Tornado Terror

Last night we were hit by a tornado.

Every year at this time, there is the threat of tornados where I live. Many a time, we've huddled in the basement over these storms. For several nights now we've had the threat of tornados, which have missed us by a few miles, and you're sitting there in front of the TV tracking the radar and just hoping the twisters will miss you and go somewhere else. We've been lucky the past few days, so perhaps it was inevitable that it would come to our doorstep at last. This time it was the real deal.

After I put the kids to bed, I watched the reports, hoping like all the other nights it would pass us and go somewhere else, but it was looking grim. Just looking out the window was terrifying, with the grey clouds, violent winds and watching lawn chairs fly through the air. We lost our satellite, so we huddled around one TV in my parents' room that has an analog local station. With the electricity still on, despite the baseball size hail pummeling the windows, there's still the illusion that it could pass before any real damage happens.

The statement that clinched it for us, on channel 7 was, "If you live about 16 miles north of L___, between D____ and C_________, we have a report of a twister on the ground and you should take shelter immediately." I grabbed the kids and fled to the basement with my parents. Believe me, only the threat of certain death would cause me to get my kids out of bed once they have fallen asleep for the night!

Then the power went out and it was pure darkness down there. That's really when the terror sets in that you are in serious trouble, when there's no more contact with the outside world, it's dark, and it's just you and the overpowering storm outside. We spent a good 40 minutes in terror down there, hearing debris fly against the windows and fearing the house was being blown over. Oh, if only I were L&L! They didn't notice anything amiss at all, and enjoyed running around the basement and playing with Grandma's canned goods and boxed mixes.

I just kept praying we would not lose the house, in fact I prayed that God would go ahead and take my life if He were planning to take the house, because I can't imagine living anywhere but the farm and building again seems insurmountable (not to mention unaffordable).

Afterward, we were afraid to look at the damage upstairs. The house was intact, but there are a lot of problems outside, with my front porch, lots of tree damage, part of my garage torn off, barn door roof partly missing, and some sheds damaged. Normally I might have cried while assessing the damage this morning with my camera in hand, but when I called daycare and she told me of the problems in C____, I could hardly weep for myself; these people have windows out, roofs missing, total loss of their homes, and powerlines in their driveway.

Here is what we woke to this morning.

Miraculously their swingset stayed intact.

My mom's peonies didn't fare so well...

I'm brokenhearted about this evergreen in the back.

My porch was hit hard, with a shutter missing and the glass globe light blown off with wires hanging down.

I'm so grateful the barn has stayed. It was built in the late 19th century.

Remains of the large oak tree, pulled out by the roots. My garage...

In case any of you on the east coast are wondering why we don't have trees out here, I believe I have your answer. Just look at the picture at the top of the screen.

Swing Set Up and Running

Wish I could say the same for myself! I felt so sick all weekend, still! I slept a lot, every time the boys were sleeping, so was I. My voice is still hoarse and I'm so tired. Luckily I slept well last night, getting up only once to cough, which, considering I took enough sleeping pills to fell a horse, is the way it should be, dammit!

On a brighter note, the swing set has been up and running for a few days. But they couldn't use the swings, so my wonderful mom bought them toddler swings this week and the kids LOVE them. They're getting braver with the slide as well, wanting to go down it all the time now.

They also have a mini picnic table and bench under the slide, and this is where the sandbox will go if I ever gain enough energy and patience to actually want to deal with the sand.

I had it built to the side of my porch. I guess I have fantasies that one day I will be able to sit there sipping chocolate martinis and reading while my boys play on their own in the yard. May be a few years yet.

As usual on Monday mornings, my boys cried when I had to leave them. They are used to having me all weekend and then cry when we must part on Mondays. I hate it too, but at the same time, they wear me out so much that at least on Monday mornings I am sitting at my desk and have a couple of minutes to myself. I don't know how sahm's do it. Still I do miss my boys when I am at work.

Swing Set is Up!

I bought my boys a small swimming pool and a wooden swingset with part of my gov't rebate check, so they can be entertained this summer.

Putting it together was not easy, but my uncle and dad were a huge help. My aunt and uncle stayed over Memorial Day weekend. On Sunday evening, after my dad's birthday celebration, they started work on the set. L&L really loved playing with balloons from my dad's party.

