The Best Laid Plans

You know what they saw about the best laid plans right?

About 2:20 this afternoon we; RR, TT and myself, were in the activities room at a local nursing home with the rest of the Cub Scouts in RR's pack.  Everyone was singing their hearts out for the residents.  RR was in the back with one of his best buds and TT and I were chilling over on the side with his girlfriend and her mom.  I was having flashbacks to my days a Girl Scout and going Christmas caroling around the the neighborhood.  The streets were snowy and frosty and I am sure my mom had hot chocolate waiting for us when we got back.  It was around this time that I finally decided on where I wanted to go for my belated-birthday dinner; 99 Restaurant.  I was in the mood for steak.

You see I had the best plan laid out for today.  I took the boys to breakfast and grocery shopping in the morning.  TT was suppose to nap when we got home; then lunch and out to Christmas caroling for 2pm.  After caroling was through; and since we were in the neighborhood, we were going to swing into our local Toy and Baby Mega Store and get the boys Christmas gifts off lay-away and grab some needed day-to-day baby items (read disposable diapers for night time and wipes).  We had plans to meet my mom for dinner; and I figured we would go see the mall Santa while waiting for her.

My plan did not take into account what would happen if TT didn't nap.  My plan also didn't take into account what would happen if TT refused lunch.

Guess what?  TT didn't nap.  TT didn't eat lunch, aside from a few bites of banana.

But still I was optimistic.  There we were at the nursing home and the boys were signing and my heart was filling with holiday cheer.  The residents clapped and we began our tour around the facility signing for the residents and handing out cards.  TT was doing well.  Very well.  He was happy and smiling and clapping and flirting with any old lady that would give him a smile.

And then he wasn't.  We reached the end of the rounds and they were handing out ice cream, and TT had to wait to get some and he lost it.  By far the biggest meltdown of his life.  Other parents were trying to console him, offering him toys, music on their phones.  Nothing.  Husband showed up just in time to help me wrangle him into the car.  

Oh, the crying and the tears he was miserable.  But then he calmed down some and ate his ice cream in the car.  Husband and I couldn't decide what to do.  We bickered about it.  Just go home or do we carry on?  We opted to carry on.  We got to the store.  It was insanely crowded.  I went to get the lay-away.  He took the boys to look around.  I texted my mom with an update and got the gifts into the car quickly.

Upon coming back into the store I came across the rest of my family.  TT had spotted a Mickey Mouse train-set.  Does it get any better in his eyes?  I think not.  Where we buying this train?  I think not.  And so the water works and the tears ensued; again.  He screamed.  He flailed around.  Green snot was pouring from him nose.  He was red in the face and sweating.

I tried to save my day out with the family.  I walked Teddy and walked him some more; hoping he would fall asleep.  We offered him more food and more walking.  But there was no hope.  We needed to go home and he needed to go to bed.

I know in the grand scheme of things days like these don't matter.  I know we made the residents at the nursing home happy and I know my mom isn't upset about missing dinner and I know there will be more chances to see Santa.  But I still feel bad.  Like I could have controlled whether or not TT slept.  I think not.

And I am very grateful for my children, no matter how many meltdowns they have, no many how many plans are ruined.  I am thankful that they are alive and well and are able to ruin plans.  The tragedy in Connecticut yesterday really hit home for me, as it did with most of the nation.  I've hugged my boys longer and tighter since then.  I cannot fathom sending my boys off to school and never seeing them again.  My heart truly breaks for all of those affected.

Twister

Wednesday June 1, 2011 my little corner of the world was rocked by several tornadoes.  It is a day I am sure we will all not forget.  I have friends or family in all of the towns and cities that were directly hit by tornadoes, and thankfully everyone is OK.  Up here on our little mountain we were fine and barely affected, we are truly blessed.  I'm going to tell you about our experiences, as a family, of the storms.  Then I'll share with you some links and pictures of the storms.

Since it was a Wednesday I was working from home.  Which I am ever grateful, as if I was in the office that day I would have been on the highway in Springfield right about the time and place the tornado touched down.

Monkey had been having a hard time with naps that day, as the thunder kept waking him up.  It was shortly after 4pm when one of my sister-in-laws called and told us to turn on the TV the storm and tornadoes were heading our way.  Husband and I turned on the TV and left the room.  Turkey was home from school and was playing, I took Monkey up to my bedroom to nurse him laying down, hoping he would fall asleep.  Husband ran up the street to help a neighbor cover her Jeep up.  It was pouring, absolutely pouring.  As I was nursing Monkey, Turkey came up to tell me the tornadoes were getting close, and at the same time another sister-in-law called and told us the news was saying our area needed to seek coverage.  I told Turkey to head to the basement and I got Monkey's gear ready to head down, just as Husband came back in.  He was absolutely soaked, and I told him we were going to the basement.

When I walked downstairs Turkey was loosing it, as only he can.  He was afraid the storm was going to take his house, or blow off the roof and he was going to loose all of his Legos.  He was screaming and yelling with tears running down his face (thank you Asperger's).  He was panicked over not being able to find one of his cats and was on the verge of a major panic attack when Husband offered to let him watch Harry Potter on his laptop.  Then he was calm.  Husband and I monitored the weather on another laptop, and once the storm was clear we went upstairs.

I then proceeded to BBQ chicken on the grill, the sun was coming out.  We ate, Turkey finished his movie in his room and Monkey went to bed.  Around 7:30pm I headed out to the grocery store.  I must have been one of six customer's in the store, so I was able to get in and out quickly; which was good because little did I know another storm was on it's way.  As I was driving home the lightening in the sky was amazing.  It reminded me a strobe light in a bad Long Island nightclub.  No sooner did I get in the house, but the skies opened up again.

As I looked to the south-west the sky had turned this ominous red-brown color.  Husband and I put away the groceries and since the cable and internet were out we decided
 to watch "Hairspray" while keeping an eye on the weather.  We were going to stay up until we were certain the storms were over for the night, and we figured there was nothing like a little John Travolta in a dress to make the evening a little more lighthearted.

In the morning we were able to grasp the full affect of what happened around us.  Now mind you, my mom lived in Texas for many years; and in our visits to her Turkey and I lived through more tornado warnings, watches and close calls then I care to think about.  But those just weren't the same; not to say they were not as serious or as strong a storm; but they didn't hit home like this.

YouTube video of from my cousin's neighbors.  Her neighbor's survived under the stairs, my cousin was in her basement.  They were in Brimfield.

Hail from my cousin's house.

Some of the storm picture in this blog, by John Elder Robison are amazing.  The shots of the sky are so ominous.

Picture of the house three doors down from our friends J&L in West Springfield.

I could keep going with photos from friends...

Instead, I ask for your thoughts and prayers for all of those affected.  I know we'll be donating and helping out where ever we can.