Explain Tornadoes, Warnings and Taking Cover....

Ok not a popular picture of anybody but it's a phone picture

and no one was particulary happy.

What can I say, when it rains it pours - literally. First the indoor flood and then last night our typical Midwest weather decided to spawn thunderstorms and tornadoes.

Mike was up in South Dakota so it was me, Rachel, Sydney, Lucas and Eli. Me - I'm scared to death of tornadoes, the girls are slightly better than me and the boys have no clue what a tornado is (even though I've tried intermittently since April to explain them without scaring the boys).

We watched the weather system approach for some time and I was gradually explaining to the boys that we may need to go to the basement if a "big" wind comes, they needed to put their shoes on (eventually I had to pull the mom card and say because I said so to get this accomplished.) Continuing with if I said go to the basement they were to go right now and no arguing, where we had to go in the basement.

When the sirens went off we headed downstairs through the ruined family room and into the lower bathroom with 5 people and a large dog. Did I mention my claustrophobia and that our dog does not smell particularly well in such a small confined area or that the teenage sisters did not appreciate their little brothers less than sweet smelling feet. It was a long wait until the storm passed over. No damage other than none of us will be able to smell anything for awhile.