Tuesday Scare

Paige takes a nap everyday at 10am. Some days she only sleeps for an hour, most days two. Today, she didn't want to sleep at all. I put her in her crib, and walked away from a very wide-eyed baby, and thought, "This can't be a good sign."

Half an hour later, she was still awake. Eric and both went up there once to re-cover her and put the pacifier in, but it didn't work. She managed to even turn on her mobile, and turn it off again. I pretty much resigned myself to having to bring her with me to pick up Emily at 11:15. Miraculously, at about 10:50am, no sounds from the monitor. When I went in to check on her before I left, she was on the opposite side of her crib, on her tummy, with the pacifier in her mouth....how did she get it in there? A mystery - but cool, she was sleeping. I covered her, and left to go get Emily.

Well, the Gods must have been shining down on me, because had I of brought her with me, it would have been not good. Before I got to the corner of 23 Mile Road and Romeo Plank I saw a mess of police cars, ambulances and fire trucks. When I got closer to the intersection, I saw that they were blocking off 23 Mile Road, and the center of the activity was at Emily's school. Immediately I went into panic mode.

Before I go on, I would like to say that EVERYONE is FINE. Okay? Don't you panic too!!

Not being able to make a right onto 23 Mile Road, I continued through the intersection, and turned into the Catholic church parking lot to call home. While I was plugging in the phone, a man approached my car. He was from a funeral home and wanted me to move my car. I explained that I was trying to pick up my kid from school, pointing to all the hysteria to the east, and couldn't, and I needed to make a quick call. He didn't care, and wanted me to move my car NOW. The nerve of some people. I pulled out of the parking lot, called Eric so that he could call the school and see if they could tell him what was going on. When I was leaving the parking lot, I saw two Mommies from Emily's school in another parking lot talking to some of the firefighters that were helping block the road. I went over there to see if could find anything out. At the same time Eric was calling the school - no answer.

One of the Mommies - I can't remember her name - started walking towards the school with another Mommy carrying an 18 month old baby. By the way, it was snowing pretty heavily at this point, and of course, I am not wearing boots of any kind, have no hat, hood or scarf....great. When I saw them coming back with no kids, I got out to ask them what was up. It turns out this the only parent that I don't like. She has always been so rude to me, and I don't know why. She told me that the kids were being taken to the local fire station and that because she has a van, she was going to help. I tried to ask her why, and she was so weird with me. Then she said that because I have a van too, that I could take some kids as well....hmmmm...that sounds weird. She did finally tell me that there was a gas leak. So was acting so annoyed with me - "Hello, I am a parent too...." Lovely woman. So, I took off for the fire station.

As it turns out, no kids were even at the school. They were already at the fire station. So, what the heck was she even talking about?? And, um, yeah - the school would let someone just take a bunch of kids in their van without consent of any kind. Don't think so lady.

I drove through the intersection again, and turned towards the school - I was stopped three times by police. And, they ALL informed that the kids were at the fire station. So, there I went. Incidentally - the parent that was walking with "rude chick" got to the fire station at the same time as I did, and she had no idea what was going on. Apparently "rude chick" was rude to her too.

What all of us parents wanted to know, was how did all of our kids even get here - well, ask the kids right? Emily told me that she got there in a fire truck. I guess they have one especially for this situation, that holds a bunch of people. She said all the kids in her school went on the same truck - with one teacher, Ms. Forrester. The rest of the staff drove in their cars. Emily was not even a little bit scared or freaked. She just thought this was business as usual. Cool as a cucumber.

And, just so you know, I had to restrain myself from asking "rude chick" how many kids she ended up bringing. She got to the fire station about five minutes after I did. I did give her a seriously dirty look. Mean, I know. That'll scare her huh?

All of this is because they have been working on 23 mile road for the past year, and have set up camp right in front of Emily's school. It has been a real inconvenience picking her up and dropping her off. And, they are not the least bit concerned about the fact that there is a school not 20 feet from where they are working. I have almost been hit by a dump truck at least twice. So, it's no surprise to me that they hit the main gas line for that area. Emily said that they could all smell it inside her school. Great.

Anyway, she's good, and they think it'll be fixed by today, so maybe school tomorrow. What an adventure. Sorry so long, but I had to get it all out. Have a SAFE Tuesday!!