Daddy to the Rescue!

For Aidan's seventh birthday, he had one toy stuck in his head that he wanted more than anything. We know it was stuck there, because he's been asking for it for the past two years (for birthdays and Christmases each year.) Doug and I kept telling him no, we didn't think he was old enough to be responsible for such a toy.

The object of his desire?

Not a Red Ryder BB Gun.

Rather, a remote control helicopter. "Not a PLANE, Mom, a HELICOPTER. Like the Army guys fly. And you can fly it in the house, Mom! It is SO COOL!!!!"

On his birthday weekend, he invited a group of friends to go swimming at the Y with him that Friday. Doug ended up running the party because Sean and Ella had fevers and I had to stay home with them. He opened presents from his friends at the party, but not from us. Doug's parents & brother, my parents, sister and nephews also gave him gifts that day. No helicopter, but lots of other fun wonderful toys and gifts.

Sunday morning, which was his actual birthday, we made orange rolls for breakfast (his favorite) and gave him his one gift from us. The helicopter. He was leaping with joy and could.not.wait. to give it a go. Only we had to charge it up first.

Doug set it up to charge and I ran around getting clothes ready to dress the kids and grab a shower. As I was coming downstairs, I heard the guys try to fly the plane but they kept running it into the ceiling. Doug told them they could all go outside and try to fly it. I was trying to get down to stop them because 1. it was cold outside and they were in jammies still. 2. the box said "for indoor flying." I wasn't sure it was supposed to fly outside.

By the time I caught up with them, they were already outside and Adam, our nephew, had accidentally flown the copter onto the first floor roof above our family room. Sigh.

Doug got our 6 foot ladder out of the garage and climbed up to the roof to try to get the copter. He said it was out of his reach, so he tried to use the remote to fly it off the roof. Only instead it flew up higher. This time onto the second story roof!

Doug was very unhappy with himself.

He borrowed the neighbor's 30 ft extension ladder, but it was no where near tall enough to reach the roof. We called several friends to see if anyone had a tall ladder or ideas to help get it down. It was getting colder, sleeting and snow was predicted. We wanted to try to get it before it got damaged in the rain.

I rushed everyone in to get them dressed while I thought Doug was putting up the neighbor's ladder. He didn't, he moved it over to the first floor roof and was trying to climb up it to walk across the roof then climb up to the second floor roof. Only the deck was slippery and shot the ladder out from under him! I looked from the kitchen and saw him laying flat on his back. I screamed for someone to run out and check on him while I pulled the kids out of the way. Luckily he was fine, a bit bruised but okay.

I told him to forget it, we'd replace the copter. I'd rather have a healthy husband than that toy!

Over the next week, Aidan asked every day to go get his new copter. The store we got it at was sold out so we were trying to track one down. Doug's dad was coming into town so Doug suggested that he have his dad help him try to get it one more time the following weekend, when they could rent a bigger ladder and use the truck to get it to our house.

In the meantime, my mom was able to buy the last one at another store near her and planned on giving it to Aidan when we met for my dad's birthday this past weekend.

The rescue attempt, take 4.







Hooray! It is intact and still works! Aidan has literally played with it all day since. He flies it, waits for it to charge back up, the flies it again. He's getting really good at flying it and has mastered the art of flying it IN THE HOUSE. :)

My mom has plans for a certain favorite cousin to get the other copter instead.

P.S. I forgot to add that Doug said that ladder was shaking so much as climbed up there that he is NEVER going to roof this house or hang Christmas lights that high.