Another Day

Thanks to everyone for all of their support and positive words. I started this off as a comment and it eventually turned into a post on it's own.

It took me awhile to comprehend it myself yesterday. When I first got the phone call, it was like at first I didn't understand and then the panic took hold. For fifteen minutes, I had no idea how bad the situation was. Thankfully (even though it still angers me to no end) it seems to have been a false alarm.

There's been a lot of media coverage on school shootings in the news lately. In Peoria we've had two lock downs since last week and then there were the NIU shootings. Nonstop media coverage and we wonder where kids are getting the idea from. Only in yesterday's situation at Ashley's school, it's being said now that a parent called it in and that 4 individuals were questioned but nothing came of it. That is unacceptable to me - someone should be held accountable and I really hope they get to the bottom of this.

On the flip side though, our school handled it very well. Ashley said that the principal made an announcement that the school was going into lock down and within seconds, everyone was in position. She said at first no one knew what was going on and thought that maybe it was another practice drill. After a half hour passed, they started thinking it was real but didn't feel like they were in any danger. For the next hour they sat in their corner talking quietly with friends until the all clear was announced.

I do feel confident that were this a real life threatening situation, or if one were to arise in the future, that our kids would be safe and taken care of. That's what gave me the strength to send her back today.

The Moment Time Stopped

I got a phone call this afternoon that made my blood run cold. A friend of mine informed me that my daughter's school was in lock down due to a gun threat. She didn't have any other information than that. A gun threat at a middle to upper class middle school that parents send their kids to for a better, safer education. For fifteen minutes I knew nothing other than that. I called my husband and told him all I knew and to get to the school as fast as he could.

Many phone calls between many people later, it was learned through the news that it was reported that a gun "may" have been brought to school. The school was put on lock down - kids were locked in their classrooms with the lights turned off, huddled in the corner until the all clear was given.

The gun was never found and the students and staff were eventually dismissed. Ashley's phone paid for itself when she called me from the bus on her way home to check in with me. Unfortunately, during the lock down it was turned off and in her locker.

Everyone is safe here at home now and life goes on, but it's going to be hard sending her out the door in the morning. What is wrong with this world?! How are you suppose to send your kids to school after something like this happens? I just have to remind myself that it could have been so much worse.