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Sometimes you can choose your own adventure. Sometimes those adventures just land on your doorstep — or your driveway.
Let’s work backwards. My daughter walked in the house one evening and announced calmly, with only a hint of a sheepish grin, “Mom, I owe you a new citronella candle.” What?! My cute blue bucket with polka dots, filled with citronella wax, recently purchased at Target to ward off nasty mosquitoes when I want to be outside? How could it already be used up?
It was Independence Day, July 4th, the one day out of the year that kids of all ages in the U.S. are encouraged to watch fireworks and even play with some of their own. My teenage daughter had a few friends over to do sparklers. As they finished with each sparkler, they looked for a safe place to put it. “Oh, let’s put them in here! We can set the bucket on the driveway, away from trees and grass and other things that burn.” These honor students (yes, talented and gifted students with outrageously high ACT scores) forgot one thing: candle wax is flammable.
Scene 1: Still-hot sparklers act as wicks, starting the bucket of wax on fire.
Scene 2: Husband runs in house for fire extinguisher. La Petite shouts, “No, dad, wait! I want to take a picture!”
Scene 3: After she takes her picture, he puts out the fire. (Note: he didn’t stop for shoes.)
Parenting: it’s not just a job, it’s an adventure.
(Thanks to La Petite for the photos — and the memories.)
This post was entered in Scribbit’s Write-Away Contest for July.
>Good thing he didn’t use water. Then you would have REALLY had a show.
Yep. Experience.
Fun site you have here! I’ll be back.
>Quite the experience, no?
This post reminded me that I dreamed about fireworks last night. Probably because we missed the 4th of July ones–or rather only caught the last five minutes. It’s hard being on time when they start at midnight.
>Unfortunately it only gets more adventurous when they get older.
And lots of plain clay cat litter on a warm driveway will absorb tons of candle wax. Don’t ask me how I know this; you don’t want to know what your future might hold.
>Eek! Just as well you told it backwards!
Best wishes and glad everyone was o.k.
>hehe great story! That was definitely an adventure for all!
>”Parenting: It is not just a job, it’s an adventure.”
Indeed, indeed!
>I can totally see myself making the same mistake – I also scored well on my SATs…hmmmmmm. (Sometimes I think I should have gotten a BA in common sense!!)
>As I only have one kid into double digits so far — and he’s only just — I really have no idea of what’s ahead of me, do I?
Love how you told the story. I particularly enjoy the fact that he didn’t wait to put shoes on but he did wait for the photo op!
>Oh, I love the last photo. Priceless. Thanks for sharing your story.