If it's not one thing...

...it's ten others.

I actually had zero desire to blog about this, but David's convinced I'll want to remember it one day and urged me to do so before I forgot all the embarrassing details.

It's never fun to have these two vehicles parked in front of your house. (Unless you're 3 and 5, of course. Then it's the Best. Day. Ever.)

Let me preface this by saying I got a new phone this weekend. It's a smartphone and I am a newbie to that whole world...so I am still adjusting and that came through with flying colors today. Yea right.

Benjamin had an appointment at the pediatrician's office to see about a nagging allergy cough this afternoon. After getting the boys settled in the car, I opened the garage door and thought it smelled like someone was grilling...which seemed odd for the time of day. Next thing I knew, one of the teachers from the elementary school across the street was yelling at me from the playground telling me the fence was on fire on one side of my house.
She wasn't kidding. When I peaked around the garage, I about lost it....flames! About four feet from my house.
This teacher kept yelling at me so fast....
"Lady, dial 9-1-1!!"
"Lady, get the hose!!"
"Lady, your house is about to catch on fire!!"

Seriously. Over and over she just kept yelling these things. I wanted to say..."There are three teachers over there...someone HELP ME!"
I was the biggest buffoon throughout the whole ordeal. I ran to the neighbors' and rang his bell about 20 times. I tried to call 911 on my new phone and couldn't get it from being a "computer" to a "phone"....and somehow managed to hang up on the emergency operator after getting out "send a firetruck, the fence is on..."
I ran to the garden to get the hose, lost my flip flop in the driveway (and didn't pick it back up) and managed to kick the head off one of the little garden solar lights to send it flying....all to discover the hose wouldn't even get past the garage.

And this teacher is STILL yelling at me.
At which point, I realized how close the fire was to the garage and I started worrying about the boys who were buckled into their car seats in the garage.

Finally, I realize the teacher is yelling at me to get my neighbor's hose. Well, duh. Should have realized that one on my own.
As I pick up the Miller's hose and pull it off its reel thingy, I can't figure out the nozzle contraption on the end and start panicking again. Now I'm the one yelling at the teacher to dial 911.

Somehow, I realize someone is in the Miller's backyard and we start communicating. He started spraying from that side and I finally get his hose on the other side of the fence going.

I realize the fire is also in the corner of my backyard. Behind that darn gate with the dumb lock that I can never remember the blasted combination to. Again with the phone. Tried to call David about three times only to realize he was calling me, too.

The teacher, the firetrucks, the neighbor and my children all end up in my driveway at the same time...and someone managed to get me that stupid flip flop. Serious lack of grace under pressure. I felt so stupid. But very fortunate at the same time that the boys and I were just fine and safe.

The firefighters got into our backyard and finished the job.

David came home to a black fence and burnt patch of grass. But a family that was safe and sound.

So wishing to have a do-over of my day. But, wanting a new day tomorrow...free of drama.

P.S.-- I did discover that the silly phone takes a darn good picture for a phone....that's what I used for the above two pics!