Fire Alarm

Today is a cold, snowy,,windy, wintry day. I played outside with Katie and Charles digging in the snow, pulling them on the sleds and shoveling the driveway. This afternoon I thought to myself, today feels like a fire day. I decided to build a fire (which I have done many times with NO problems). However, today was different. For paper I used the pieces in the shredder, put a few small pieces of wood in the fireplace and checked the flue. I really did think it was open until I lit the match and the whole house instantly filled up with smoke. Seconds later the fire alarm started blaring. I reached in and opened the flue and the smoke began going up the chimney. Whew!! I fixed that problem, or not. The fire alarm went off again. I went to remove the battery but it would not turn off. After several second of ear piercing noise it shut off. The entire house was in a gray haze. I opened a window in every room to clear the smoke out of the house. My whole "build a fire to be warm" plan was defeated. Now I am sitting here typing and shivering waiting for the smoke to clear so I can close the windows. I forgot this, while I was trying to get the flue adjusted and the smoke out I heard sirens in the background. Now, the realistic, sane part of me knows it's not the fire department coming to our house, but the paranoid, freaked out part of me is thinking did one of the neighbors hear my smoke alarm of see the smoke and call the fire department? No, they didn't. Smoke or no smoke I am closing the windows. My fingers are freezing and my nose is cold. Now all I can do is hope that the house does not smell like smoke when Dean gets home from work. This is hopefully going to be my little secret. Unless one of the kids blows it for me, which is very possible.