On Thursday, October 2nd

On Thursday, October 2nd I came home from the EEU, the kids' preschool, at 11:40-ish. We left a little late that morning at 8:45 or so. After they got out we went to the bank and then came home. It was a normal Thursday. Max fell asleep in the car as he had gotten up early that morning. Madeleine and I were chatting about watching a little Caillou (her favorite program) and what we would have for lunch. She noticed that Max was sleeping and we discussed that we would put him to bed and have some Mommy/Madeleine time before her nap. The babysitter was going to come and I would have two clients that afternoon. Everything was normal.

I pulled up to the driveway and took Max out of his car seat. I told Madeleine that I would put Maxy to bed and then come and get her out. She had taken her leg off.

I walked up to the back door, Max still half asleep in my arms, and I noticed the door was slightly ajar. I thought, that's weird... did I forget to close the door this morning? I looked in the mud-room (or laundry area) as I went up the first five stairs that lead to our kitchen and saw distinctly muddy shoe prints and debris. As if someone had been working in the garden and come in and not taken their shoes off.

I approached the kitchen and saw a full bottle of apple juice, still cold, sitting on top of the stove. I looked into the living room and noticed the TV and its stand was pulled away from the wall. the doors to the stand were pulled off. I quickly looked at the sofa and saw the cushions ruffled. My heart was beating quickly and my breath was short. I picked up the phone and went outside. I called Michael at work.

"Someone has broken into our house."

"Call 911 now," he told me.

"911. what is your emergency?"

"Someone broke into my house and I have two very small children with me."

"Are they there now?"

"I don't know."

"Go back to your car and lock the doors or drive somewhere safe, the police are on their way."

Hysterical, I sat in my car hugging my two kids. I cried and shook until the police came, entered my home with their hands on their guns.

Michael was home shortly after that and we went into the house to assess the damage.

The thieves ransacked our home. They pulled the mattress off of our bed. The took clothes off the shelves in the closets. They went through my drawers. Went through my refrigerator, my freezer, my cupboards. They saw pictures of my family. My kids.

They took various things of little value. Michael's shoes. Our computers. Our TV equipment. Some DVDs and perhaps some CD. They did not take our cameras or our video camera. They did not take our television (it is big and heavy).

While in my room they went through our drawers and emptied my jewelry box. Emptied. Gone.

I'm sick to think of this as it is only stuff. But, it is my stuff. My personal and sentimental things.
They took my Tiffany jewelry that Micheal has given to me.
They took my silver necklaces that were given to me on the day of my children's birth.
They took my believe.
They took the pearls I wore at my wedding.
They took the pearls my dad gave to me.
They took the black pearl and white gold ring my grandfather gave to me when I graduated from high school.
They took my watches. The one that my mom gave to me with the turquoise.
They took my rings my mother bought for me when we were in Montreal. When we shopped together and bought matching rings.
They took the silver wedding band I wore to Mexico and when I was pregnant and my wedding ring wouldn't fit on my swollen fingers.
They took the gold necklace Skip's mom gave to me before she died.
They took my ruby necklace Michael bought me in the early years.
They took my silver and peridot necklace Michael gave to me for my first mother's day.
They took the pretty flower necklace with the little diamond in it.
They took the pressed flower necklace Megan gave to me.

They took my wedding ring. My Grandmother's Diamond. The gold setting that held it originally. The old 3/4 karat diamond sat in a beautiful platinum setting Michael and I picked out. I didn't wear it a lot because it was big and pokey. Now it is gone.