There's No Place Like Home, There's No Place Like Home...

via Google images

You can believe I wore my red flats yesterday. Sebastian and I had barely gotten out of bed before the tornado sirens went off. I had peeked outside and noticed how eerily dark it was just moments before. The sky had that unfamiliar green tint but I was too groggy to be alarmed. The shrill sound of the sirens quickly changed all of that. I ran through the house looking for those vital things you don't want to be caught out on the street without. You know, your bra, some pants, and trusty running shoes.

Sebastian's closet, packed tightly with outgrown baby gear like the highchair and newborn car seat, was our safe spot. It's the only interior spot in our house that might offer some protection in case things start to get dicey. After rounding up the flash light, Sebastian's shoes, the phone, the laptop, and turning on the kitchen radio for local updates, I pulled things out of the closet like a mad woman making sure Sebastian wasn't in my throwing path. I eyed his bike helmet that was sitting on the top shelf and considered strapping it on for extra protection but figured that was a little much. We shoved my wedding dress aside and plopped down on a few blankets to wait it out. With power still on and my wireless still working I sent an e-mail to family letting them know we were huddled up and safe. I texted Brett, who was in the basement of his middle school teasing kids that he hoped they'd told their mothers they loved them this morning.

The sirens kept going on and off and we'd get out and then get back in and listen to the radio reports. The DVD on my computer kept Sebastian distracted while I familiarized myself with the geography of Missouri and tracked the predicted path of the storm. It was headed south and east of us so I became less and less alarmed until our power went out. Without the reassurance of our local NPR affiliate or Dora and Boots, I became a little anxious. My phone suddenly flashed low battery and I realized we were about to be cut off from the outside world for awhile. ( Go ahead and get that eye roll out of the way.)

Forty five minutes of closet sitting and sweating it out later, we ventured onto the front porch to check out the neighborhood. It was nothing more than a few large limbs down and drenched cats wandering through backyards. I rescued our basketball from two houses down and we counted our blessings. The rest of the day was spent trading stories with neighbors and occupying ourselves with non-electrical activities and fast food. We're currently still without power but have heard it should be back on ANY TIME NOW.

In the meantime, I hope every mother feels celebrated this weekend. If this weekend brings you sadness I pray it is a temporary sadness and that you can find comfort and peace along the way. We may be celebrating in the dark this year!

Goodbye from our local library. Until next time...

EDITED: We have power again! I'm going to start a load of laundry, clean out the food that went bad from the fridge and settle in for the episode of Grey's that we missed. YAY!!!