Bummed & Stressed

20th & Connecticut - Joplin, MO 5/22/11 - SOURCE (Taken by my close friends cousin, where her apartment was)

So I'm not really bummed, but more anxious. Two days ago the largest fatality single tornado in history hit Joplin, MO. It's about 3 hours as the crow flies from me. I have a lot of friends with friends & family in the area, some affected, some not. Being the couponer I am, the hubs and I rounded up goods from our own goods to donate. I feel great about being able to donate since we can't monetarily.

But then today we've been under some really freaky weather. We've been place under tornado warnings until 3am. Now, I've lived here my whole life. I've lived through two tornado's. One when I was home alone at my parents home. The second while pregnant with Baby Girl. The point is I'm alive, we didn't lose anything of importance and at the most had to have our roof replaced. There were houses hundreds of feet from us that were completely wiped off the map.

This is downtown KC today around 1pm. We saw this from Gladstone a few minutes away and it was freaking us out so we booked it home. SOURCE

So I guess what I'm getting at is that I'm anxious and nervous for the first time regarding the weather. I had been watching The Weather Channel streaming live footage from a helicopter in Oklahoma today when a tornado took out peoples homes. The chopper captured the people coming up from their shelters, for the most part unscathed, but their home, their belongings, everything was gone. Well, tonight here I sit, as prepared as I can be, with nasty weather upon us and I have NO HELP. I was at least smart enough to pack clothing, important documents, food and water and stash them in our shelter. At least that's a few things off my plate should we have to run for cover.

Tonight was my hubby's first night back at work since being on vacation. So, should something spring up in the middle of the night, it's up to me to grab both kids from their beds, grab my belongings packed by the bed and head for shelter in the basement. I am scared to death. I know I have to keep a level head about me, but I am so not looking forward to this night. I am the kind of worrier that will stay up until the threat is over.

Secondly, what the hell is my two year old doing sitting on my bed eating reheated french fries at 11:20pm? Apparently she's scared to death of the thunder and has refused to sleep even though she was put in bed three times starting at 8pm.

I'm going to try, yet again, to put Baby Girl to bed and then get my shower before the next line of storms hit. Everyone stay safe out in blog land and I'll check-in in the morning with my weigh in. It ain't gonna be pretty I can already tell. :(

ETA: Data from the tornado.