Yes, son, a storm was a comin'. Not even 5 minutes later, as I was turning into the school's drop-off loop, my cell phone rang. An 800 number. I took it, thinking it odd that I was getting an 800 number call on my cell phone at 8:19 am on a Monday.
The voice said:
"This is an automated code red weather warning. Moments ago, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunder storm for your area. The potential now exists for heavy rains, damaging winds, and large hail. Please take immediate action for your safety."
Uh, okay, I'll try. I looked up at the sky, curious if it really was capable of all that. Rain, we are plenty familiar with. Wind, too, even. Hail, not so much. I dropped the kids off, kissed them out the car door, and headed home. The moment we pulled in the driveway, I heard the first loud clap of thunder, then saw the dark sky spark from lightning.
I really enjoy storms. From inside my house, of course, but I like watching them, listening to them, turning everything off and just being stilled by nature and her force. Jack does not share my admiration. He clung to my leg as the thunder got louder and kept saying "Mama, what's dat nooy?? What's dat big nooy, mama?"
Then, on a clap of thunder strong enough to rattle the house, our power went out. A couple minutes later, the first siren. Then another, and another, and another, and another. The sirens freaked me out enough to send friends some texts to make sure all were okay.
Then I went outside. I remembered seeing something on the news a while back about a lady who was watching a storm from her bedroom window and was thinking the lightning seemed really close, then simultaneously smelled fire and heard sirens. She stepped out her front door to see what was going on and looked up to see her roof engulfed in flames. Her neighbors didn't know she was home but called the fire department immediately. Needless to say, I did not want to be the woman oohing and aahing over the storm while my house was burning above me. So I went outside. No fire.
(*Note for my local friends.....I thought the sirens sounded like they were near the school- but I am terrible with deciphering the location of sounds-- not a good quality for a mom to have. Anyway, I called the school and they said that all children in portables- Tyler- had been brought inside to the main building and would not return to the portables as long as the storm held up. That made me feel much better.)
About a half hour later, my lights flickered back on. Still raining, no more sirens, but very quiet except the drip, drip, drip of newly forming puddles. The thunder echoed from a distance now, and the sky kept it's unlit shade of charcoal gray. No wind to speak of, and not a single hail-speck. (Well, at least in my area- it seems we did get hail!)
And the little boy who was scared of dat big noise? From a mother's perspective, that storm worked like a charm.
If only it had the same effect on his little sister.
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Countdown to Bliss: 214 Days
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