I left the boys home with my sister in law while I went to work. When I got home, just before noon, the house was insanely quiet considering the 4 rambunctious boys that I left here. Within minutes, the doorbell rang. I opened it to find our visibly shaken next door neighbor standing there with my 2 nephews and Cohen, all soaking wet. They had been playing in her backyard with her grandson. She didn't realize her grandson could open the latch to the pool gate, but he had and the other three boys had followed him in. They all got in the hot tub, fully clothed. The other boys stayed on the step, and were only wet waist high. Cohen somehow ended up in the deeper middle part and couldn't get back to the edge. He was screaming and flailing, according to the kids. The boys were able to pull him back to the step just as the neighbor heard the screams and got out there. She brought them home to use apologizing that she had "really let them have it" for opening the gate and getting in. She felt badly that she'd yelled at them! I would have spanked every wet little bottom all the way home!) More than anything, she was obviously aware how dramatically different the outcome could have been. Can you imagine? 2 days before Christmas?!
Cohen keeps saying he's so sorry but there's no way he comprehends the magnitude of what could have happened. I think he's just sorry that he was grounded from playing and eating treats all day! (I have no idea what the appropriate consequence is so I just made that one up!)
So... here's your public service announcement: WATCH YOUR KIDS AROUND WATER! You can never be too cautious. Dont trust that your child cant reach the latch. Add a padlock or another secondary barrier to keep kids out of your pool.
And hug your babies. They are precious little gifts on loan for undetermined lengths of time.
