Always Be Prepared

We had between golf ball and softball sized hail on Wednesday.  I HATE hail storms!  They are one of my least favorite things about Texas because I worry about our poor little house.  I had expected rain, but I hadn't expected hail.  We had just got back from a temple trip when it started to rain.  I had been trying to get Nicholas to play outside all day because it had been a cool morning with the incoming rain.  When he got out of the car, he spotted his helmet and determined he wanted to ride his bike out in the rain while wearing his helmet.  He was very determined so I told him if he wanted to do it by himself, he was welcome to go out and ride his bike.  I thought his determination would fizzle, but he still wanted to go out.  I strapped on his helmet and put on his shoes and sent him outside.  It took him a few minutes to get up the courage to go out in the rain and get his bike.  We were watching him kind of proudly that he was playing all by himself, something he RARELY does.  Next thing I know, I hear hail pounding on our back patio roof.  I rushed outside to get Nicholas, but not before a couple had hit his helmet.  I carried the poor confused little man back indoors.  I wonder what the neighbors though about us strapping a helmet on our kid and sending him out to play in a hail storm.  Good thing he was so prepared.

UPDATE: According to the Dallas Morning News, insurance officials predict that this could be the second-costliest hailstorm in Texas history, with damage estimates ranging from $1.1 billion to $1.5 billion.  The most expensive was $1.6 billion in May 1995.