All because of burned popcorn...

I was enjoying a quiet night in the hotel watching my "stories", my babe soundly sleeping in the next room of the suite. Patrick was out with a co-worker talking shop. I was using the free time to rest and relax, after 2 days being on my feet.

All of a sudden, a man's voice sounds from the bedroom. It took me a second to realize that was not part of my show. I just thought Morgan had rolled over on the remote and turned the TV on. I glanced into the bedroom from my seat on the couch, and didn't see any lights from the TV. Now my heart starts to beat a little faster.

I quickly turned off the TV and walked into the bedroom. From the box next to the fire alarm, a voice kept repeating "An emergency has been detected within the building. Please leave your room and go to the nearest exit. Do not use the elevator. Please go to your designated emergency evacuation location immediately."

PANIC SETS IN.

I quickly scooped up Morgan and the essentials (her 3 woobies (lovies) and her pacifier), grabbed my cell phone off the coffee table, and ran as quickly as my fatigued legs would take me. Ya'll, I have NEVER gone down seven flights of stairs that fast in my life! As we left the room, Morgan started to get upset. Trying my best to quiet and reassure her, all I could think as I moved down the stairs with other guests at the hotel was "Don't trip" and "Get out quickly".

As capacity level guests streamed out of the doors, we all congreated together on the sidewalk. I am very thankful it was a warm night since Morgan had a nightgown on. Fire trucks come roaring down the street. I immediately called Patrick and told him to get over to the hotel ASAP to get Morgan and bring me a key to the room (which I had left sitting on top of the TV).

I saw one of my colleagues and we stood together, wondering if our other two colleagues had made it out of the hotel. Val called one of our other colleagues, who told us that she didn't even make it out of the hotel before she heard that it was all clear and everything was OK. Knowing this, we wondered aloud if it was really safe to go back in or not. After about 5 minutes we decide to try to go back in. I called Patrick and told him to hold off coming until I knew what we needed to do.

We wandered inside and toward the front desk, because, as stated before, I didn't have a key to get back in the room (apparently my brain didn't classify that as an essential item). Many other guests didn't have theirs either. I was first in line, and the poor desk clerk looked at me and said "Do you have any picture ID?" I was thinking, "Do I LOOK like I have picture ID?!?!?!" I said, I have a cell phone and a pacifier. Will you accept one of those? She smiled, and I smiled. She gave me my key and I headed toward the elevators, which had just been reset by the firemen because there was no physical way I could climb seven flights of stairs carrying a shoeless 30 pound sleepy toddler.

We all loaded into the elevator, joking that we had better just press all the buttons. As we started up, we went to floor 3 but the doors never opened! We all waited and all of a sudden returned to the ground floor! Dumbfounded, and slightly concerned, we all stayed on the elevator (I know, I know, not the smartest thing I have done) and tried again. This time we made it to floors 2 and 3 before returning back to floor 2! We then headed to floor 4, never stopped at 4 but went to 5, and then started to go back down. At this point Morgan innocently says "Mama, we are going back down!" Everyone on the elevator laughed and I said, "If a 2 year old can understand this, why can't we?". Finally we decided to just push the button for 9 and since the elevator had to come back down anyhow, to press floor buttons after we reached the top. That worked and Morgan and I finally stepped off the elevator on the seventh floor.

I gave away the "punch line" in the title of this post (which I learned while at the front desk was the reason for the alarm), and now that we are safely back in our room, babe is again sleeping soundly, and my heartrate has returned to a fairly normal level I can chuckle about it. I am claiming proficiency in multi-level building evacuation and excluding myself from any further practice runs for the remainder of the year.

Is it really possible?

We are SUPER busy, but this was too excting to post! We are all holding our breath, and I am probably jinxing us by writing about it here, but we are all really wondering.....

Is Morgan REALLY wearing big girl panties????

