Scary Day

I am sure there will be plenty of blogs recalling today's events, I will be no different and I'm warning you ahead of time, this could get long. I am also aware that as I write this many of my friends in Texas are currently taking cover from these storms as well and I am praying for their safety.

I started worrying about these storms yesterday when I heard we had a possibility of severe weather. Silly? Maybe. But the reason was b/c they said the storms would hit around 3pm. 3pm is when I'm picking Isabella up from school. I was worried about the kids being upset and scared on the way home, and the rain being bad to drive in. I even mentioned to Anthony last night as we went to sleep that I was a bit concerned about it.Well, then fast forward to today at 2pm. I had just gotten out of the shower (yes, a little late today) and noticed the house was much darker. Looking outside I confirmed a storm was indeed brewing, but I didn't check the weather. I decided we'd leave to get Bella early so we'd be the first in the pick up line and could get right home. So around 2:20pm I took Natalie and Ethan to the garage to get the car and just as I did the sirens went off. I immediately panicked. I cannot have Isabella away from me during a tornado I thought - she needs me. I didn't know what to do so I called Anthony, came back inside and turned on the weather. Tornadoes. It was for real. He suggested I try to call the school to see what to do in this situation. Good calm suggestion. I did...couldn't get through, everyone must be calling.

So the sirens stopped. I hopped in the car. I would just drive to the school (which was driving away from the storm...except to get back home I'd have to drive back into it) and call from the parking lot and have them bring her to me. Get there, still can't get through. But I flag down the man behind me in line as he's going in to get his grandson and ask if he could have them bring me Bella. (I didn't want to get Ethan and Natalie out b/c by this time it is storming.) Man comes out with his grandson and says the secretary is bringing me Bella. Great. We'll all be together. The storm won't be THAT bad. I am relieved. For a second.

RIGHT THEN the sirens go off. But this time I'm literally standing 10 feet from it. It is SO loud. Natalie starts screaming, as does Ethan and I begin ripping kids from car seats. Grabbing my purse and Isabella's teacher aide throws open the back door to her classroom, and says "There is no time, get in." We take cover in Bella's school with 15 calmly frightened 4 year olds.

A few minutes later the secretary comes around saying that someone had called and okay-ed release of the kids to the parents. I (wrongly) assume it means all is safe and I take the kids and leave. While driving home the sky is totally swirling and the clouds look like the picture above (which I believe was taken very close to my house). I turn off the radio in the back of the car b/c the kids are now crying and Bella is too familiar with the word TORNADO (thanks to a weather show we went to 2 years ago). And then, I start hearing streets, and landmarks I know. Its too close. I'm driving right into it. I call Anthony again, panicked (again). He advises me to turn the car around, and then get somewhere inside. As he's saying this the radio is confirming a touch down in my town, but they're having rough estimates of its location - but its anywhere from 1-5 miles from our house. I seriously feel that I can't go home, I'd be driving into the worst of it.

In hind sight I drove too far to be safe, and I did indeed end up taking a turn that brought us closer to the storm again. But we ended up taking cover in our SAM's Club. I thought, big warehouse, hardly any windows = safe. And we were. The kids were scared but seriously there were some really nice people there including a lady who totally calmed Bella down, told us that SAM's gives 1 free rose to kids if they just ask for a flower at the floral department, staff that came up and gave me regular updates on the weather situation and road closings and a nice manager that gave the girls free ice cream just to help them feel better. We stayed for almost 2 hours until the threat was gone. We had to take cover in the center of the store 3 times while there. And I got an errand for tomorrow crossed off my list.

We knew our power had been out at home so we ended up meeting Anthony at a McDonald's to let the kids play and have a warm dinner. We had to take a long way home b/c the main road we drive home on everyday looked like this:


But when we got home our power had come back on about 15 minutes earlier and we had no damage. I have to say - it was a scary day. And I'm still riled up about it almost 6 hours later. Storms make me nervous. And I know I rub off on my kids. Poor Bella was crying and saying, "Why can't this just be a NORMAL day?!"

I'm so glad to have gotten Bella from the school so we were together BUT I should have stayed at the school and not left in the first place. I'm also grateful to have seen how the school went about their emergency procedures. They were great and they amazingly kept all the kids calm. It makes me feel better about having her there with her teachers during an Oklahoma spring. I seriously plan on writing both her teachers and the SAM's Club manager thank you cards in the morning. Tonight Natalie said she had been on an "Adventure" as I was tucking her into bed. I'm glad she can see this scary day as a fun adventure. I am also glad that my family and friends are tucked in their beds safe tonight - and am praying for those who aren't.