One of the first things Marshall did when he moved in with us was get a fire extinguisher. He mounted it next to the stove. My response?

I was HIGHLY insulted. Good grief....was my cooking THAT bad? Sheesh

I relegated the extinguisher to the broom closet and forget all about it.

Last night I stood up late. I couldn't sleep. I was up playing here. About 2:00am I decided I should get to bed. I turned off all the lights and laid down next to Marshall thankful that it was a cool breezy night. I had a hard time going to sleep. Weird, strange, scary images kept flashing through my mind. I remember thinking that I should get up because something just felt weird. I ignored my feelings and finally fell asleep.

Have you ever woken up and thought you were in a dream? I woke up at 6:00am to a high pitch screeching and I immediately jumped out of bed. It was the strangest thing but I knew instantly what was wrong.

Fire

I ran out of my room and saw my desk up in flames. Not just a little fire but huge flames shooting up and spreading up the wall. I screamed for Marshall and he came running out. I froze. I couldn't move. I started babbling something about the fire extinguisher and he ran to the broom closet, got the extinguisher and quickly put it out. Fire alarms are still screeching and the house quickly fills with thick acrid smoke. Did I mention he sleeps with no clothes on? Here he is extinguisher in hand and buck naked. I quickly brought his pants. We open the front door and all windows. Anthony started crying so I took him to the closest window and sat holding him as Marshall cleared all of the smoldering debris off of my desk. I can still see the fire in my mind. Dancing flames shooting up around my computer monitor. I am in complete shock. It takes some time before I get the courage to see the damage.

Everything on my desk is pretty much gone. Papers, bills, shit, everything up in ashes. I look around and see ashes everywhere. If you look at my computer monitor from the front or the right side view it looks perfect.....look around to the left side and it is completely melted. Amazingly it still works! My computer desk, which at one time I complained that we got ripped off on, kept everything else underneath from burning and because it has a shelf up above it pretty much kept the fire contained.

Did I mention I had forgotten to blow out a candle burning on my desk? How many times have I heard my stepfather bitch about candles? I always laughed him off. Now I look at the damage on my desk and realize how lucky I was. Everyone is safe, no one was hurt, it could have been a hell of a lot worse than it was. My stepsister came downstairs (our house is a duplex, she lives upstairs) freaking out. I don't blame her. In my panic I completely forgot that smoke rises. Her house filled with smoke as well and the worst part? She has been telling my stepdad that she needs smoke alarms and she doesn't have any! As you can probably imagine she was slightly upset. I don't blame her.

Maybe 15 minutes passed after the fire is out and my mom calls. She of course already knows about it. Her concern? That my stepfather was going to be upset. Did I mention he hates candles? I understand what she was saying but give me a F***ing break! I am just so thankful that my kids are safe and no one was hurt that at this point I don't give a shit what he says. Does she think that I don't already feel like shit over this? She asked me what I was going to tell him? Give me a break! What should I tell him? That my computer just spontaneously combusted? Sorry for the sarcasm here but I am slightly stressed.

Through all of this Marshall stood calm. I'm glad one of us was. Considering that he once had a house burn completely to the ground because of his exgirlfriends kids playing with matches I think he took it quite well. He keeps calling me from work to see if I am ok. He keeps telling me that this happened for a reason and that because of it we will always be more careful that could/would prevent a bigger tragedy in the future. He keeps telling me that the Gods were looking out for us. For that I am thankful.

I took a picture of my computer but in the chaos my printer which I use to download my digital pics got disconnected. Once I get it up and running I will post a before and after photo of my poor desk. No damage other than melting plastic to my computer monitor. Isn't that amazing? I am just in complete shock! lol Did I say that already? Even the walls aren't damaged other than the mess made by the extinguisher. You know something? Until Marshall moved in I have NEVER had a fire extinguisher in my house! I am telling you right now....if you don't have one in your house GET ONE!!!

And of course.... don't forget to blow out your candles.