They also wanted to help with the swing set. Lk kept lifting the beams of wood and saying "Thank you!" as he handed them to us.

It was not an easy job, as you can see from the bolts and screws here. Plus I had to buy $20 more worth so they could make sure it was sturdy. For $500 (on sale!) I would think we would have gotten ample parts.

Lm wanted to be one of the guys and help out.

Due to tornados and storms on Sunday night, they had to close up shop until the next day.

It took about 2 days, but they got it complete.

The tarp is on now, a temporary one, because with the storms, we want to save the good one that came with it until my boys are a little older and will be playing in the tree house. There's also room for a sand box in the square on the right, but I will not be filling it with sand this year. Maybe in a couple more years!

Last night, I showed them how to use the slide. They're too young to climb up themselves so I have to lift them to the top of it, but they loved it and were giggling with joy every time they went down. So sweet to watch.

Memorial Weekend Misery

This is a cursed weekend for me.

In '05, I had laser lap surgery and felt like I'd been run over by a truck all weekend.

In '06 I was in dire misery as that Friday I was shipped to a hospital an hour away (my local one had no ped surgeon for Lm) and hooked up to mag sulfate that made me sick that entire weekend, to try to prevent PTL.

Last year was my mom's big birthday party that we planned for weeks. My sister flew out (7 months pg) with her family to be there and we even ordered special table cloths, had a huge meal to pick up, special handmade invitations, you name it, 35 guests, etc. Everything was arranged just perfectly. Our biggest worry was whether the color of the napkins would clash with the color of the plates. Well, the day before (that Saturday) we all except my mom came down with the stomach flu and were puking for 2 days, with my dad having to be taken to the hospital and hooked up to an IV. My mom had to spend what was to have been her special day taking care of me, my dad, and my two sick twins.

This year as I was mowing on Saturday I wondered, what will befall me this time??That night I had a tickly throat and lost my voice entirely, followed by a NASTY virus that included: sharp shooting pains on the side of my head for which I had to get a shot in the ass of Toradol on Tuesday to stop, swollen sore throat and tonsils, up every night with violent coughing, a rash all over my back and front, pink eye in BOTH eyes, and pure misery. What's worse, I had to go to work Tuesday as we had a certification deadline with millions riding on it that was due. Yesterday I had to use my vacation time that I was supposed to use this July to go canoeing, to stay in bed all day. Today I dragged myself in to work, against my better judgement, and Liam is home with my mom today; he now has pink eye and daycare won't take him for 24 hrs. Beautiful!

WHAT NEXT YEAR, A PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS??

Anyway, before I got really sick, we celebrated my dad's birthday on Sunday with my aunt and uncle. The boys enjoyed their grandpa's cake...

My pics are backward for this blog entry, as I'm not thinking clearly enough in my sick state to have arranged them. So this is BEFORE the cake was cut...

My dad turned 75 yesterday. He was born at home in a 4-poster bed that is my bed now (not the same mattress, lol). When my grandma went into labor, she called Dr. Noys and he came for the delivery. My grandparents paid him $5 and some eggs from their chickens. Compared to my sister who last year had to pay about $14,000 to have her baby, and compared with $300,000 for my twins' delivery which included 10 weeks in the hospital for me and a month in the NICU for L&L.

I dressed my boys in their new Osh Kosh overalls for the day, and if I say so myself, they were adorable. For shirts they were still able to fit into their Born in the USA shirts that my sister gave them last year.

My guys are ready for the elements!

I took Friday off work and went with my mom to the local town garage sales. We got some unbelievable great deals and had a fun day. I bought the boys each summer hats, sunglasses, toys, and a toddler bed for Lm. Oh, and camoflage slippers for Lm (Lk's feet are too big for them already!).

Here they are in some of their new gear.

They love to pick up rocks and give them to me and say "dank-oo!"


In his new hat, Lm found his mom's sunglasses.

Lk, in the swing in his new dinosaur outfit.

This picture to me is a little uncanny. He looks JUST LIKE ME here, our smiles are identical.

Lm in his new train outfit and camo slippers!

Mr. Cool Dude in his new sunglasses, beach hat and sandals.

They are a ton of fun in the summer when we can all be outside.