in honor of our current wind storm and our last wind storm in '11

Many of you know that my adorable, hilarious, mini teenager Helena is terrified of weather.

All kinds of weather, but specifically wind, clouds, and rain. Even a little bit can send her into a panic. It can be perfectly sunny outside, but if she can see leaves moving on the trees, she will flat out refuse to go outside. And if there are clouds and rain, well... that's just not gonna happen.

{The reason she is so afraid of wind is because she thinks that there will be a tornado. We've checked out books about tornadoes, talked about how they form, and why they won't happen here in Utah. We've talked about how a tornado is more than just wind and so she doesn't need to be afraid when it's windy. We've tried singing Primary songs, praying (constantly), and redirecting and distracting. If you have some other coping techniques, please let me know!!}

A few weeks ago, it was overcast and a blustery kind of day, spitting rain here and there with occasional gusts of wind. She didn't want to go to school. I love her and feel bad when she's afraid, but I know I can't keep her home just because it's windy. I really can't do that. So I told her all about tornado sirens and where to go during a tornado so she would feel prepared. That really helped her feel better. I walked her to her classroom and talked to her teacher about how worried she was, and her sweet teacher was so kind to let her stay in during recess. 

But then.... there was a fire drill that her teacher didn't know about. So after all my talk about "tornado sirens", Helena was hearing a siren.

Great timing, right? Her teacher told me that she was hysterical and they had to carry her out to the parking lot, screaming. They got her calmed down, but then when school got out she refused to leave the classroom and so they called me to come get her (I was actually already on my way).

Just a great story about a kindergartner losing her mind during a fire drill.