Worst. Timing. Ever.

I really intended on sitting sometime this weekend and waxing poetic about the first week of school and sending Natalie back to Ms. Rebecca's house as a toddler instead of the baby that I dropped off last year.

But then this morning happened.

As if this week couldn't be any more chaotic and hectic with us going back to school and me starting volleyball season, we are adding major emergency house renovations to the mix.

Because if it rains......it pours.  And in this case, I mean that QUITE literally.

This morning while I was heading downstairs at 7:05 to get my shoes on for school, I heard what sounded like a heavy rainstorm coming from the area of the house that is underneath Natalie's bathroom.

I glanced outside.

The sun was coming up and the porch was dry.

A sense of dread filled my stomach.

I headed upstairs and cautiously opened the door to Natalie's sweet pink and white bathroom.

Water.  Everywhere.

The other day my precious daughter had proudly filled the toilet with toilet paper.  I flushed the paper down and kept on moving, quickly erasing the incident from my brain.

Whoops.

The toilet was terribly clogged and since this particular toilet has a tendency to run if you don't properly jiggle the handle, water had overflowed and covered her entire bathroom floor.

I called for Craig and he brought me the plunger but the damage had already been done.

As I was exiting the bathroom to change my socks and head off to work while leaving Craig with the mess, I again heard what sounded like rain.........but this time coming from inside our home.  I ran downstairs and stumbled upon water streaming down from the ceiling and splashing into a puddle on the floor right in front of the dog kennels.

Yikes.

Craig has been at the house all morning with the insurance agent and a plumber type person.  As of right now, from the bits and pieces Craig has texted me.....the floors in the playroom, upstairs bathroom, Natalie's bedroom and our downstairs living room will most likely need to be replaced.  The ceiling in the living room has already begun sagging so it will be torn down as well.

Today.

Today my ceiling will be torn down.

And I will not be there to protect my pretties.  My furniture.  My decorations.  My books.  My stuff.

I have school, 7th grade volleyball try-outs and then 7th/8th grade Open House this evening.  I will not be going home until 9:00.

I know it is just stuff and it can (and will) be replaced.

I know that we have home owner's insurance just for reasons such as the events of this morning.

I know in the end there will be some silver lining, some greater message or lesson that I will have gleaned from this experience.

But right now, in this very minute........I am freaking out.  I am struggling to see the end because the road to get there is scary.  Spending an unknown amount of money on the house instead of on Christmas presents like we planned is terrifying.  Potentially losing items in my home that have great emotional significance to me breaks my heart.

So if you have any spare prayers, send them my way.  Prayers for the minimal amount of damage.  Prayers for a great insurance agent who can get this mess sorted out easily and cost-efficiently.  Prayers that Natalie's life and schedule is not disrupted too much.  Prayers that whatever construction work is done through a reliable contractor who creates a beautiful home for us out of this nasty situation.

Oh.  And prayers that I have a nice bottle of wine waiting for me in the fridge this evening.