If you are easily offended by the opinions of others, please skip to the next blog. I won't sugar coat my thoughts or feelings here.
I'd really like to understand why parents think they need to be afraid. It boggles my mind to think that the reason kids are the way they are is because the parents are afraid to discipline their kids. In my best Larry the Cable guy/Mater voice, "That's funny right there!"
You see, I was raised to respect my elders, no matter if I thought they deserved my respect or not. I was a child, I wasn't the adult, so I had rules to follow. I was taught to say "yes ma'am, no ma'am, yes sir, no sir, please, thank you, & may I". I was taught to speak when entering someone elses home. To understand that not everything I think has to be said. That there is a time and a place to everything. My parents believed in whoopin my butt, their parents believed in it as well. I survived, so I figured my kids will too.
Now for those of you reading this that may have weak constitutions regarding disciplining your children, you may want to skip to the next blog, because I don't sugar coat a thing I believe in.
I am a firm believer in corporal punishment, or spanking, or whoopin my kids butts, when they misbehave. I don't tolerate liars, thieves, cheats, or disrespectful children.
My children have chores...EVERYDAY. They don't get an allowance for doing their chores, they do them for free. Why would I pay them for doing something they are going to have to do for free when they are older? That makes no sense to me. I tell them that they have chores because when they are adults they will need to know how to take care of themselves. All my son's will learn how to cook, and not just the basics. They will know how to cook a meal with enough food for at least 7.
I have always believed that if you spare the rod you will spoil the child. I see children everyday that are disrespectful to their parents, and other adults around them.
Just the other day my children were watching the older movie "Problem Child 2" and saw how the kids were acting on the movie, when they came to me and said, "Mom if we ever talked to you like that kid, or acted like that kid you would whoop our buts." To which I replied,"If you ever talked to me like that child talked to his elders, when you got up off the floor you would realize what a mistake you made and apologize, and learn not to embarrass yourself or me again." And they agreed. My children know that I love them. But they also know that if they act like delinquents, then they better get ready to accept the consequences of their actions.
I think that if more parents whooped their children (or spank for those that prefer that term) then there would be less crime committed. If parents weren't afraid of their kids and the government getting involved, then kids would start to act like they had sense.
Who is the government to tell us how we can and can't raise our flesh and blood? Who are they to determine what is abuse and what is discipline? In the state of California it is illegal to smack your child if they are under the age of 6. (I am sooooooo glad I left California before this absurd law went into effect.) Why is it absurd you ask, well here's what I think. When you are raising your child, and they start to do something that could harm them, say they are 4, what is the automatic reaction? To tell them no, and tell them why. Right, but what if they repeatedly do what you are telling them not to do, because let's face it, that's what kids do? Well then you would smack them on the butt. But in California you aren't allowed to do that. You will get forcibly taken from your child and thrown into jail for up to a year for the first offence. Your child will be placed into foster care with strangers that may or may not treat them right, because I can tell you from first hand experience that most foster families care more about the money they get then the children they are supposed to protect. Then after you serve your allotted time in jail, you are forced to take parenting classes, and have supervised visits with your own child. So you tell me.......which is more distructive to the child, the smack on the butt, or the foster care and supervised visits? Yeah, that's what I thought. It's freaking ridiculous what we've allowed this government to control.
I mean really, you want to call the cops on your child for threatening you with a knife or gun or some other thing, then have the officer come to your house and look at you like you are crazy, wondering why you never disciplined (aka whooped) your child? I personally don't. Why would I want that? So I can look sheepishly at the cop and think sorry officer, the "LAW" said I couldn't whoop my child, so now you have to deal with him/her. RIIIIIIIGHT. I don't freakin think so. I'd rather whoop my child and hear how mannerable and well behaved they are in public then have to deal with the looks of said law enforcement, and my child when they are hauled off to jail. To me personally that would make me a failure as a parent. Now not all children that go to jail are a result of the parents failings. Some actually just don't care. But personally, I've experienced first hand what happens when a child has no discipline, and is allowed to do whatever they want all the time. I dealt with that in one of my ex's. His parents had different views on parenting. His mother allowed him to do whatever he wanted, and gave in to everything he did, just so her son wouldn't get pissed off, and the father didn't believe in spanking his son. But their son tried to burn their house down buy locking them in and starting a fire, their son decided that it would be okay to beat the crap out of anyone who pissed him off, and the mother didn't like for him to be upset because of his anger issues. He is ADHD and Bi-Polar. But this doesn't excuse his behavior. He needed structure and discipline, not lack of structure and no discipline at all. This has resulted in his being in and out of jail since he was 14 and having no education at all. Not holding down a job, or taking any responsibility for his actions. He is 30 years old now and still blames everyone else for his being in jail. This isn't how you want your child to end up.
