Lockdown

 Though a bit muggy, today started off like any other day...I dropped Lydia off at school, went to the San Vicente stairs to exercise, and then I came home to start loads of laundry.  The idiotic repairman came back to replace a broken part in my dishwasher, but the package he brought didn't have it in there.  So, there goes another week without a dishwasher, but at least he came earlier this time and I was able to attend Lydia's end of the year pizza party.

Well, so I thought.   Everything was fine when I arrived to the school; the kids were handed out pizza and were starting to eat when someone informed us that the school was being locked down.  Seriously?  The timing was impeccable, during lunch time, and on the third to last day of school!  We rounded up all the kids and adults, and squeezed everyone into the classroom; locking doors and closing blinds in the process.  Moments later we find out that it was a real lockdown and that there was a shooting at Santa Monica College about 2.5 miles away.  It didn't really sink in until we heard a loud banging on our classroom door, which honestly could have been anymore.  We will never know who it was because we didn't dare open the door, though one of Lydia's classmates almost did.

For the next two hours, we managed to bring in the food from the back patio, which the birds were enjoying, so that we wouldn't starve.  The kids made bookmarks and watched "Puff the Magic Dragon".  Parents were throwing theories and information back and forth as they were getting them.  Fortunately, I was able to get confirmation that Sophie, whose school was only 1.5 miles away form the college, was okay and her class didn't end up going on their field trip to the fire station. We were finally released at 2:40 PM and I had both kids with me within the hour.

You watch these tragedies happen on the news, but you really never think that it's going to happen to you or in your city.  How does one move on or bounce back from something like this?  My children go to swim classes at the college!  Thankfully, we were not as affected as we could have been and I was with at least one of my children during this ordeal.  I also now have a new-found appreciation for the schools and their lockdown drills.  Praying for Santa Monica and the healing that is to follow.  

 Lydia having pizza with her buddies just minutes before the school went into lockdown

Finishing her pizza from under her desk, though she didn't stay there long.