You Shoulda Seen Us

Last Thursday night our state experienced some heavy storming, including some tornado activity. Our college student renters who live in our attached apartment called at about 11:30 pm - otherwise we might have slept through the entire storm. The town siren was sounding, and they were worried about the approaching storm. Then our next door neighbor who recently installed a new storm shelter called. He wanted to know if we were coming over. DH put him off, saying we would keep listening to the radio and maybe join him.

By this time, I was getting nervous and put on some jeans and shoes. The wind was blowing pretty hard and the rain and lightning was pretty intense. I asked DH if we should at least bring the girls downstairs (they were in their sleeping bags anyway, having "camped" on their floor for a couple of nights). At this point our neighbor called again, insisting that now was the time to join him in the shelter. It was about midnight and despite our reservations about getting five children up and out in the middle of the pouring night, we decided to make a move. DH first escorted our college girls and one boyfriend over to the shelter while I puts shoes over footie pajamas on the girls. Then he took groggy girls over while I grabbed the diaper bag and heated a bottle just in case. The electricity blinked out at this point which scared me, but came on after a few seconds.

DH returned soaking wet and he carried one baby and I the other. We slogged through ankle deep mud in the neighbor's back yard and passed the babies down into the shelter. Lovey was shaking "with cold" she said. I could tell by looking that she was very scared though.

Sad to say we were only in there ten minutes before the all clear siren sounded. I think next time I will put my pillow over my head and hope for the best. Little girls slept in their bags next to me on the floor and the babies settled down after a few tears...

By the way, Bookworm was in hog heaven - she obviously thought it was all a grand adventure. :)