I be?
Wow that would seriously bother me! I appreciate that your neighbors were just concerned, but I would hate to have to defend my parenting to a police man or CPS. Ugh. I'm glad nothing came of this.
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