The Rest of the Story

So, more snow is falling today and it seems a perfect time to finish the story.  As a refresher, the kids and “Doc” were outside playing in the snow about ten o’clock at night.  There was no school the next day and it was gorgeous!  Clear sky, tons of stars.  They were having a ball.  I was inside burning submarines.  Got it?

Apparently, and I have to take their word for it, as they were running around the house having a snowball fight the sky lit up like it was the Fourth of July.  They looked up and saw flames shooting out of the chimney and I believe there were a lot of oohs and aahs. 

As I said, “Doc” came running in because he realized that the flue was on fire.  There was allegedly a sound that went with the fire that sounded like a train roaring through the yard.  He stopped me from adding more submarines to the fire, which was fine, because I was done anyway.  I heard the train sound too, but just thought I had a great fire going! “The Surprise” had followed “Doc” into the house, saw the fire and went to his room to put shorts on.  After all, it was hot in the house.

We always taught the kids to meet at a certain place on the property in the event of an emergency.  None of them did it.  I had to yell at “The Surprise” to put his clothes back on and get outside.  I threw on my winter stuff to get them out.  “Mommy” got on the phone and called 911.  They hung up on her not once, but twice.  She then called some friends/neighbors to come help.

I went outside to load kids into the car.  “Pook” and “The Surprise” and “Mini-Me” were an easy find.  After a quick head count, #4 was missing.  Where was “The Blonde” ?  I no sooner asked than she came running around the house screaming, mouth wide open, eyes in panic! Apparently she had been doing laps.  “Get in the car!”  I started out the driveway and met our friends who took the youngest four home with them.  On the way out they met the sheriff, who asked what they were doing.  “Kidnapping the kid.”  Sheriff’s don’t think that is funny.

I had already gone back to the house.   “Doc” instructed “Calvin” to get the fire extinguisher which he did.  “Mommy” was helping “Doc” empty the fireplace.  Actually, she was opening the door for him.  Her job was complete, she had finally gotten through to the fire department. While “Doc” was trying to empty the fireplace, “Calvin” readied the fire extinguisher and fired.  He did a great job for someone who had never done this, except……. He was standing two inches from the fireplace.  All of the ashes came flying out into the room covering us and the house in soot.  But, the fire was out!

The fire department arrived and checked the house.  The four of us cleaned the mess and ourselves and went and picked up the other half of the family.  I was given a stuffed fireman mouse by our friends, and as Paul Harvey would say “Now you know the rest of the story.”  Have a great weekend, and be safe and warm.