I love thunderstorms. I have so many memories of lying in bed at night after a steamy hot day in Melbourne, listening to the thunder and pelting rain while the temperature dropped 15 degrees celsius in 30 minutes.

Of course my children don’t have those memories so when a couple of rare thunderstorms hit our neighborhood over the weekend first there was a little bit of fear, followed by fascination and excitement and, finally, disinterest.

I did send Thomas out to rescue his soccer ball at one point. I think it’s important that he experience running through a downpour at least once in his life – assuming the thunder and lightening has passed, of course.

Our rain chains had trouble handling the deluge.

As did the gutters.

And we started filling a pool in our backyard.

Thomas recently borrowed a book from the library called “It was a Dark and Stormy Night” and saw this as the perfect opportunity for a reenactment. He cuddled up under a blanket in his bedroom to read a lego magazine.

Never the one to be left out, Samuel soon photo bombed the picture perfect moment.

Thankfully the house was still standing the next morning, although the same can’t be said for a massive elm tree branch up the street.

Feeling vindicated in the decision to cut down a 40 foot Doug Fir that towered over our house 6 years ago… Luckily the only victim this time was a rental truck.