Oh What a Night...Kansas Edition

We had howling winds today. Crazy wind. It was very warm today, too...80's warm. That was great. I picked up the kids from school and got them ready for the crazy evening that was in store for us...although it turned out to be much crazier than originally anticipated.

We go to TKD and notice that the clouds are beginning to build. I'm a little surprised because the storms weren't supposed to start until around midnight. I have to admit, I was hopeful for lightning or rain so that Jacob's game would be cancelled. I really didn't want to sit and watch the game tonight. He was excited, though, because it was his first game...and he was all uniformed up. He looked awesome. Anyway, we got everyone changed and headed to the field.

As soon as we get close, I notice that there are a lot of cars leaving. We're early so I'm suspicious that games had been cancelled. I also don't see any players on any field (there are about 20 fields). Hmmm. Jacob starts to complain that there had better be a game. We pull into the lot and I see Jacob's coach with some of his teammates. We park and head over. He immediately tells me that all games have been cancelled because of lightning. Jacob's furious. He says, "I got dressed for NOTHING!" His coach says, "well, at least you look good! We could possibly lose every game this season, but at least we'll do it in style!" LOL! They do look pretty sharp.

We head back to the van and Jacob's still grumbling. I ask the kids if they'd like to go to Caroline's (the ice cream place next to TKD) for some ice cream. They say they'd like ice cream but not from there. I ask if they'd like DQ and they say yes. So, off to DQ we go.

We pull into the drive through and I look in my rear view. Behind me is a TKD mom (her son does TKD but her daughter plays softball) who also had a game around the same time as us. I poke my head out the window and start laughing. She laughs too. Apparently, her daughter's team was already on the field when they came over the intercom and told everyone to get off of the field and the games were cancelled. She asked if I made it to the field and I told her yes. About then, my cell phone rings and it's Dad asking if we've blown away yet. I tell him that there's an ominous cloud and lots of lightning but nothing else. I hang up with him, finish my conversation with the TKD mom, grab our ice cream and start for home.

Because I had been told to take my weather radio to the game, I had it sitting on the back seat. We're almost halfway home when the darn thing starts going off. Jacob hands it to me and it says TORNADO WARNING. Just then, the sirens start going off. For some reason, I grab the phone and call Dad to let him know that we just may blow away after all. I look to my north and I see this cloud. Looks very suspicious to me...if that's it (it turned out to be it), I don't have a lot to worry about since it's heading away from me. Just get home...just get home.

We pull into the driveway and I tell the kids to head straight for the basement. Hannah's the only one that does and gets scared because she's alone. Jacob immediately turned on channel 8 (NBC here in KC) and Gary Lezak's on talking about the storms. Then, the weather radio goes off again. TORNADO WARNING is scrolling across again. Here come the sirens. Okay guys, now we really need to head downstairs. The kids grab their blankets and lovey things and head to the basement while I'm searching for pets.

I grab Oriana and head to the basement. "What about Ruby?" asks Jacob. "Alright," I say and head back upstairs to get Ruby. I catch sight of Gary on TV saying that the funnel isn't really near us, so I tell the kids they can come back up. I look outside and see Skytracker (NBC's helicopter) and call the kids over (I think I was on the phone with Dad at this point). It was cool to actually see Skytracker and look on the TV and see the cloud that's right over my house. The kids got a kick out of it, too.

We start to relax when the sirens go off again. Seriously? Back to the basement. The kids decide to stay for the duration (probably the best move) and are fascinated by the weather that's unfolding before them via Gary Lezak and the TV. Mind you, I didn't get Ruby the last time because she was hiding. I'm told to go back up and get her. Fine. I grab her and put her in her little cage and take her downstairs.

"Where's Guillermo?" Asks Daniel. Hold on. I head back upstairs again. I grab Guillermo (and take a look outside...rain like I've never seen before...insane, nuts rain.) then head back downstairs.

I'd been trying to get hold of Mike and kept getting his voice mail. Grrrr. Around 8, he finally calls to tell me he's heading home. "Don't you know there's a Tornado Warning?" I yell into the phone (as the sirens are going off) "Really? Huh," he says. He goes on to tell me that he's going to stop and get gas...do we need anything? Seriously! LOL!

After a little while, the warning expires and we finally head back upstairs. I forgot the weather radio in the basement and was settling in on the couch when it starts to go off again. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING is scrolling this time. Hannah's freaking out because it's been about an hour of Tornado Warnings and she's really scared. Jacob's got snacks and his blanket all ready to go downstairs and I tell them that it's nothing to really worry about...everyone can stay where they are. Around this time, Mike walks in the door, unaware of the weather happenings of the night. I may have to get our TKD school a weather radio.

Just as we're getting ready to head to bed, the freaking weather radio goes off again!!! TORNADO WARNING scrolls across for the umpteenth time. We turn back to NBC and Gary says that it's for the extreme southeast portion of our county. Alright, everyone upstairs and brush your teeth.

We are currently under a Tornado Watch. Ugh.

More storms are on their way and should be here around 2AM. Hopefully it's just rain. Please let it just be rain.