Irene

Watching the news on the storm has me thinking back to this day seven years ago. Just thirteen days prior we survived Charley, a nasty little storm that hit as a Category 4 and maintained its strength well enough that it came out on the other end of the state still a hurricane. Actually, at the time it was the strongest storm to hit the US since Andrew, but we were blessed--it moved through quickly and its winds were the worst of it, as it left us with only four to six inches of rain. We had some flooding, but only because of the wet summer we'd already had. We thought we'd paid our dues, had our hurricane for a year or two, that we could watch the tropics with a certain amount of security. How often do we get back-to-back storms? I mean, even in a busy year we might get a hurricane and a couple tropical storms, but we have thunderstorms worse than some tropical storms. We do those in our sleep. I don't think we really thought we'd get anything else.

We didn't know we were ten days out from Frances, a huge storm that would toy with us before it hit as a Category 2 and dumped in the neighborhood of a foot of rain, ruining what little some people had left after Charley and toppling hundred year old oaks like saplings.

We didn't know that a near brush with Ivan was three weeks out and that more rain would come as his remnants crossed the state.

We couldn't have imagined the mess we would have with Jeanne one month later. We couldn't know after Frances, when we were saying we were glad she didn't have Charley's intensity and that Charley didn't have her size or slow movement, that nature would play an enormous joke in the form of a Charley-Frances hybrid. It made landfall as a Category 3 the size of Frances, dumped another 8 inches or so of rain, and moved so slowly. It left less damage in its wake but any local would tell you that it was only because after Charley and Frances there was simply little left to damage.

We were sad and tired, this day seven years ago, but we had hope that we were through the worst. We didn't know that in four weeks we would be heartbroken, cleaning up after our third hurricane in a month and a half IF we had anything left to clean up. We didn't know that some of us would be blessed and come out of it all barely touched while others would be left wondering if there was any reason to rebuild. We didn't see it coming. How could we have?

I think the main point of all of this is that it makes me nauseous to hear about people up north not taking the storm threat seriously. We've seen, down here, the destructive power of even "minor" storms. We take them in stride, sure, but they should never be underestimated. Some people down here don't really even prepare for hurricanes anymore, but it's hardly different from northerners not taking snowstorms too seriously--when you've been through something multiple times you just naturally know how to cope. But when you lose respect for it, forget the potential these things hold and the factors that can change in a moment to create all kinds of chaos, that's when people lose their lives.

I hope everyone up north stays safe through this storm. New England hasn't had this kind of threat in quite some years and even though it's slated to mostly be a rain-dropper with some wind potential, but people forget that water is an enormous danger with these things. Storm surge is so dangerous and coupled with insane rainfall... Well, I'm not sure they're prepared to deal with the flooding. At any rate, I hope everyone in the path of this thing prepares ahead of it and stays safe throughout.

Back to School, Back to Normal

Today my baby started school. School technically started yesterday but due to the inability of one person to do her job correctly (for more information please see my two most recent posts over at Little Froggy) Sweet'ums didn't get to go. So today was a new day for us both.

It's been a long week. Long two weeks, really. Week before last was full of drama and this past week was just tiring. Nothing would go right and Sweet'ums was a total butt about everything. Mom is out of town so I didn't really have any back-up. Actually, considering the whole situation with the bus, maybe it's good Mom wasn't in town. Things would have still been resolved but probably with a lot more bloodshed and bail money. She doesn't take dealing with the school board lightly. (And for those out there who were unfortunate enough to have either been born without a sense of humor or to have had it surgically removed, the previous statement was a joke, not some kind of oddly vague threat)

I'm tired. Oh, so very tired. I'm happy too though. Sweet'ums got on the bus today without hesitation and the fact that I didn't have to see her get hauled off screaming and crying makes me feel better. Having some peace and quiet and time to myself makes me feel good too. It's been too long (about two weeks lol) and I needed some quiet.

Those of you who have never had to deal with special needs kids have no idea what you're missing.

So go over to Frog Blog and check out the bus ordeal. It's quite epic--sure to rival Iliad and The Odyssey for future generations. I'm just proud of myself for not hurting anyone.

Fill me in on how school is going for all of you. Have a great week!

Family Time

A few days ago I ran across a link to this blog. More specifically, a reference to this post.

It really touched my heart and has been on my mind all week. It's a week late but I'm going to make a pie tomorrow to honor the love she shared and the love I share with my family.

It really makes you think about the possibilities and scary what-ifs in life. It also makes you value the people you have.

This will also be Sweet'ums' last weekend as a free kid. She starts school on Monday and I want to enjoy this time with her.

I don't have a lot to say right now. Enjoy your weekend with your families.

Getting things back to normal

So it's been an eventful two weeks but things are slowly and surely getting back to normal. My Sweet'ums is back home again after a weekend away and I fully expect after my appointment on Wednesday that I'll be cleared for all of my usual parental duties. So tonight I'm settling in for what I expect to be a quiet week with the family.

For all of the ease of recovery I've had, I admit that the hard part has been where my daughter is concerned. Sweet'ums isn't much of a huggy/kissy kid with me like she is with her daddy. With me, she's a snuggler. She wants me to pick her up so she can lay on my shoulder or sit in the big chair with her at night while she falls asleep. Unfortunately I'm supposed to not pick up anything heavier "than a bedroom slipper" according to my doctor and my sweet child is far heavier than a slipper. So until tonight I've avoided holding her much, even just on my lap (she's all elbows when she sits with you).

Tonight I finally broke down. I put a pillow across my gut and rocked her to sleep. I kid you not, she was out in five minutes flat. All she really wanted was Mommy.

And I know this stuff is bothering her. At MeMe's house she wanted a bandage for Froggy. MeMe made one for him and put it on his leg, but Sweet'ums didn't want that. She was only happy when MeMe put it on Froggy's belly. And when she got home, she inspected my belly and informed me that it was "looking better". So I know this is weighing heavily on her. She's so little and she doesn't understand why all this has happened. She doesn't understand that I miss our nights in the chair just like she does.

I'm healing though. Soon enough things will be like they were before and she'll forget this whole thing happened. And I'll have those little things that let me know that even though her relationship with her daddy is more affectionate, she misses me too when things aren't quite normal.

So how is everyone? Ready for school to start? Leave me a comment and let me know what you're thinking!