stormy weather

Stormy weather is a fact of life in our part of the country this time of year.  In the past week or so we've had some "wicked weather" around us, but -- thankfully -- we have been spared any damage.  Last night we had some excitement with tornado sirens and severe thunderstorms just as we were readying the bambini for bed.  Stories were ready in the bathroom rather than the bedroom until we were able to ascertain that it was safe to come out of our "safe place."

Being on heightened alert for severe weather gets everyone's adrenaline going for sure, especially when we leave the continuous TV coverage going.  For this reason, we don't leave it on.  We listen to the radio and check the radar online, and watch only limited TV coverage as necessary. 

Trying to assuage the bambini's fears (and manage our own) in the face of potential tornadoes can be very difficult, as we don't want to gloss over the seriousness of the situation, but neither do we want to cause undue alarm and stress over something we can't control.  This can be especially frightening for the bambini, and we try to temper it by being truthful about the need to take reasonable precautions but the relative unlikelihood that something terrible will happen to us.  We pray and snuggle and try to maintain our routine as best we can.

Thankfully, the storms subsided in time for regular bedtime, and everyone got a decent night's sleep.  The lads were up early this morning, and a little out of sorts, but that might be owing to the busy week we're having with a school field trip yesterday, preschool graduation today, and lots of stormy (but not severe) weather all week.

We pray for those who've been injured or even killed in the recent storms, and give thanks for the shelter and safety with which we've been blessed.  Whether the storms are literal or figurative, our trust is in the same Source of strength...