When children were getting their a**es whooped back in the 50's and 60's you didn't see anyone complain about it did you? NO. You didn't see children killing other children in a fit of rage because they took their toy did you? NO. WHY? Because children were afraid of the consequences of thier actions, that's why. They weren't afraid of their parents, just the discipline that they incurred for doing the wrong they knew they weren't supposed to. Children cared about themselves and other people. They respected themselves and other people.
Children now a days think they have it hard. That's BULLSHIT. They have it easier then I did, or even my parents did. They have iPhone's at age 9......WTH is up with that? Why would a 9 year old need a damn iPhone? Please tell me, because I just don't understand that. I didn't get my first cell phone until I was 19 and paid for it myself. We didn't have a game system for every room in the house. We didn't even have a TV for every room in the house, we only had 1 yes ONE TV. And we watched what my parents wanted to watch. Which happened to be a lot of news, weather, Star Trek, and Westerns. OH JOY!! LOL
I didn't sit around all day and play video games when it was hot outside, no I got my a** up and went outside. I didn't stay outside for 10 minutes then come back inside, because it was "too hot". Nope I stayed outside, and drank out of the water hose when I got thirsty. And I had fun doing it too.
I had chores, oh lord did I have chores! My family had animals and a couple acres. We had cows, pigs, goats, horses, ducks and chickens. I had to get up early to feed and water the animals. I watched them give birth, and knew how to.......neuter them. I rode a horse to the bus stop when I was in kindergarten. I could take care of the animals without help. I knew how to cook when I was 10. I knew how to do laundry when I was 5. I could make my own breakfast and breakfast for my younger twin brothers. I grew up with something kids no nothing about these days....it's called "RESPONSIBILITY."
Funny concept, responsibility. It means you do things because they need to be done, whether you like it or not. For some people raising kids this has become an obsolete term. It has become something of a curse word.
Parents who try to be their kids FRIEND really piss me off. If you were meant to be your childs friend you'd be the same age, going to the same school and taking the same classes. Seriously people, get it together. "Oh let's be friends sweetie, even though you are my daughter, we should be the best of friends." Makes me want to shake the crap outta them.
For those of you that gasped and got offended, I guess that means your the "friend" instead of the parent, which means you might wanna pay close attention to what I say next.
Being a parent means that you have to make the hard choice. It means that sometimes you have to disappoint your child. They can't always have everything they want. There is no reason for them to have a phone, tablet, portable game system, and an mp3 player or iPod. That is excessive. It's ridiculous. Most kids aren't responsible enough these days to take care of themselves let alone the electronics they are given.
My children have to earn everything they want. I, as a parent, take care of everything they need, such as clothes, shoes, food, a warm place to sleep, love, nurture, personal care all the things that are necessary for daily life.
The things they want, like toys, games, phones, all the extra's that aren't pertinent to daily life, they have to earn. They have to earn them by getting good grades, doing their chores without being asked to do them, or doing extra things. Then if I feel like they can be responsible enough then they get one thing that they want.
For those of you that have read my blogs before you know I have 6 children. My oldest is my daughter who will be 12 in December! The time has just flown by. She is just now responsible enough to have a cell phone. So this birthday she will be getting one. This will piss my two oldest boys off no doubt, but when they turn 12 if they are responsible enough then they will get a phone too.
