Sunday at Mom's

I need to start off my saying that my mother lives in a 3-floor apartment building full of the elderly or disabled.
Ok, we got to my mother's on Sunday night just to surprise her. We knocked and the kids ran in, her face lit up and mushiness all around. Yes, the kids were covered in kiss-slobber within 10 seconds. Beyond that point things were boring until around 9 pm. I heard what sounded like an alarm in the hallway of the building and then it kicked it that it was the fire alarm. Mom was oblivious to it and I stopped in mid-step, broke into her kiss-fest and said " MOM!". It took her a second until it hit her and then pandemonium erupted...at least for me. Lylli was just in a shirt and diaper so I grabbed my coat, my camera (hey, they were right next to each other..lol) and grabbed a kid in each hand. We flew down the stairs. On the first floor I had a brain fart and thought this was the way to get out. I opened the door and saw smoke in the hallway. Now, up until this point I thought it was a false alarm. Upon seeing the smoke I said "Oh Crap!"
Ok..I thought I said it, but I must have yelled it because Lylli started whining and one of the first floor tenants opened her door and looked at me like I was crazy. I told her she needed to get out because of the fire alarm...she closed the door. At that point I decided I needed to get the kids out and we ran down the last set of stairs into the frigid air. Poor Lylli. I sat her down, threw my coat around her and then picked her up like the 30lb sack of potatoes that she is. I ran...yes RAN...to my van and threw both kids in, kissed them on the head and ran back to the building to check on mom. I finally saw her coming down the stairwell with others from her floor (who also tried to go to the first floor instead of out the door). I yelled up the stairs, calmly I should add, that they needed to get out. I had to force one lady out 3 times before she stopped trying to get back in. In her defense, it was incredibly cold outside. I could hear mom, who had stopped on the first floor, to knock on doors and get people out. I should also mention that she was doing that on her own floor as well. The woman who was supposed to do that was outside before I was and tried to tell everyone later that she didn't hear it or some nonesense like that. I set them straight, she was out in the hallway when I was getting Ike and Lylli ready to make the run down, just standing around. I don't want my mother's life in the hands of a woman who makes excuses only to save her own skin.
I saw a fireman crossing the street toward our building and pointed him to the open first-floor door that I believed was the cause of the alarm. Moments later they told us we could go back inside, that it was nothing serious.
On the way in my mother had me stop and take a picture of her with the things she grabbed - her medicine box, purse, coat and lylli's pants and shoes. Then, once inside the building she had me take a picture of a 3rd floor lady who had grabbed 2 purses, one hung around her neck. Now that I think about it, I would love to know what was in them to have grabbed them both. (click on photo for larger version)

I would also like to make it known that my mother turned off her t.v. before going out to knock on doors and eventually make her way outside. Good grief woman!