Sparklers. Haven't we all played with these, since childhood? Even my own paranoid Mother - who wouldn't let us go near fireworks, let us play with these. They were considered fairly harmless.
Last night, we got a few fireworks - a couple of pretty things, and some things for Jacob to light (which he was so careful), and some sparklers and those little pop things that you throw on the ground.
Well, all had gone well, the noisy "bang" ones were done, the pretty ones were done, and the driveway was a mess with the little pop things. Sparklers were all that were left. It was the first time I let Joshua hold one, while my hand was right on the end, making sure he held it away from his body/face. I showed him how to twirl it around and make a circle.
Next thing you know, Jalyn is crying. She was wearing flip-flops, and one spark flew her way and burned her on her foot. It made a tiny mark, and she went inside crying, done for the night.
Just me and Joshua outside at this point. Now, the whole evening I spent telling the kids to be careful, stay away from each other with the sparklers, and not to throw the pops near anyone's feet.
Joshua is sitting in a chair I had pulled out in the driveway to watch the neighborhood fireworks from. I was standing next to him and was twirling a sparkler while he watched in delight. All of a sudden, sparks just flew to where he was sitting. Several of them went on his leg. He had been sitting with his legs bent and his knees facing up. He started crying and I just threw the sparkler on the ground and grabbed him and rushed inside. I felt so horrible. I put him on the couch and got a cold towel with ice inside. I put it on his leg, and Clay put on Wow Wow Wubzy for him (to distract him). He would say every now and then, "Oh boo boo leg". It was breaking my heart. It helped that Jalyn said her foot felt all better, which made me think in just a few minutes maybe he would be feeling better. I gave him some Motrin and then put him in a cool bath.
Never again will I think of those little things as harmless. To think I did them (as well as my brothers and sister) every year of our lives, and I only remember burning myself on my finger once. Joshua's first time outside with us ever doing this, and he gets burned.
This is my poor baby's leg
As horrible as I felt that it happened when I was twirling the sparkler, I was glad it didn't happen when Jacob or Jalyn was doing it. They would have felt as horrible as I did, and they probably would have gotten fussed at. Thankfully Clay didn't fuss at me, I felt horrible enough.
It's Saturday now, and he's been fine all day, and hasn't mentioned it once. There is no blisters, just those little marks.
Thank God!!
I hope everyone else had a better 4th of July!
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