Okay, now I think I am going to go have a nervous breakdown!

Strawberry Shortcake

Holly Hobby

Captain Kangaroo

Fraggle Rock

Monchichi

Nostalgia at it's best!

I had something to post....something trivial and I have no clue now what it was about.
I signed on to Blogger and found this.....



I did not know Kaycee. Today was my first visit to her page. Thank you Kaycee for sharing your sunshine with me......I am smiling......and my room is shining brighter than ever. I feel as if I have no right to cry but the tears still seem to come. You have touched my heart and soul. You are an inspiration to so many people and I am in awe of your strength. You truely are a warrior. My thoughts and prayers are with your mom and your family and friends.

The girls came home from school early today. The lights kept going out at school......something about the air conditioner, I don't know exactly why. So the parents tea I was supposed to attend (a thank you from the school to parent volunteers) has been postponed until tomorrow. Anyway, Brittany needs to talk to me ALONE. Whenever she tells her little sister that she needs to go away so that we can talk I feel a slight panic. It's either about boys or female issues. It's not the I have a problem discussing any of those things with her but I am just not ready for my 10 year old to have questions on these issues. Shouldn't she still be playing with dolls or something? The discussion today (we have these discussions a couple of times a week) was periods. Her best friend thinks she is about to have her period ANY DAY NOW. And has resorted to wearing pads to school just to be on the safe side. Brittany is concerned that maybe she should too. I explain to her that she probably doesn't have to worry yet. My mom didn't have her first one until high school and I was one of the last of my friends to get mine. She sighs with relief because she is just not ready. I explain to her what she should do just in case she should get it at school. I always remember my poor friend Patty who was the first of the girls to get her period. She was in 4th grade and went to the teacher and told her that she was bleeding. The teacher announced in front of the entire class that she was having her period. She was teased horribly by the boys all though elementary school. I told Brittany if she should start at school to go straight to the nurse and have the nurse call me in case she needs a change of clothes. I have this fear that I won't be there for her first period. I started mine over a summer vacation and I was at my grandmother's house. It was scary and all I can remember was my grandmother asking my aunt very loudly...."Does she know how to clean herself?" Good grief.......I spent that entire week freaking out that I was doing something wrong but afraid to ask for fear that someone might come in the bathroom to show me how. So now I worry that Brittany will have her first period while she is in California visiting her dad for the summer. I know that she will be prepared....she has asked me enough questions, but I really hope that I am there so that I can take her out to lunch and we can have a "woman to woman" talk. I know that whenever it happens she will be ready for it.....let's just hope that I am!

I couldn't sleep last night. It is starting to get hot and I am already wishing for snow. I think I really should be living in Alaska. I can't sleep in hot weather. I made Marshall switch places with me in bed last night because his side is closer to the window. I spent half the night feeling like I was suffocating. And I am going to go to California in the middle of July? I must be insane!! But yes we are going. We are driving cross country with three kids to go and visit my dad for two weeks. I really must be insane! lol

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day! One guess what I spent my day doing? Yup....ended up going to my mom's house to do yard work. lol I guess that Mom's Day guilt still works no matter how old you are. At least it does on me. Marshall was a good sport about it and he in fact did most of the work along with my stepfather. There were many bushes that needed to get pulled so he took the bobcat over and had fun playing. My sister and I made the food for the barbeque and all in all it was a wonderful day. The kids surprised me with breakfast in bed...coffee and blueberry muffins. This mom's day stuff is so much more fun now that Brittany can bake. lol They bought me wonderful gifts thanks to Marshall and my mom taking them shopping and best of all every time they started to fight I could tell them they had to stop because it was Mother's Day. lol..... hmmm...... I blogged before about Mother's day being a conspiracy.... I think I am now part of it. I feel a slight (notice the word slight) twinge of guilt over using the mom's day ploy to my benefit but since it has been around for as long as there have been Hallmark cards and bouquets of flowers who I am to break with tradition?