For the first time in a long while, other than the monthly test, the tornado sirens went off in Champaign last night.
The kids had decided to have a sleep over in Flynn's room and took an inordinately long time to fall asleep. They'd been out for about 30 minutes when I heard the sirens. Luckily, Frank was home "early" last night (8:30-ish) so he was in the basement clearing space for us to wait out the warning (our basement is a disaster area in and of itself - something we hope to remedy this year). He also inflated an air mattress so the kids could lie down and not be on the cold floor. We gathered the kids, their blankets, pillows, assorted stuffed animals and flashlights and headed down. I worried that Evan would freak out, which he tends to do when there is severe weather. He must have been really tired because he looked around wide-eyed and cried a little bit then went back to sleep. It helped that the power stayed on. Flynn took a little longer to go back to sleep, but she did so clutching a flashlight to her chest.
I laid down with the kids and read for a bit, while Frank monitored the weather on the computer. The tornado watch was in effect until 2 a.m. and we made the call to sleep in the basement. Frank got another air mattress and was going to sleep in the area we call "Fanboy Land" or "Gamer's Paradise" - Frank's area of the basement that looks like a comic book shop. Next thing I hear is, "I need some help. We've got water." Water was coming in the egress window and pooling on the floor (this has happened before but we thought we'd solved the problem - guess not). Luckily, all of Frank's comic boxes are off the floor. We cleared stuff out of the way and Frank started vacuuming up the water with the shop-vac we keep down there. Surprisingly, the shop-vac did not wake the children and that thing is loud. It was 11:30 before we were finished and the worst of the storm had passed. I decided we didn't need to sleep in the basement and brought Flynn upstairs (quite a work out since she was about 35 pounds of dead weight). Frank brought up Evan.
I don't know why we put them in other beds, because they woke up in the night and came in with us, which made for a restful night's sleep.
It was after midnight when I went to bed. Frank was up in the night checking to see if more water came in (it didn't). We're all wiped today and I'm about to say "hello" to a steady diet of caffeine and sugar to get me through. I'm foreseeing a day of crankiness and temper tantrums. Whee.
It will be an early night tonight for us all.
The kids had decided to have a sleep over in Flynn's room and took an inordinately long time to fall asleep. They'd been out for about 30 minutes when I heard the sirens. Luckily, Frank was home "early" last night (8:30-ish) so he was in the basement clearing space for us to wait out the warning (our basement is a disaster area in and of itself - something we hope to remedy this year). He also inflated an air mattress so the kids could lie down and not be on the cold floor. We gathered the kids, their blankets, pillows, assorted stuffed animals and flashlights and headed down. I worried that Evan would freak out, which he tends to do when there is severe weather. He must have been really tired because he looked around wide-eyed and cried a little bit then went back to sleep. It helped that the power stayed on. Flynn took a little longer to go back to sleep, but she did so clutching a flashlight to her chest.
I laid down with the kids and read for a bit, while Frank monitored the weather on the computer. The tornado watch was in effect until 2 a.m. and we made the call to sleep in the basement. Frank got another air mattress and was going to sleep in the area we call "Fanboy Land" or "Gamer's Paradise" - Frank's area of the basement that looks like a comic book shop. Next thing I hear is, "I need some help. We've got water." Water was coming in the egress window and pooling on the floor (this has happened before but we thought we'd solved the problem - guess not). Luckily, all of Frank's comic boxes are off the floor. We cleared stuff out of the way and Frank started vacuuming up the water with the shop-vac we keep down there. Surprisingly, the shop-vac did not wake the children and that thing is loud. It was 11:30 before we were finished and the worst of the storm had passed. I decided we didn't need to sleep in the basement and brought Flynn upstairs (quite a work out since she was about 35 pounds of dead weight). Frank brought up Evan.
I don't know why we put them in other beds, because they woke up in the night and came in with us, which made for a restful night's sleep.
It was after midnight when I went to bed. Frank was up in the night checking to see if more water came in (it didn't). We're all wiped today and I'm about to say "hello" to a steady diet of caffeine and sugar to get me through. I'm foreseeing a day of crankiness and temper tantrums. Whee.
It will be an early night tonight for us all.
4 comments:
We had an unexpected leak as well. I just love to hear drip drip drip and look to see water pooling on my stereo. Good times.
First an earthquake and now a tornado warning ... the East Coast never looked so appealing! Is it wrong of me to say I'm so glad to be getting out of dodge tomorrow??
you poor thing. yes, it's been strange getting used to the tornado sirens again after 12 years in NYC. AND i got to experience a deluge in my mom's basement recently. i learned how to use hydraulic cement! with that i thank the goddess i haven't had a leak in my semi-"garden" apartment!
Ok, I didn't do anything when the sirens went off but turn on the news. Our basement is a mess with remodeling. I did have a plan of what to do if something really happened.
At about 3am I get a phone call from my hub who is in the basement shop-vacing water (yes, he was technically working his job)...he told me if he got a call I would have to come down...I went back to bed.
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