uhh there's a weird guy trying to come in my house!!!!

so before the details get fuzzy i want to blog our little COPS episode that happened yesterday and this morning. it was about 4:30 on monday afternoon, i was play wrestling with Caden and Raylee back on my bed. Brady comes running back, "there's a guy knocking on the door, he's in a gray shirt". ok. so i get up, thinking its a salesman etc. i see nothing, decide to lock the door (which is pretty unusual) but jared texted that he was working late. i start dinner, picking up toys and as i'm waliking around i hear someone push on the door handle and try to come in. but it was locked. i ran to look thru the curtains and see a 50ish yr old in a gray shirt walking away. hmm, must be that pesky salesman, with his beer belly and shaved head. kinda weird. i keep cleaning and cooking then the sound of the door handle being pushed happens again. my heartrate picked up quite a bit. ok, there's a weirdo trying to come in. i watched him walk away again. this is freaky. i call randy who was in his room, no answer. i knock on his door, he must be asleep. ok. i'm all alone, i see the steak knives, and know i have a plan. i quickly shove the kids in their rooms and get on the phone. i called julie, (her husband is salinas pd) he was gone and off duty. i called ryan (pacific grove pd) no answer. getting ready to call 911 and some neighbors are gathered outside on my sidewalk. i go talk to them. a little earlier this guy actually walked into my neighbors house and said, "i'm just looking around, maybe i'll go for a bike ride, i'm just looking around". the big buff husband told him to get out. the weirdo walked down to my house and sat on my front yard. his boots and hat were on my little park bench outside against the house. they shewed him away and called the police but salinas dispatch told them they were too busy. randy poped out of his room i tell him whats going on and he grabs his baton and starts patroling the house. no sign of the guy for a little bit, everyone goes into their houses. i moved my kids back to my bedroom, put a show on for em, told em everything was fine and locked em in their bombshelter. i had a feeling to peek thru my curtains, and now i see the guy but he's shirtless at this point and walking toward my house. ryan had called back at that point and i yell to randy, "HE'S BACK, SHIRTLESS, CROSSING THE STREET, HE'S HERE RANDY!!!!" other neighbors were spectacting as calm collected randy talks to him, questions him and tells him to put on his boots and hat, go home, take his meds, and stop freaking people out. in the meantime i get hold of jared, he's pretty much freakin out--away, helpless but making plans for our shotgun purchase. and he had me call Turtle and Dani (pg&e friend who lives 12 doors down on our street) and make sure they are ok. i had to leave a message, but turtle (he has a name, Marcus) called me back and asked if jared was home and if he should come down. so he comes marching down with his huge killer (she is a sweetie) dog and a baseball bat. randy had just sent the weirdo on his way, so i sent turtle to go escort him home. i hear that 2 cops are on their way. and i see one turn into the side street where he went. turtle came back and reported that the cops were talking to him and checked to make sure we were ok. dont think its over.... its not! 2:15 a.m. we are woken up by a knock and a doorbell. jared hops up and i hear him say, "yes sir, yes, my wife, yesterday, yes, ok. ok. yes. thank you sir." he comes and reports to me that weirdo just tried to go in our neighbors house again, just then. so they have him in custody. i try to fall back asleep, eventually i did until Kendra busts in our room at 5:30 and says, "daddy i just puked (she's been having one of her migraines for a few days now) and i heard something so i looked out the window and the policemen were telling the guy to put his hands up and then they handcuffed him and pushed him in the car. i pop outta bed, and take a final picture hoping this is the end of our lovely encounter with wacked out mister gray shirt. ooo my doorbell just rang and my heart skipped a beat. i think it's gonna take a while to come down from this. i'm just extremely grateful for my kids being door-safety smart, for randy living with us, for good neighbors, men in my life and their weapons, and for my prompting to lock the door after that initial knock.