June 10, 2013 ~ Tomato Storms

Last Thursday I was watching the Discovery Channel when Billy wandered into the TV room. It was well past his bedtime, but we've been having issues getting him to go to sleep. He goes to bed and hangs out for awhile, then gets bored and gets up to wander around. Sometimes outside. Sometimes downstairs. I have a few gray hairs from his wanderings.

Anyway, seeing that there was no chance of him immediately going back to sleep, I allowed him to watch the last 10 minutes of Mythbusters with me. At least it was science, right?

As soon as the show was over there was footage of that terrible tornado the week before with pictures of the storm chasers that were killed. I am actually a huge fan of Storm Chasers the show. When Team Twistex was killed it was very upsetting to me, not that I know them personally. My attention, was therefore immediately drawn and I erred in not turning off the TV as soon as the programming changed.

Billy got to see that same tornado from last week pick up two cars and chuck them down the road and then pick up a house, reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz. He was hooked.

I changed the channel but he begged, "Mommy put the tomato storm back on!" I sent him off to bed instead.

The next morning he went downstairs (an unusual thing) to fetch his movies. He was digging through them, "Mommy, where's the tomato movie?"

"Why?"

"I want to take the tomato movie to school to show my friends!"

Since then I've been hearing a lot about tomatoes. No matter how many times I correct him, he continues to call them tomatoes.

Yesterday our region was treated to a rare outbreak of tornadoes. It's not that we don't get them. We get a lot of watches and warnings, but not like in Tornado Alley. However, before I even left work there had been documented funnel clouds.

I have on my iPhone the Weather Channel App. Everyone should have this app. It beeps with the same sound as the Emergency Alert System and it's loud. It kept going off, since our house was directly in the path of the storm.

I decided to put the local weather on while we sat in our "safe spot". I can see the tv from there. Billy was THRILLED. "More tomatoes, Mommy!"

Luckily, we just got heavy rain and a few thunder rumbles. When the local stations stopped showing round the clock coverage he was so sad. "But Mommy, I want more tomato show!"

Yep. He's obsessed. Here's to no more tomatoes. He'll just have to be disappointed.