Moment of genius dashed to pieces and in the end brilliantly recoverey

My brother in law, Jack, has a lock on his door.  Lately, when he doesn't get his way, he runs into his room and locks the door.  This leaves parents or sitters (myself) standing at the door trying to convince him to open up.  It is a failing process.  The solution, change the door knob to one that doesn't lock.  I don't think a five year old needs a door that locks.  I set out on a journey to fix it.

I settled on which knobs I would switch.  I had a perfect match.  All the doors in the house that need locking knobs have them so I picked the linen closet because having a lock on that door wouldn't matter in the slightest.  I armed myself with the handy screw driver and went to work.

Savannah was having a great time playing in the blankets and towels in the linen closet so it didn't bother her I was engrossed in an activity that didn't revolve around her.

{obviously not in the linen closet but she loves to play with towels and blankets}

First knob off, now, moving to Jack's door.  Success, it is off.  Savannah by this time wandered into Jacks room to occupy herself.  His room is off limits to her so with me in there it was like a free for all.  I made sure all the toys with small pieced were out of sight and continued working.  I started by inserting the thing-a-ma-jig (the thing that makes the knob work and keeps the door shut).  Before I screwed it into the door I wanted to make sure I was attaching it right.  So, I closed the door.  AHHHHHH!!!  We were trapped inside.  BRILLIANT VERONICA, JUST BRILLIANT!

{people trapped in elevator}

I tried to jimmy the door open by trying to make the shaft of the screw driver stand in as a knob.  It didn't work.  I paced the room wracking my brain with what I could do.  We couldn't stay in there all day.  Sure there was a bed so if I napped with Savannah she could sleep but she isn't breast-feeding anymore and she would be hungry.  I didn't have a phone with me and it would be at least 5 hours before anyone would be home.

I thought about climbing out of the window and jump off the roof and going through the garage to see if by chance the door was unlocked.  That wouldn't work because that would leave Savannah in Jack's room alone and if the door was locked I would be locked outside.  I don't just carry the house keys in my pocket.  Most pairs of lounge pants I wear don't have pockets.  Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!  How about sticking my hand through the knob hole.  HELLO, the thing-a-ma-jib is in the way and your hand is too stinkin' big.  Even if I got my hand through there is no knob to use to open the door.  I need a hanger!  Ok, Jack's kid hangers are too thick.  I need a metal hanger.  Oh, but they are in the hall closet.  Start pacing again and take the trash can away from Savannah.  What if I open the window and scream for Cheryl or Henriette.  When they answer they could call for a lock smith.  I can't afford a lock smith!   What am I going to do?  What am I going to do? (pacing yet again)  Ah hah!  I could see if one of Jacks toys could work.  I rummage through one of his bins in his closet.  A bow from Jack's bow and arrows - maybe I could use the cord but then I would have to break it.  Breaking his toys is out of the question.  What can I use?  What can I use?  Yes!  I got it!  His little sword.  Sure enough I stuck it in between the door jam and the door and with a little elbow grease we were FREE!!!
Those 10 or 15 minutes of being trapped was horrible.  I am glad I was able to recover from my idiocy.  It was Savannah's nap time so she went to sleep and I finished up.

Turns out the knob I put on Jack's door was not working properly, of no fault of my own for the record.  I switched it with another knob of no consequence.  If I kept the back knob on my door I would be spending my whole day at the door keeping Savannah from getting in.  So now, Jack's knob is on the linen closet while the linen closet knob is on the hall closet and the hall closet knob is on Jack's door.

Now, I wonder how long it will take Jack to realize he doesn't have a lock anymore.  I am curious to see.

{Door Knob: Festive Flower Knob, Clematis $6 Anthropologie}

{Photo in elevator from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2008/03/03/hclaustrophiobia103.xml}