marc and michelle

Circling Helicopter

April 8, 2012

After Bennett and I got home from running errands on this particular afternoon there was a helicopter circling around and around and around.. Happens occasionally since we live next door the the 405 Freeway (and accidents or other related news is reported that way), but as I reached the top of the stairs, and Bennett was begging to sit and watch it for a minute, I finally agreed and stopped and watched it.  It was then that I realized it was circling a few blocks east of the 405, right about where Jackson's school was. 

 We eventually came inside, but it was about 20 minutes later that I realized the darn thing was still circling.  I started to get a little worried, because Jackson is over there somewhere.  I tried calling the school, but just got a recording.  It was about 10 minutes later when I got a recorded phone call from his school that I finally found out just enough information on what was going on to scare me to death!  The recorded message said, "We have now gone on lock down by order of the LAPD and SWAT, all of the children are safe and in their classrooms, but you cannot come over to the school to pick up your child, because we can't let anyone into or out of the school.  WHAT?! I seriously was ready to die.  Right after I hung up, my friend Nancy, called and we both where freaking out. 

 It was about 20-30 minutes later when we got another phone call saying they were fine, nothing had happened and the lock down was now over.  WHAT???  By this time I was relived it is over and everyone is fine, but what in the heck happened and what in the world was Jackson thinking?  I knew he would be freaking out, because at parent teacher conferences we have had it brought to our attention that when fire drills or earthquake drills or anything out of the ordinary (practice emergency situations) have happened, Jackson just bursts into tears and wants to come home.  He can't stand these situations!  Oh no.  By this point there was only an hour left in the school day and I hadn't gotten a phone call from his teacher that he was doing anything crazy, so I just tried to relax and realize it would be alright.  

When Jackson got home from school I asked him how his day was.  He said, "Awful!"  I asked him why?  And he said, "Because I was playing at recess and I saw a helicopter circling and circling and I knew there was going to be an emergency!  I knew it wasn't just a regular helicopter, because it kept circling.  I used to get worried about regular helicopters and school, but then Miss Mak (his teacher) told me that the only time we have to be worried is when a helicopter circles and circles around and that is what this one was doing!  I started crying and then they announced we all had to hurry to our classrooms and it was an emergency.  I kept crying until the emergency was over!  They had to lock us in our classrooms!" I felt so bad for him!  Poor kid.  It all turned out alright and we had a talk with Jackson about safety and why this would happen and then didn't make him do his homework that night and did an evening run to the beach to help him not feel so sad and scared.  

PS Later I found out that someone had robbed the CVS that is less than a block away from his school and had run into the school area/neighborhood.  Crazy!