Morgan went to stay with Nannie on Monday. Nannie reported on Wednesday that Morgan had been wearing big girl panties since then. She has been wearing big girl panties now for a week, and today we went the entire day with NO accidents!!! Granted, I was taking her to the bathroom religiously every 30 minutes, but we actually went the whole day in the same clothes! She also made it through the circus yesterday with no accidents. which was so nice, especially for one week of potty training.

I know this is the beginning, and that there will be many accidents along the way, but I am so very proud that she is on the way to being a big girl!

MIA--and will be for a while

While I wish I could report that I have been Missing in Action due to a fabulous vacation or other fun reason, unfortunately it's simply because both Patrick and I have been working a LOT, and most of that time is spent out of town. During the last 3 weeks of April Patrick will have spent 4 nights home, and I will have spent 6. And I don't want to wish my life away, but I am certainly looking forward to May and slowing down, at least a bit.

So sorry for the lack of posts. I may get to put one or two up in the coming weeks, but if you don't see anything until May, don't worry. We are doing OK here.

An Easter Preview

We had a busy but fun Easter weekend. Morgan enjoyed children's Sunday school at Nannie and Big Pop's church, we all had wonderful Easter dinner together, and the girls hunted eggs and opened FOUR Easter baskets a piece! I hope to post a bunch of pictures later, but for now, here are a few of my gorgeous little girl in her beautiful Easter bonnet (and dress).

Mother Nature missed the memo...

It IS Spring, isn't it?

Morgan: Does a heart good

Some phrases heard around our house this week, as Morgan converses with Mama:

"You're my best pal"

"You wanna hold my hand?"

"I'm going to work, just like Mama!"

"I wish your belly wouldn't be sick anymore. I can make it better."

"This is a picture for you, you are gonna LOVE it!"

She sure does make any bad day better.

Wordless Wednesday

Beware---this is a soapbox post!

Is anyone else totally amazed that the lead story on CNN.com this morning was about how smokers are being "picked on" because of today's tobacco products tax hike? I cannot believe that a story like this would even make the main page of ANY newspaper, much less be the lead story.

I cannot believe that smokers are complaining about the recent tax hike. Would CNN run the story if it were chocoholics complaining about a raise in candy bar prices? Or if soda drinkers were appalled that a bottle of soda in a convenience store costs over $1.50? I certainly doubt it.

Now, I understand that, having never smoked in my life, I don't understand the addiction of smoking. However, I feel I am fairly well educated, and smart enough to know that smoking is addictive AND bad for your health. Frankly, I am GLAD that President Obama signed this piece of legislation. Americans need to do a LOT to be healthier. Smoke-free restaurants (like those here in WV), designated smoking areas AWAY from the doors of a building, and now this tobacco tax hike are all designed to protect those of us who choose NOT to become second-hand smokers. Well, maybe not the tax hike, but I believe I can make a case for that arguement. Not to mention that proceeds from this tax hike will go to Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIPs) so that children can be covered by some sort of health care coverage.

Here's the deal Americans....if you are disgusted that you have to pay $5.00 a pack for cigarettes, DON'T BUY THEM! In the article I read, most people were pissing and moaning about the hike, but both people who were specifically interviewed said they would continue to smoke. Folks, you have free will. You CAN make decisions for yourselves. And if that decision includes continuing to indulge in whatever your vice is (cigarettes, candy bars, soda, eating out, whatever) then you don't have the right to complain about it! I highly doubt that the President sat in his office drumming his fingers together in his best evil villain impersonation saying "I will purposely tax tobacco so that all smokers are being picked on. I will purposely single out people with addiction and make them suffer." Seriously, folks, get a grip.

And shame on CNN for running this story as a lead story. Shame on news industries for highlighting this as "important" for all Americans to know about. I have never been a fan of the news media as a whole, and today is yet another example of why. The next time I go to get a candy bar and I am mad about the price, I am calling CNN and demanding that they run my story. And we'll see how far that goes.