How to break into your own house.

Last night, the weather was great. Mid 70's, overcast. So while Jenn was doing dishes, I took Caleb & Emily in the back yard on the swingset. Then Jenn came out a short time afterwards, and then Caleb went in and out of the house a couple times to get some more toys. Around 7pm, it was time to go in and get a bath (for Caleb, that is). Jenn walked to the back door of the house, and.......... it was locked. So whilest she stayed with Emily on the swing, I tried the front door. Locked. However, it turns out Jenn doesn't lock the Saturn sometimes, and there's a garage door opener in there that would enable me to get to the door in the garage. I opened the Saturn, subsequently opened the garage door, and tried the door in the garage. Locked.

Jenn recalled that there is one window that is known to be unlocked - in our bedroom, on the SECOND FLOOR. This is the "2am-shout-at-the-neighbor's-#$%&-dogs-to-shut-the-#$@!-up window," and as such, it is always unlocked and ready for flinging open. Luckily I have an 8 foot ladder in the garage. Unluckily, my ladder reaches nowhere near the second story window. It turned out our neighbor (not the one with the dogs) has an extension ladder that I was able to carry over (very heavy), and prop up, and climb into our second story window, and then unlock the house for everyone else. And the entire process only took half an hour.....just enough time to get Caleb that bath, and off to bed on-time.

Thus, there is a benefit to leaving some entry method into your house unlocked. Or maybe it's just easier to give a spare key to a neighbor.