My daughter gets mad at me because I won't let her do things that other kids are doing already. The latest thing is shaving her legs. I wonder what kind of parent lets their 11 year old shave her legs. Who is going to be worried about an 11 year old having hair on her legs? No one that you would want around your daughter anyways right? So my daughter thinks I'm being the meanest mother in the world for not letting her shave her legs. Do I care? NO. And before you think me heartless, let me tell you why I don't care. Because if I cared that she thought I was mean, not just my daughter but all my kids would be the most spoiled rotten, misbehaved brats the world has seen. You know, the ones in the store that throw that temper tantrum because they can't have that toy, the ones that scream at the top of their lungs because they can't have their way. NO way in HELL would I deal with that kind of disrespect. So no I don't care if my children think I'm mean. My point of view is this, if I'm being mean, I'm being the parent. My kids don't have facebook accounts, and won't until they are at least 15 or 16 because there are too many perverts out there who pretend to be someone they aren't and gain the trust of innocent children on facebook and other websites like that and then get the children to meet them so that they can hurt them. So NO my kids don't have websites and facebook pages and social pages of any kind. They aren't allowed to sit in front of the TV, or computer, or video games all day. They get their chores done and they have 1 hour of play time of their choice, then it's outside or family time.
My children love me, they know I love them. When I discipline my children, they know why they are getting their butts whooped. They know that I don't like whooping them, but they haven't listened, they disrespected me, the rules, and themselves by divulging in the behavior they knew they weren't supposed to.
I know kids are going to get into stuff they aren't supposed to, and before you get all shocked because I whoop my kids, let me tell you that those whoopings are few and far between. I always issue a warning first, then I either have them stand in the corner, or clean something they don't normally clean, like baseboards, or floors, or trash outside. Then the whooping will happen if these other things haven't worked. And most of the time I don't have to worry about that. I will whoop for stealing, lying, and cheating. I do not tolerate any of that period.
My children know that they can talk to me. I will always listen. I won't prevent them from making choices, but I will advise against certain ones, because I know that my children will have to make their own mistakes and learn from them.
At the age of 13 my children will start making more decisions on their own. I am going to do this because I feel that they need to know that some choices aren't the right ones. I can't protect them from themselves. No matter how much the mother in me wants to. My children are in no way perfect. They will fight with me, call me names behind my back, and probably even to my face, although that will only happen once, because when they get up off the floor the only thing they'll be saying to me is an apology.
Parents please don't be afraid to discipline your children. They need structure and guidance. They need you to tell them what is right, and what is wrong. They need to know that there are consequences for each of their actions. They need to know that they aren't allowed to do everything they want all the time. They need to know that there are limits and boundaries to what they can have and what they can do. They need to respect their elders, and themselves. They need to have faith in themselves, and their parents. They need so much from you as a PARENT. You have a child, you weren't made to be their friend. You were blessed with a child so that you can teach and grow with your child. They didn't come with a rule book, or guidelines. But you know your child. You know what they are tempted to do when they get older because you probably did the same things when you were a kid. Just think about it.You as a parent have to learn how tightly to hold the reins on your child so that they grow and learn and understand the boundaries, without pulling too tightly on them so that they rebel and turn into the very thing you were trying so hard to prevent. You have to understand that they will make mistakes, they will not always understand what you are trying to instill in them. But when they are older, the kids whose parents disciplined them, and taught them, and nurtured them, will come back and say thank you. Because they will see the type of person they could have become if they got everything they always wanted, or they were allowed to do whatever they wanted. They need to be raised, not raise themselves. So PARENT your child, don't befriend them. If they needed another friend I promise, you would have been their age, not have had them born to you.
We have values as a family. It's important to instill these values and beliefs into our children so that the rest of the world can deal with them. So that they grow to become respectable, responsible adults. I will always be proud of the great things my children do. And I will love them regardless of the wrongs they do. They will always be my babies, no matter how grown up they get.
So ends my rant about parents and discipline! :)
Showing posts with label Mother. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mother. Show all posts
Monday, August 12, 2013
Monday, July 22, 2013
Update on my attack
Just an update.
The man that attacked me has been charged with Aggravated Robbery. His sentence hasn't been given yet, so when I know more I will post. He will be in a wheel chair paralyzed from the waist down as a result of my running him over.
