Tomato Warning

Yesterday brought bad storms to the state of Georgia.  The heat wave (74 degrees in January) brought with it some atypical thunderstorms.  For most of the entire day, the state was under severe thunderstorm watches and warnings, wind advisories, and even tornado watches and warnings.  Parts of our state to the north actually had a tornado touch down causing substantial damages, injuries, and even a fatality.  To put it lightly, the weather was a bit extreme.

I love a good weather event.  I love thunderstorms.  I love snow showers.  I love soothing summer rains and even crazy hurricanes.  Weather makes me happy.  It makes Chad happy.  We love talking about weather and studying it.  I even took a weather and climate class in college as one of my electives because I enjoy it so much.

Caleigh, on the other hand, does not enjoy weather as much.  She is an asthmatic and slight weather changes can make her miserable.  She is frightened by thunder and lightening.  She sees rain as something that spoils any chances of outside play and any mention of severe weather of any kind and she demands to know if it is anywhere near where we currently are located.

Upon picking her up from school yesterday, she examines the sky and asked if the thunderstorms were gone yet.  I told her that they hadn't arrived yet.  My plan was to take her home and we would remain there for the rest of the day and ride out the storms together.  On the way home, the radio announced that a tornado watch was still in effect for our area and that some counties were under a tornado warning.

This was all it took to heighten all her senses and put her on high alert to every rolling cloud and rumble of thunder.  I did my best to lighten the situation for her and let her call my mom on the phone to tell her about picture day at school to try and transition her thoughts.  She stumbled over her words and very quickly told Granny that "you need to be ready because they might say we have a tomato warning at any minute."

I start laughing and ask Caleigh if tomatoes are going to start falling out of the sky?  She laughs and then gets mad at me and tells me that I knew what she meant.  She meant tornado!