Ready for the storm

After a very stormy April, the little boys have become very enthusiastic "weather spotters." Here is a written account by Joanna of one afternoon's play time (their most recent "storm chase").

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The little boys are all around the dining room and living room, with MagicMath toys as "computers." They're sending out tornado warnings.

Joshie, armed with a tape measure, tells us his credentials. "I'm a weather spotter guy. See that over there?" he says, pointing out the window. "That's a tornado. It's up in the sky."

Our meteorologists are sending each other "information" on this dangerous storm. They are all under tables. Most are under the dining room table, but Noah's in the den because "that's the only place I can get a good connection." They have a pencil sharpener monitoring the storm. They're sounding the twin-bell alarm clock and crying, "Tornado! Tornado warning for Hong Kong!"

Now they're all under the dining room table. Josh explains the situation. "The tornado hit our computers."

"They're severely broken," says meteorologist Dr. Noah. "We sent the equipment to the nearest location, so hopefully it will be fixed soon, but the weather spotting equipment will be out of order for a few days. It was about an F.20 tornado, with dinner plate-sized hail."

Now I hear good news from Joshie.

"The tornado ran away!"