the one where we were training for disaster

It’s a really windy day here in N.W. Indiana. The kind of day that not only messes up your hair, but blows your pant leg and shirt making all of your clothing form fitting. Not always an attractive look, I will admit. It’s the high wind and warm air swirling that makes me think of tornado weather. If you live in an area that isn’t frequented by tornado’s, well, “sucks to be us”, doesn’t it? Nah, I mean, people who live in parts of the country where tornados frequent just know what tornado weather is.

I like that kind of weather. I’m a safety girl, I don’t cross against the no crossing sign, I don’t go around the gates at a rail road crossing, I don’t spit into the wind, but tornado weather, I mean come on really – what are you going to do when you see one coming. Duck.

I remember when my children were young. I prepared them for all types of disasters. (safety girl and scared young mother of three, natural worrier, that’s me) I told them that if I should alert them of a tornado’s impending peril, they were to grab a couch cushion and go into our bathtub. We had a bathroom that was placed kind of central to the house, and the kids could easily grab a couch cushion versus a mattress off the bed. A mattress off the bed can be quite cumbersome when you are three or four years old. It never happened. BUT WE WERE PREPARED, incase it did happen, so don’t laugh.
Yeah, I also had a prepared “password” that only my children and I knew, incase that I had to send someone to pick them up from school in my stead. They were not supposed to go anywhere with a stranger OR a friend posing as a concerned person who might wish to steal away my small children, kidnap them and I wouldn’t see them ever again. Pffft. Gone. Unless said friend knew the password, then my children could rest assure that I sent this person to scoop them up for me. We were prepared.

My children and I had a fire drill – so that in case of a fire, they would know what to do, what exit to take, how to get out of the house safely. See, I was worried because the kids bedrooms were on the second story of our Cape Cod style home, my own bedroom on the main level. If a raging blaze broke out and they couldn't get downstairs, they should go out of the window in my son’s bedroom that ran adjacent to the garage roof. Cool, they could sit on the roof and wait for the fireman (or mom) to rescue them. They were instructed to crawl close to the ground, yadda yadda …all that. I was a FREAK for disaster preparedness.

I labeled all the cleaning products with “Mr. Yuck” stickers from poison control. (and still my three year old son licked up some Miracle Grow thinking it was blue sugar…who knew?)
I put red stickers in the window corners to alert the fireman of the presence of small children.
I taught them how to call 911 should I mysteriously pass out and become unconscious. (Used to make my daughter Sarah cry, but I wanted them to be prepared!!!)
Freak. Now as I type this, I sound like very freaky, but better safe than sorry right? Right?
Don't be so judgey.

Ahh, young parents, relax would ya? They made it safely to their adult hood almost unscathed …well unscathed by natural disasters anyway. We had our share of emergency room visits. Don’t you all?
Any of you parents out there do similar preparation with your children?

My New Ride

I don't really care - as long as it gets me there.

That could be my motto. For my ride, you know. I don't care what it looks like, what bells and whistles it has, what color, make or model it is. I want it to get me there in one piece.

From this....

My last car I rode until stuff started literally falling off! If I went over a bump or pot hole, the armrest on the door handles in the back seat would shake loose! The body was in good shape. Indiana winter's and the salt started to erode the paint at the bottom of the doors. The heat/air conditioning worked at a minimum. It has 183,000+ miles on it. My 1998 Olds Intrigue, lovingly got me there! So, it was 12 years old - and starting to show it's age. Everyone was buggin me to get a new car...but my heart wasn't in the payment.

So, we began the search. All I really wanted was a CD player, heated seats, and a decent cup holder.

I got it! And it's a racy red color too!

To this...my new Impala!

Whew-made it past the day unscathed

Ah HA! It's the day after April Fool's day. Poissant D'Avril for you odd frenchies...{i never did understand the fish foolery}
I have come through unscathed.
See, It's taken me years of looking over my shoulder and doubting every phone call, or bit of April 1st news or gossip to finally settle down on the first of April.
I had been quite a bit of a practical joker in years past, and my children liked to take pride in "getting me back" in creative ways.

This year I went by without anyone trying to pull a prank. Whew!
With the temperature at an unseasonal 64 degrees and it's only 7:13 a.m. I'm off to have a Good Friday, off fromwork, enjoying the weather and preparing for our Easter weekend. Going to my mom's to make Easter cheese and wash her bedding. I MAY even get to hang her blankets on the clothes line outside!
Hope you all enjoy the weekend!