Well our house was literally on fire and as we stood in the driveway watching the firefighters stream in and out of our house, Collin asked, "Mom, can I play a game on your phone?"
I had to laugh. The entire morning was nothing short of ridiculous. It was the infamous day of April 2nd, 2014. The day of the "Laundry Room Fire".
The day began as many do, with the kids and I sitting around the kitchen table eating breakfast. Sandra, our nanny was here helping out.
Collin and Kayla kept mentioning that they smelled smoke and we thought someone was smoking outside.
But Collin thought the smell was stronger in the living room and so he followed it. I followed him. Hmmm... definitely stronger.
So we walked towards the front door, thinking something was going on out front.
That's when we saw the smoke billowing out of the vent above our dry sink in the front entry way.
At first I thought there must be a fire in our ventilation system and ran upstairs to check Pax's room as he was sound asleep in his crib.
It was all clear upstairs. Then I realized that the vent was connected to the laundry room so I headed that way, thinking surely it was a small spark, a wire that was smoking. I began to turn the door handle and then thought better of it.
It was all very surreal. Sandra, having her wits about her ran up to grab Pax and get him out of the house while I shooed the kids out the front door.
By this time the house was filling with smoke and my eyes were watering.
We all ran out to the driveway and I called 911, which I really couldn't believe I was actually doing.
It was while I was on the phone that I looked up and saw poor Abby and Lucy, standing in the front doorway, looking out at us with the smoke seeping out around them.
Of course we called them right out and took them to the park next door to await the firefighters.
Much to my embarrassment (but not to my surprise because this is Gilbert after all) several police cars and fire trucks showed up.
The firefighters got right to work and after quite a bit of time, the fire investigator on board came out to explain to me that the dryer had caught fire and subsequently- so did the clothes and a wall in the laundry room.
I knew we had a project ahead of us but I honestly thought we'd go back in to the house that day and carry on.
I had no idea that we would spend the next two weeks in a hotel room and a rental house, followed by another THREE weeks of being at home with the entire hallway and laundry room plastic sheeted and taped off.
During these weeks, our house had to be professionally cleaned top to bottom (and by that I mean a $20,000 cleaning!!) and all of our clothes, linens and soft items were removed from the house to be cleaned as well. We had to throw away almost all of our food.
I had no idea how terrible smoke damage could be. It was an excruciatingly stressful time but I am so pleased to be on the other end of it, sitting on my family room floor with my kiddos, Pax back in his crib and a brand new laundry room which is my new pride and joy. Who woulda thunk it. Me- excited about a laundry room?
