Close Encounters...

of the police kind.

And, no, I wasn't speeding.  Or running a stop sign.  (Hey, don't judge.)

It began with an innocent attempt at grooming someone's fingernails.  "Will you please go get the clippers out of mommy's drawer by her bed?" the mommy requested.

A few minutes later, we heard a familiar beep-beep-beep.  Within minutes, if not seconds, a quick string of beeps, followed by the shrieks of an ear-piercing siren, shattered the relatively peaceful quiet of our Saturday night.  Alas, we were stumped at the source of the alarm.  To our knowledge, no one had been near the key pads.  All boys were questioned and summarily dismissed as suspects.  Our nerves still a wee bit rattled, we chalked it up to what we hoped was an electrical fluke.

Then, just as jittery nerves had settled and boys had been herded to bed, there was pounding on the front door.  Two police cars were parked at the curb.  From inside we could see the sweep of flashlight beams as the perimeter of the house was examined.  The cavalry had arrived.  Adorned in my oversized and well-worn Chicago Cubs t-shirt and striped pajama pants, my driver's license was expeditiously handed over for their examination and record keeping purposes, while Jack, in good citizen mode, stood outside smiling and thanking them for their prompt response.

It wasn't until the next morning that we realized the remote access key fob for the home alarm system had been in that drawer.  The suspected perpetrator was questioned about his notice of, and attention to, said button-bearing device.  Assuring him that we had the power to cut him a deal with the DA, he agreed to bargain and readily admitted his unknowing misconduct.

Buttons, by their very nature, beckon to be pushed. Especially by little boys. Elevators. Remote controls. Phones. Cameras. You name it, the button-containing device is irrelevant. It's a temptation difficult to withstand.

I'm hoping the recidivism rates for this type of offense are really low, 'cause I'm not sure how much grace the men in blue are willing to extend, and I look terrible in orange.