That being said, I want everyone to know that my family and I are doing a little better now. My two children are still waking up during naps and in the middle of the night screaming from bad dreams. I wish that there was something more that I could do for them, but when they are as young as they are, it's hard to help them. I wish that this hadn't happened to them, that they could have went through their whole lives not having to know this kind of fear. The kind that wakes you up in the middle of the night screaming and scared that something bad is going to happen. I wish I could have kept them safe from that. My 5 year old is wetting the bed pretty often now, even though he hasn't done that since he was 2. And my 2 year old is back wanting a bottle, and his stuffed monkey, and crawling into bed with me late at night after waking up screaming.
I still have anxiety while driving my van. I keep looking in my rearview mirror hoping that I am alone, even when I know I am. Even after I check my van thoroughly, inside, and under and I know I am all alone, I hear his voice and see him in my van still. My heart still races every time I go to Kroger's and drive down the street I drove down when it happened. I break out in a panic when my children get close to people I don't know. I am constantly looking over my shoulder to see if anyone is following me. I truly dread that I even have to drive the damn thing at all. But I do my best to breathe through it. I wish I could just go out and buy another van, but I can't afford it at all. I wish I could just get a different vehicle, but with 6 children, school coming up, and only one parent working, (even though I've tried to find work, even babysitting, I havn't found anything, no matter the amount of contacts I've made, or how many times I've submitted my resume to various employers for positions I know I'm qualified for) it doesn't make it easy to just go out and buy another vehicle. I hate being in the same car that I was attacked in. I hate that my children have to be in the van where they are reminded about a man being in the van. It puts a major thorn in my spirit, and increases my stress level a whole lot.
I stress when I go to bed, I get up to check the locks on the doors at least 5 times before I am finally able to go to sleep. I get up in the middle of the night to recheck them. My husband has told me that I have been fighting in my sleep again. Something I haven't done in years. I wake up in a sweat most nights, heart racing, terrified that someone has gotten in the house. I jump at any sound in my car when I don't have my kids with me, I don't even turn the radio on anymore.
I find that I think back over that day a lot. I think of how I could have done things differentlly. I think about if I did this, or if I did that differently, what would have happened. Then I have to shake my head and tell myself that everything turned out okay, my children weren't physically harmed, they are alive, though traumatized, and they smile and laugh still.
I am continuously trying to find ways to ensure that people are aware that things like this can happen to them. I want to help people. I thought about trying to find an organization that allows people to travel and tell their story. I haven't found one yet. That requires driving to meet people and I dont like getting near my van at all. I wish I could just take the damn thing to a chop shop and have it destroyed, but I know it's not practical, plus knowing my luck they will charge me to take it. And anyways we only have the van that will fit everyone in it. Actually we only have the van, because my husbands truck is a company vehicle! So I'm stuck with the stupid thing! Oh joy! I count my blessings everyday. And I AM truly blessed. I would be even more blessed if I could get a new vehicle and get rid of the reminder of the attack. That would be one of the greatest blessings of all!
The man that attacked me has been charged with Aggravated Robbery. His sentence hasn't been given yet, so when I know more I will post. He will be in a wheel chair paralyzed from the waist down as a result of my running him over.
That being said, I want everyone to know that my family and I are doing a little better now. My two children are still waking up during naps and in the middle of the night screaming from bad dreams. I wish that there was something more that I could do for them, but when they are as young as they are, it's hard to help them. I wish that this hadn't happened to them, that they could have went through their whole lives not having to know this kind of fear. The kind that wakes you up in the middle of the night screaming and scared that something bad is going to happen. I wish I could have kept them safe from that. My 5 year old is wetting the bed pretty often now, even though he hasn't done that since he was 2. And my 2 year old is back wanting a bottle, and his stuffed monkey, and crawling into bed with me late at night after waking up screaming.
