I could take that title in a lot of different directions, but I'll get straight to the point. There was a gas leak in our home last evening, and it wasn't Sam this time. Upon returning from 4 Seasons park where Alice and Emma had softball practice and I had the other kids to play, I thought I could smell something funny in our home. (I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I first thought it was my new deoderant...maybe it didn't work as well as my old tried-and-true.) So I didn't react right away. The older kids took showers, younger ones got hands/feet baths at the edge of the tub, and everyone was in pajamas ready for a movie we'd just rented (A Tale of Despereaux). As I passed through the tv room, the scent was stronger (I ruled out deoderant malfunction.) and as I headed out the front door to check the porch for toys, and close up shop for the night, I smelled gas even stronger. Great. I called my dad first, and asked if he'd come sniff around and confirm. Sure enough, we had a gas leak, and the entire house was filled with the heavy smell. I cleared all the pajama'd kids out to the van and over to mom and dad's for the evening while my dad stayed back and called the fire department to shut off the gas and clear the fumes out of the house. At one point, as the kids had settled down a bit, I drove back home to check on things, and found the Fire Dept's heavy equipment truck lit up in front of our house, and several neighbor kids checking things out. How my kids would have loved to watch this (happening somewhere else of course.) But the fact that it was at our house, was a bit frightening to some, and I was glad they weren't there to watch. Sam said it just right when little John asked about going back in for something..."Everything we need most, is right here John!" (Amen!)
Our gas company technician made it out about 10p, found the leak (right out front in our flower bed) and repaired it. The house was all clear to return around 11pm, but by that time more than half of the kids had fallen asleep at grandma's, so we just camped there for the night. I wish I'd had a camera to capture the image of bodies sleeping everywhere. Grace, Mary, Frank and Rose slept sideways in the full-size spare bed with Lucy in a pack-n-play in that same room. John and Charlie fell asleep on grandma and grandpa's bed, but later were moved to camp on the living room floor with the 3 oldest. I got the couch. And John...well with a little forewarning of course, arrived home from work after midnight to a very quiet empty house, and slept like a baby, I'm sure.
Today is Opening Day for the little league teams in our community so Sam had to be at the ball diamond at 8am this morning for team pictures, Alice and Emma at 9, and games starting at 10. We woke at 7, piled in the van and headed for home for a quick breakfast...and another day/adventure begins.
