this is not a test

Last Friday morning I didn't have work. Elinor had another Dr appointment. We woke up and started getting ready. I decided not to dress Elinor until after breakfast so she didn't dirty them up. As we are eating breakfast the fire alarm goes off. We both jump. It goes off often during the day because the building is being worked on. I smile at Ellie to let her know it's ok and she starts laughing.
Then a voice starts saying "This is not a text. Please exit the building." My heart starts pounding. I have a naked messy baby sitting here. Do I have time to grab clothes? Is it freezing out? I grab a wooby blanket and started to run out but decide to slip some shoes on first. I run down 5 flights of stairs and stand in the alley....in the rain. Slowly some of our neighbors come out. They all said they have never heard the alarm go off like this before. Some of them offered us to sit in their cars but I just pulled the blanket over Ellie's head and said no thank you. Another neighbor came into the alley with his dogs. Elinor loves them and was excited to hangout with them. Fire trucks came and checked things out. I was starting to get nervous as we stood outside that maybe I forgot to turn off the burner from making our oatmeal or the toaster oven when making our toast.  Turns out the workers were cutting bricks in the basement and the dust set the alarm off.

later that morning 

I have never been in that position before. As I was standing outside before we found out what happened, I started thinking about things I should have grabbed. Then I remembered all of Dave's records, toys and posters. But really the only important thing to bring with me I had in my arms snuggled in a blanket.