I still have anxiety while driving my van. I keep looking in my rearview mirror hoping that I am alone, even when I know I am. Even after I check my van thoroughly, inside, and under and I know I am all alone, I hear his voice and see him in my van still. My heart still races every time I go to Kroger's and drive down the street I drove down when it happened. I break out in a panic when my children get close to people I don't know. I am constantly looking over my shoulder to see if anyone is following me. I truly dread that I even have to drive the damn thing at all. But I do my best to breathe through it. I wish I could just go out and buy another van, but I can't afford it at all. I wish I could just get a different vehicle, but with 6 children, school coming up, and only one parent working, (even though I've tried to find work, even babysitting, I havn't found anything, no matter the amount of contacts I've made, or how many times I've submitted my resume to various employers for positions I know I'm qualified for) it doesn't make it easy to just go out and buy another vehicle. I hate being in the same car that I was attacked in. I hate that my children have to be in the van where they are reminded about a man being in the van. It puts a major thorn in my spirit, and increases my stress level a whole lot.
I stress when I go to bed, I get up to check the locks on the doors at least 5 times before I am finally able to go to sleep. I get up in the middle of the night to recheck them. My husband has told me that I have been fighting in my sleep again. Something I haven't done in years. I wake up in a sweat most nights, heart racing, terrified that someone has gotten in the house. I jump at any sound in my car when I don't have my kids with me, I don't even turn the radio on anymore.
I find that I think back over that day a lot. I think of how I could have done things differentlly. I think about if I did this, or if I did that differently, what would have happened. Then I have to shake my head and tell myself that everything turned out okay, my children weren't physically harmed, they are alive, though traumatized, and they smile and laugh still.
I am continuously trying to find ways to ensure that people are aware that things like this can happen to them. I want to help people. I thought about trying to find an organization that allows people to travel and tell their story. I haven't found one yet. That requires driving to meet people and I dont like getting near my van at all. I wish I could just take the damn thing to a chop shop and have it destroyed, but I know it's not practical, plus knowing my luck they will charge me to take it. And anyways we only have the van that will fit everyone in it. Actually we only have the van, because my husbands truck is a company vehicle! So I'm stuck with the stupid thing! Oh joy! I count my blessings everyday. And I AM truly blessed. I would be even more blessed if I could get a new vehicle and get rid of the reminder of the attack. That would be one of the greatest blessings of all!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
I ran over my attacker with my van after he threatened my children and I at knifepoint.
Friday, June 14th 2013, I was going to the store with my 5 yr old and my 2 yr old. I left my house around 12:45 in the aftertoon, and drove my minivan to the local Krogers in Baytown Texas. I parked my car near the side of Kroger, by the drive thru pharmacy. I took my son's out of the car, locked the doors using my remote lock, have to press the button at least three times to make sure my doors are locked, and walked to the RedBox to turn in the DVD's I had rented. As I was turning in the movies I saw a guy standing outside Kroger smoking a cigarette, I noticed him because of the red bandana he was wearing around his neck. I then remembered that we needed milk at home, and took my boys inside. We shopped around got some milk, bread, donuts (because my kids love donuts all 6 of them) and some hair dye and checked out. I took my kids to the car, put them in, buckled them up, put the groceries in the van, and drove across the street to my local CVS.
I parked next to the building near the Redbox kiosk because I was thinking of renting another DVD with the promo code that came out of the DR. Pepper soda box I bought a week ago. I got out, locked the doors, not sure if I clicked my remote the normal three times or not, then went inside, with my two boys, got my color oops, checked out and proceeded to leave. It was a little after 1pm.
