Wild wacky weather

Last night....And I missed it! Now some would say that the fact I was in my basement (where I should be) was a good thing but I disagree. I have to confess I have always loved the summer weather/storms. (as long as no one I know or myself gets hurt or damage done to their property, nothing like adding conditions right?) I secretly want to join those tornado chasers who follow the storms. A note: I was watching that very thing on the Discovery channel Monday night, fascinating stuff. Didn't expect to be experiencing a version of it the next night tho. So last night the kids are playing in the toy room, (the little kids, the older ones were busy doing older kid stuff, translation I have no idea what they were doing) I'm on the phone and the sirens go off, so a quick oh sh*t! and I hang up on Kelli (sorry kelli) and stand in the daycare room contemplating(briefly) whether it is for real or not...In fairness the picture out the window didn't look threatening, or ominous, just cloudy like it might rain. So I did wonder briefly if it was a false alarm but the rational side of my brain kicked in and quite quickly I'm handing babies to Josh and Cassandra (who quite magically appeared as soon as the alarm sounded) and ushering Anthony and Yahaira down the stairs, maneuvering around the dog who has to be the center of all activity. Get things settled in the basement, fly upstairs for some flashlights and my cell phone, and shoes. I have this thing if you go to the basement during a storm you wear your shoes..After all who wants to crawl over debris in bare feat? One always should be prepared (I see you rolling your eyes I'm anal I know) Kevin calls to make sure we heard the siren...Oh hello it's a block away. Then Linda calls wondering if it's a false alarm...I repeated what the radio had just said, a tornado on the ground south of Butterfield, she says I'm on my way over. Linette calls to see if Beckie made it home she saw her running back into JB Fitness and was wondering if she had car trouble...Maybe you should check on her...Ok that would mean I have to go out in this???? Heading upstairs to check on Beckie, who walks in just as I reached the top of the stairs, she had forgotten her yoga mat and ran in to get it.. (now I'm rolling my eyes) saved the lecture for anther time on sirens blaring and you go back for a "mat"? Soon my other neighbor joined us in the basement and shortly thereafter her husband also joined us. Katie came quite quickly her work had sent them home...(ok am I the only one who finds that odd that a place of business would send it's employees out in bad weather, rather than putting them in a safe place?) so for over an hour last night my basement was full, we all were perched on chairs or blankets listening to the radio and trying to keep a lot of little people happy and entertained. What a way to have a neighborhood get together, it was National Night Out last night...Not the way I pictured spending it but interesting none the less. No damage near us, a few homes were destroyed one south of town another near Butterfield, not a good thing. No one injured which is a good thing, stuff can always be replaced...Watched some footage on the internet from a local TV station, thinking it was a good thing that system stayed south of us, it looked fierce (still a little part of me that wishes I could have watched it live rather than riding it out in my basement) aahhhh well perhaps someday when I don't have little people to protect first I can be a storm chaser :)