HOT, HOT!

We were out the door in a hurry, I wanted to get to the bank and pick up dinner before Andrew got home for work. He just called, I had like, 15 mins.

We live on the second floor of a three story apartment complex. 

The boys started headed down the stairwell as I locked our door.

They were suddenly coughing and coughing, and I said out loud, as fast as I thought it, "Why are you two coughing?" As soon, as the words came out I, too, was coughing and Aiden was throwing up!!

Something was wrong. 

What the heck is going on?! My throat was closing up, my lungs felt full. I couldn't breathe...

I grabbed my throwing up baby and Ashton's little hand and flew down the stairs.

As soon as we were out in the open air, there was relief. I observed the building, looking for anything unusual, especially smoke or flames. That was the only thing that made sense, but everything looked fine.

Confused, I loaded the kids into the car and started to drive away. My uneasy feelings kept my mind racing. Should I call the fire department? What if a neighbor was in trouble? Maybe there was an electrical fire, thats why I cant see smoke?? What if nothing is actually wrong... ahhhh! What if something is really wrong?

I headed back to observe the scene one last time before I called 911.

I wanted to check on the neighbors.

I parked on the curb and ran up the stairs. I found an upstairs neighbor as he was coming down, he was coughing too and started to ask him if he knew anything, but my words were cut off, I couldn't breathe ---let alone speak. I had to run back down to the fresh air.

Another neighbor, from the third floor, was pulling up and I told her what was going on, we pushed through the stairwell up to her apartment, she was also worried, but everything seemed fine. 

I knocked on the door next to mine. 

She opened it totally confused...

She was cooking...

PEPPERS.

She was making dinner, authentic Mexican food.

HOLY COMMOTION OVER PEPPERS! :)

I can handle my share, Im a sucker for hot food, but these were no ordinary peppers. 

I couldn't believe it. I ran back down the stairs, stepped over my baby's throw up (which I vowed to clean when I got back), took a deep breath and headed back to my errands.

I was glad I got to the bottom of it, glad that my neighbors were okay, but totally embarrassed that I was such a whimp!!!