I opened my doors, got my kids inside, by tow year old buckled up, and left to go home. As I made my turn down Strickland road, the man that had been hiding in my van popped up from the third row seat and waved a knife and said, "Hey lady, if you don't want your kids to get hurt you'll do exactly what I say". I was shocked and scared, but I told myself to stay calm because panicking now would only make matters worse. My 5 year old said, "hey what are you doing in here?". I asked my 5 year old to come up front, and the guy grabbed my son, and sat him next to him. I asked him what he wanted, even though I knew the answer was either money or me, and he said he needed money, I told him I didn't have any cash. He then said, "Well you better go to an ATM and get some or your kids are gonna get hurt." I asked him how much he wanted, He said, " I need at least $200 dollars", I told him I didn't have $200 dollars in my account, I had about $20 dollars. He told me, "You better figure out how to get it or your kids are gonna get hurt." I had turned onto E Fayle street by then, and was getting ready to turn onto Danubina, when I glanced back in my rear view mirror he was looking out the window, and I reached for my phone so I could make an emergency call to 911, and he said," Don't go back to Kroger's, go somewhere else." I looked at him in my rear view mirror again and realized that this was the same guy I saw standing outside Kroger's earlier smoking a cigarette. He was wearing that red bandana I noticed. I made a left onto Danubina towards E. James street, and as I was pulling up to the stop sign, he was telling me where to go. He told me to turn left and go to the little gas station right down the street near E James Street and Kilgore, which I knew didn't have very many people nearby, only an apartment complex. I had already decided to turn right because I knew if I went left, there was nothing stopping him from hurting my kids when I got out of the car to get him money, and I refused to leave him in the car alone with my children. I made the turn onto E. James street heading towards N. Alexander and he said," hey lady, are you crazy are you trying to get your kids hurt, but by this time he was already up in the front seat like I had prayed he would be. He saw me with my phone by then and said to give him the phone, to which I said ,"Hell no." I put my hand in between my seat the the door so that he couldn't reach it. He then placed the knife at my throat and said give me the phone, I still said no, but I had to get the knife away from my throat, so I put my left hand, (which was holding the phone) in between his hand and my throat so that I could try and get the knife away from my neck.
I pushed him off me, dropped my phone, and saw a telephone pole up ahead. I grabbed the steering wheel with both hands, while he was still trying to get the phone from where it had dropped and swerved my van towards the telephone pole. I was aiming for the pole because my children and I had seat belts on, he didn't. I figured if I hit the pole, he would hit his head on the windshield or go through it, but I missed the pole. I came to a stop and then he started to attack me again. He tried to stab me in the leg, in the stomach, and the neck again. I kept honking the horn in order to attract someones attention to try and come help me. But no one came. I was on my own. We struggled for a while, me honking the horn, and trying to get the knife, him trying to get me to stop honking the horn, and keep the knife. I finally stopped honking the horn and focused on getting the knife from him, his only weapon, and I could hear my 2 year old screaming in the middle seat, all I was thinking was get the knife, keep him focused on you and your kids will stay alive.
I got the knife from him and we continued to struggle only he was trying to get his knife back. He bit my hand trying to force me to give up the knife, but he could have bitten through my knuckles for all I cared at that moment, I wasn't giving him that knife back. I pushed him hard enough to get him to fall back into the passenger seat, and then I balled up my fist and punched him in the face, and told him to get the F*^$ out of my car. He got out and started to run, I was scared, and worried that if he got away he could come after us again, and possibly have a gun instead of a knife next time, or he could hurt or kill someone else, and I knew that couldn't happen, so I stepped on the gas and took off after him. I was intending to side swipe him, just clip him with the side of my van just hard enough to stop him until the police arrived. But I swerved too much and ended up running completely over him. When I put my car in park, I threw my door open and got out, with the knife still in my hand. I saw him sitting up, so I thought he probably wasn't hurt to bad. I then screamed at him, told him that he was F*^$ing nuts, he was crazy, coming after children. I yelled at him, and told him,"How dare you threaten my children", and told him he was crazy again. I went back to my van and asked my kids if they were okay, they said yes. I looked back and saw him scooting back, but not getting up. I went back over to him and said,"You messed with the wrong B*+^$ today didn't you?" He said yes, I told him to get up, and he said he couldn't move.
I then walked back over to my van which was about 4 feet away, and looked up and saw that there was a lady on the phone near where I first ran my van off the road. It reminded me that I needed to find my phone. When I did find my phone I turned back around and saw that there was a Baytown Police Officer who was walking toward the attacker who was laying on the ground by this time. I heard the officer ask the attacker if he was okay, and I yelled, "he hid in my van and threatened to hurt my children with a knife."
