"911, what's your emergency?"

Ok. So really they ask you your address first and the phone number you are calling from.  In my case I didn't know the number because I was using the neighbor's nanny's phone.  I'm thankful this was the first time I called 911 in 33 years............ 
It all went down last Tuesday, March 12th. I came upstairs to start rousing Ben from a lasting-too-long nap and opened his bedroom door.  I grabbed some ground beef to brown for dinner from the fridge, turned the stove on high, and tossed it in the pan.  I then noticed the kitchen trash sitting out (a reminder to me to take it out while he slept) and headed out the door.  I came quickly bouncing back to tend the meat and YIKES!! The door handle on the french patio door was LOCKED! This is a lock we don't have a key to and therefore never lock.  It's also tricky because you don't know on the inside if it's locked (the handle moves freely.)
So, with a stove on high, and a sleeping toddler very close with a bedroom door wide open, panic set in and I ran next door to try and call Ryan.  The nanny's car was home but she didn't answer the door so I flagged down the UPS man and borrowed his phone.  Ryan didn't answer and soon enough Sarah (neighor Joe's nanny) emerged and offered her help and her phone.  I took it to our deck so I could see in the window to the kitchen and soon gave up on reaching Ryan and called 911.  I told the dispatcher I wasn't sure if it was really an emergency and that I could break in if I had to and she had already connected me to the local fire station (technology is amazing!!)  I asked the man if I should break in and he told me not to do anything and that they would be there in moments and could likely get me in without damage.  I heard the sirens almost instantly and was somewhat calmed knowing they were so close.  I reached Ryan as soon as they were in route and he started the drive home with keys.  There were four firemen and two were picking locks while one kept me calm and another investigated ways in.  At one point I told the "calm-keeper" that it was lean beef and therefore less likely to quickly start a grease fire.  He just chuckled and said, "ma'am, we're gonna break your door down before a fire starts."  There went my calm!! At one point the "investigator" asked about one of the kitchen windows and I mentioned there was a possibility it was unlocked.  Within moments the calm-keeper had a tool in his hand and was being hoisted to the window by lock-picker #2.  The screen came flying off and HE WAS IN!! He ran and opened the door and quipped, "Hey! It was unlocked!" The tricky door had even fooled him and he commented on how dangerous a mechanism like that is.  I immediately ran to Ben while calm keeper turned off the charred meat.  The investigator had said he could hear Ben making noise but he appeared happy and without evidence of tears when I found him.  He was thrilled to have four firemen in his house and even more excited when he spotted the firetruck with it's lights still flashing.  Calm-keeper offered to let Ben look at the truck but investigator stated they had to get moving. 
I returned Sarah's phone and answered questions from another neighbor and sat. I sat and shook for what felt like ever and took lots of deep breaths.  Ben probably wondered what the showers of kisses were about.
I took home-made chocolate chip cookies to the firehouse a couple days later along with a thank-you note and family picture (in case they have a hall-of-fame of lives saved.)  Engine #16 will forever be on my Christmas treat delivery route and I don't think the sound of a fire truck's siren will ever be the same.
I learned lots of lessons with this experience and got to feel LOTS of my favorite emotion-gratitude.