I Hope I'm Never in a Real Fire...

Hello all! I know I promised pictures with the next post. Does changing the top one out count?? I do have a valid excuse - Christa has been sick since the end of last week, so we haven't exactly been getting the camera out a whole lot!

We have had quite an eventful day around here. Christa woke up fussy with a dripping nose and a fever for the 3rd day in a row. So, off to the doctor we went. He gave us two options: 1. Claritin. 2. Amoxicillin. We're going to try the Claritin first, and if that doesn't work, Cline will have to make his peace with giving Christa antibiotics (they are a last resort in Cline's book, and I agree we shouldn't be quick to give them). While I'm on the topic of medicines, can I just express my love for these new dye-free drops they have now? Brilliant.

So, we get home from the doctor, and Christa promptly goes down for a nap. I am relieved - she seems to be finally getting some good rest (it's been a rough few nights). I sit down to update her picture albums, enjoying the calm, when the phone rings. It's Cline, telling me he is on his way home from working out and could I please turn on the toaster oven so it will be properly heated for him to cook hot dogs on before he goes to work at 3. That sounds like a task I can manage - I turn the toaster oven to 400, and resume my album-updating. The phone rings again. It's the umpteenth call we've received for "Clarence Jackson." I don't know who Clarence Jackson is, or how his phone number has become confused with our number for so many people, but I do know that Clarence has really bad credit and many outstanding debts. The do-not-call list is really serving us well (rolls eyes).

As I sit down again, determined to get the photo album updated, I hear an odd noise coming from the kitchen. I walk over to see what is going on, and I see flames in my toaster oven. Hmmm, that can't be good. I turn the oven off, and reach to grab a cup of water. Then my critical thinking skills kick in. Wait a minute, is it an electrical fire? I remember learning something in the 5th grade about how you're not supposed to throw water on an electrical fire. The toaster oven is an electrical appliance. Will I get electrocuted if I unplug it? If I open the door, will the new air cause the fire to explode in my face? Nobody wants that. I'd better be safe and get the fire extinguisher (which I only knew we had because the handy-man just did some service on it 3 days ago.) So I grab the fire extinguisher from under the sink, which is handily right next to inflamed toaster oven. Uh-oh. My non-existent arm muscles aren't strong enough to pull the pin out. What do I do now? Stop, drop, and roll? No, that's only if I'm on fire. Can I somehow drop and roll the toaster oven? No, that would require me to open it, which visions of facial scars are preventing me from doing. Wait for the fire to burn itself out? It's getting smaller, but it's lingering longer than my comfort level allows. So I call Cline of course. "Hello? Hi honey, the toaster oven is on fire - what do I do?"

Luckily Cline was walking through the door at that very moment, and promptly doused the flames with some water, assuring me that it was not an electrical fire. I guess we re-used the grease-catching foil liner one too many times. (I tried to be earth-friendly, and look where that got me!) Things are back to normal in the Jackson house, although it smells like a barbecue and my toaster oven looks like this:

In other news, I went into get a fussy Christa for a midnight snack 2 nights ago and found her standing up in her crib. I guess it's time to lower the mattress again and invest in some rail covers. She also learned how to drink from a straw cup, thanks to a great tip from a speech therapist friend of mine. (I'll be happy to share this tip with any inquiring mommy friends). Tomorrow, we are headed to Charleston for 2 days to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. (Christa's Dr. gave us his blessing to continue with our plans.) Hopefully I'll get some good pictures, that I really will post next time :) I'm off to try AGAIN to update our album.