The officer looked at me then back at him, and by that time I was so upset I crouched down in the grass and started crying. I heard the officer ask the attacker where the knife was, and I stood up and said, I still have the knife, and I walked over to the police officer and gave him the knife. The lady that had been on the phone walked over to me and asked me if I was alright, I said I was, and she then apologized for not getting to me sooner, she didn't know what was going on, she had just heard from someone in the dentist office that someone was ran over by a car, and she came out and dialed 911. I told her that when she saw me she probably thought I was some psycho lady who just ran some guy over.
More officers started to show up, EMT's checked me out, an ambulance came out and they took the guy and put him in it. I ended up calling my husband sometime in all the chaos, and questions, and he came from work up to where I was. He took our 2 boys back home, and talked with our other 4 children about what had happened while 2 detectives took me to the police station to get my statement on video. And the media then started calling asking to interview me. I didn't want to do it at first. But then I realized that if I could help just 1 person become more aware of the things that could happen to them, then I think I would be doing a good thing. So I agreed to be interviewed by Channel 11, 2, and 13 news from Houston Texas.
I am telling my story because I want people to be aware. Things like this can happen to you. Bad things happen everyday. You can do everything you could possibly think of to be prepared, but you will never be prepared enough. Check your vehicle before you get into it. Ensure that all your doors lock properly. I talked to my Aunt and she said that her Ford windstar van has the same problem my van does with the sliding doors looking to be locked but not actually being locked. Check under your car, check in the back seat, check in the trunk, check your car thoroughly before you get into it, or allow your children to get into it. Be aware of your surroundings. Be careful. Please always be careful.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Baker
Mother of 6
Survivor, Fighter
I parked next to the building near the Redbox kiosk because I was thinking of renting another DVD with the promo code that came out of the DR. Pepper soda box I bought a week ago. I got out, locked the doors, not sure if I clicked my remote the normal three times or not, then went inside, with my two boys, got my color oops, checked out and proceeded to leave. It was a little after 1pm.
I opened my doors, got my kids inside, by tow year old buckled up, and left to go home. As I made my turn down Strickland road, the man that had been hiding in my van popped up from the third row seat and waved a knife and said, "Hey lady, if you don't want your kids to get hurt you'll do exactly what I say". I was shocked and scared, but I told myself to stay calm because panicking now would only make matters worse. My 5 year old said, "hey what are you doing in here?". I asked my 5 year old to come up front, and the guy grabbed my son, and sat him next to him. I asked him what he wanted, even though I knew the answer was either money or me, and he said he needed money, I told him I didn't have any cash. He then said, "Well you better go to an ATM and get some or your kids are gonna get hurt." I asked him how much he wanted, He said, " I need at least $200 dollars", I told him I didn't have $200 dollars in my account, I had about $20 dollars. He told me, "You better figure out how to get it or your kids are gonna get hurt." I had turned onto E Fayle street by then, and was getting ready to turn onto Danubina, when I glanced back in my rear view mirror he was looking out the window, and I reached for my phone so I could make an emergency call to 911, and he said," Don't go back to Kroger's, go somewhere else." I looked at him in my rear view mirror again and realized that this was the same guy I saw standing outside Kroger's earlier smoking a cigarette. He was wearing that red bandana I noticed. I made a left onto Danubina towards E. James street, and as I was pulling up to the stop sign, he was telling me where to go. He told me to turn left and go to the little gas station right down the street near E James Street and Kilgore, which I knew didn't have very many people nearby, only an apartment complex. I had already decided to turn right because I knew if I went left, there was nothing stopping him from hurting my kids when I got out of the car to get him money, and I refused to leave him in the car alone with my children. I made the turn onto E. James street heading towards N. Alexander and he said," hey lady, are you crazy are you trying to get your kids hurt, but by this time he was already up in the front seat like I had prayed he would be. He saw me with my phone by then and said to give him the phone, to which I said ,"Hell no." I put my hand in between my seat the the door so that he couldn't reach it. He then placed the knife at my throat and said give me the phone, I still said no, but I had to get the knife away from my throat, so I put my left hand, (which was holding the phone) in between his hand and my throat so that I could try and get the knife away from my neck.
