Mom in the Mirror

Hurricane hysteria

Instead of panicking about Hurricane Wilma, I'm focusing on the drama in fictional lives. So, here's the latest from inside the serial box:

• Lesli Kay (formerly Lois on GH and Molly on ATWT) is the new Felicia Forrester on "The Bold and the Beautiful." She first airs Nov. 30.
• Rick Springfield is returning to GH for a few episodes to help Robin treat Jason. He first airs Dec. 2.
• I'm loving this gallery of Soap Opera Digest covers from the last 30 years.

Thank goodness I have soap operas to distract me!

What distracts you when times are tense?

It doesn't get any easier

I watched Colter sleeping Sunday morning while I frantically prepared for the sudden arrival of Hurricane Jeanne, and I thought, "It doesn't get any easier."

Sure, it's easier to get physically ready: We keep our important documents, pictures, videos in a waterproof tub on a closet shelf now; We keep a bin full of hurricane food ready, with water, flashlights, batteries, candles, and so on; I keep extra books and games tucked away in case we're housebound for a while (or worse, stuck away from home).

But it is no easier to protect my son from the fear and anxiety that surround this increasingly-common event, no easier than it was the first time, when we fled from Hurricane Charley and it found us anyway.

It is no easier to ignore the winds, the rain, the sense of doom that envelop us.

It is no easier to live with the knowledge that I can only do so much.

As I finish my preparations a few hours later, I watch Colter play with Legos (his comfort toy) and wonder.

What will he remember? What will he forget? What will remain?

Here we go again

When I went to sleep last night, my tummy was happily full (after fasting all day for Yom Kippur), my family was safe, and I was looking forward to a relaxing, rainy Sunday. This morning, that's all changed.

Hurricane Jeanne is now headed toward us in the Tampa Bay area and we're scrambling to secure stuff: paperwork for our new house, Colter's comforts (stuffed animals, Game Boy, Yu-gi-Oh cards), and mine (books, paper and pens, so I can read and write).

I'm trying to stay calm. I'm trying to remember that as quickly as things can change, some things are forever: God, my love for my family, their love for me.

What's constant in your life?

When it rains, it pours

I've spoken with my entire nuclear family today: my mother, my sister and my stepmother all called. All wanted to check in and make sure we were OK in advance of this hurricane.

It was so nice to feel my family wrap itself around me, even though they're all in separate places and don't talk much to each other.

For once, I was actually happy to hear the phone ring!

What is essential?

I couldn't sleep last night so I started moving things on low shelves to high shelves, in case Ivan blows in the windows and floods our 2nd floor apartment. (I didn't say I was sane, just that I was awake.)

Anyway, it was really interesting to walk around our home and try to categorize our belongings:

1. Items so essential to me that I had to take them along if/when we evacuate (my wedding album)


2. Items essential enough to me that I'm taking steps to protect them, but if they were damaged, I'd recover quickly (my parent's wedding album)


3. Items that are taking up space but really have little or no meaning to me (pictures of people I don't even remember)

As much as I hate hurricanes in general -- and Charley, Frances and Ivan, in particular -- I'm glad they're forcing me to review my possessions and remember what really matters.

Especially on September 11th, which -- frighteningly -- almost escaped my attention entirely.

So in honor of all those who have lost parts of themselves, their families, their lives on other September 11ths and all of the other days that have been personally tragic for them or for us as a nation, what is essential to you?

Ivan is following the same path as Charley

Check this out: Ivan's path will automatically appear. After you view it, click the drop-down that says "Ivan" and select Charley. The similarity is eerie.

Surveying the damage

About an hour ago, everything quieted down outside so we decided to take a walk around the area and see what had happened.

The first thing we saw was the courtyard in front of our apartment building, where a lamppost had been blown over, along with several large tree branches.

As we headed toward the street, we passed other apartment buildings in our complex that had more damage -- trees split in half, lots of downed limbs, and dozens of roof shingles blown to the ground.

We walked to the nearest major intersection, about a half-block away, and were thrilled to discover the Walgreen's was open. We ran into several of our neighbors there and learned that two of our complex's five buildings were without power. We also learned that houses along the streets to the north and south of us were without power.

We felt very lucky, especially because the drug store had plenty of milk and frozen pizzas.

Re-stocked, we're back home.

Bathing with dinosaurs

The wind and rain picked up earlier today, and when they became very loud and scary, Colter took a bath with some old friends he hadn't seen in a while: his dinosaur collection. It was both safe and comforting.

The gusts continue to come and go. Fortunately, we still have power.

I have decided to keep handy the evacuation list I made earlier in the week, in case we need it for Ivan:

• Cell phones and chargers


• Important documents: birth certificates, social security cards, house, insurance, and banking information, tax returns, car titles


• Colter's baby album and videos, our wedding pictures, my dad's ring


• Favorite stuffed animals


• Game Boy, games and charger (Game Cube/Nintendo 64 and games if going to hotel)


• Colter's schoolwork and backpack


• Books and toys


• My laptop, power cable and landline connector


• Address book with phone numbers for family & friends


• Snacks, food, water, can opener, paper products and utensils


• Flashlights, batteries, radio, CDs


• Raincoats, clothes, bathroom stuff, medications


• Clean, empty trash, do laundry


• Move journals, move boxes under bed


• First aid kit, flares and blankets in car

Right now, all of the above is in our bedroom or a closet (which looks like a fallout shelter). Have I forgotten anything?

Who's in charge?

Earlier this week, Colter created this hurricane-related division of labor:

If we have to evacuate, I am in charge.

If we stay and lose power, Gary's in charge.

If we stay and have power, Colter's in charge.

So far, Colter is exercising his authority very well :)

Storm strategies

The rain has started here. It's really nothing out of the ordinary at the moment, but it seems scarier than normal to Colter because of what may follow (no power -- no TV -- no Game Cube). So, we agreed he could sleep in our bed.

He was having trouble settling down, so I told him we wouldn't put him in his room for time out like we normally do, because I knew he was afraid of the storm. Instead, I asked him to go sit in the rocking chair in the corner of our bedroom, which is very cozily nestled in some bookshelves.

He rocked for a moment and cuddled up with a soft blanket that was on the chair. Then, he came back to bed and Gary brought in his favorite stuffed animals and one of his baby blankets. He fell asleep a little later, while I was reading to him.

He and Gary are snuggled up, snoring, as I type.

I hope we'll weather everything to come as easily.