I pushed him off me, dropped my phone, and saw a telephone pole up ahead. I grabbed the steering wheel with both hands, while he was still trying to get the phone from where it had dropped and swerved my van towards the telephone pole. I was aiming for the pole because my children and I had seat belts on, he didn't. I figured if I hit the pole, he would hit his head on the windshield or go through it, but I missed the pole. I came to a stop and then he started to attack me again. He tried to stab me in the leg, in the stomach, and the neck again. I kept honking the horn in order to attract someones attention to try and come help me. But no one came. I was on my own. We struggled for a while, me honking the horn, and trying to get the knife, him trying to get me to stop honking the horn, and keep the knife. I finally stopped honking the horn and focused on getting the knife from him, his only weapon, and I could hear my 2 year old screaming in the middle seat, all I was thinking was get the knife, keep him focused on you and your kids will stay alive.
I got the knife from him and we continued to struggle only he was trying to get his knife back. He bit my hand trying to force me to give up the knife, but he could have bitten through my knuckles for all I cared at that moment, I wasn't giving him that knife back. I pushed him hard enough to get him to fall back into the passenger seat, and then I balled up my fist and punched him in the face, and told him to get the F*^$ out of my car. He got out and started to run, I was scared, and worried that if he got away he could come after us again, and possibly have a gun instead of a knife next time, or he could hurt or kill someone else, and I knew that couldn't happen, so I stepped on the gas and took off after him. I was intending to side swipe him, just clip him with the side of my van just hard enough to stop him until the police arrived. But I swerved too much and ended up running completely over him. When I put my car in park, I threw my door open and got out, with the knife still in my hand. I saw him sitting up, so I thought he probably wasn't hurt to bad. I then screamed at him, told him that he was F*^$ing nuts, he was crazy, coming after children. I yelled at him, and told him,"How dare you threaten my children", and told him he was crazy again. I went back to my van and asked my kids if they were okay, they said yes. I looked back and saw him scooting back, but not getting up. I went back over to him and said,"You messed with the wrong B*+^$ today didn't you?" He said yes, I told him to get up, and he said he couldn't move.
I then walked back over to my van which was about 4 feet away, and looked up and saw that there was a lady on the phone near where I first ran my van off the road. It reminded me that I needed to find my phone. When I did find my phone I turned back around and saw that there was a Baytown Police Officer who was walking toward the attacker who was laying on the ground by this time. I heard the officer ask the attacker if he was okay, and I yelled, "he hid in my van and threatened to hurt my children with a knife."
The officer looked at me then back at him, and by that time I was so upset I crouched down in the grass and started crying. I heard the officer ask the attacker where the knife was, and I stood up and said, I still have the knife, and I walked over to the police officer and gave him the knife. The lady that had been on the phone walked over to me and asked me if I was alright, I said I was, and she then apologized for not getting to me sooner, she didn't know what was going on, she had just heard from someone in the dentist office that someone was ran over by a car, and she came out and dialed 911. I told her that when she saw me she probably thought I was some psycho lady who just ran some guy over.
More officers started to show up, EMT's checked me out, an ambulance came out and they took the guy and put him in it. I ended up calling my husband sometime in all the chaos, and questions, and he came from work up to where I was. He took our 2 boys back home, and talked with our other 4 children about what had happened while 2 detectives took me to the police station to get my statement on video. And the media then started calling asking to interview me. I didn't want to do it at first. But then I realized that if I could help just 1 person become more aware of the things that could happen to them, then I think I would be doing a good thing. So I agreed to be interviewed by Channel 11, 2, and 13 news from Houston Texas.
I am telling my story because I want people to be aware. Things like this can happen to you. Bad things happen everyday. You can do everything you could possibly think of to be prepared, but you will never be prepared enough. Check your vehicle before you get into it. Ensure that all your doors lock properly. I talked to my Aunt and she said that her Ford windstar van has the same problem my van does with the sliding doors looking to be locked but not actually being locked. Check under your car, check in the back seat, check in the trunk, check your car thoroughly before you get into it, or allow your children to get into it. Be aware of your surroundings. Be careful. Please always be careful.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Baker
Mother of 6
Survivor, Fighter
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