Always Interesting

I have been spending most of this week squinting at bright lights and cringing away from sounds as I have dealt with a horrible headache since late Sunday afternoon. Just today I learned that it is most likely the result of a virus which will run its course within a week. I was actually happy to hear that because it meant I could just accept that I have an ache in my head rather than secretly worrying I was finally feeling the effects of a gigantic tumor pressing on my optic nerve. I know - morbid, but that's usually where my over-active imagination runs to. Just another reason I am very careful about the types of movies I watch.

Just yesterday while I was sitting and trying not to move too much, I was going over what safety procedures it is time for our family to review. One of the downsides of having a larger family is that I remember teaching certain topics, but I don't always remember to whom or how long ago. To solve this very real issue we simply repeat sciences and history in a loop every 3-4 years, so we know everyone has learned the same things and the older children delve deeper as they repeat it for the second and eventually the third time.

Safety issues are done annually, usually in late August or September.  The whole fire drill practice with all of the kids meeting at the tree in front of our house and stop-drop-and-roll time. We include kitchen safety (knives are not for swordplay & boiling pots are not to be substituted for Shakespearean cauldrons), bathroom safety (drain the tub before you leave a room unsupervised and no duckies in the toilet), and internet safety (if you wouldn't want everyone -- including the creepiest guy you can think of and your mother knowing this -- don't put it on the web.)

Of course, having children aged one to 14 in our house means we deal with some things most families with a 14 year old have outgrown - cabinet locks, electrical outlet covers, cable guards, anti-tip devices on shelves. Well -- the anti-tip device really should be a must for anyone raising boys. I don't care how old they are. So during our annual safety discussion time, we also make time to repair and replace any of our safety latches needing attention. For example, the cabinet lock which protects the potatoes really does need to be replaced as Elias has developed a taste for raw potatoes. I know this because just a few days ago each potato I pulled out for cooking had a miniature Elias-sized nibble removed from it.

All of this thinking makes today's events more than just a little ironic. As I was sitting and squinting (headache - remember?), Abigail was brought into me. Shelby was carrying her and while it was obvious she was upset, I didn't realize Abigail was crying until she was on my lap and in my arms. Completely bewildered, I was both comforting Abigail and questioning Shelby. Eventually I managed to learn the bizarre and awful truth. Abigail was injured while sucking on a plugged-in laptop charger.

Really? She saw this plug and decided, "I think that looks tasty." How does that work?

After about 15 minutes, Abigail calmed down enough for me to go investigate the area to make certain I really did understand what I was being told. Sure enough, a drool-coated charger was dangling off the shelf, the surge protector was blown, the 2 GFI switches were popped, and the breaker was thrown. Wow. That is some powerful spit.

Now that I had confirmed that our princess had electrocuted herself, I called the pediatrician and explained our predicament before asking if Abigail needed to be seen or if there were simply things we needed to watch for. I was given the signs to watch for during the next 6 hours, assuring the doctor that if any of the signs appeared we would bring Abigail in immediately for some neurological tests. And Scott gave her a very thorough exam when he woke up before going to work.

The six hours of observation came and went and Abigail was very much her normal self. The house, however, hasn't been so lucky. The surge protector did it's job and is now trashed. And the upstairs GFI refuses to reset, which means it will need to be replaced. Which isn't too big a deal until you realize that is the outlet the bathroom night light uses, which means it is a pretty high priority to fix. (To understand why this is a priority, I direct you to the post entitled "Utterly True" about chicken-in-the-dark twins.)

During evening prayers, we were all thankful that Abigail was completely fine and that the repairs are minor. I tucked the children into bed and came back downstairs, thinking again about our upcoming safety reminders. I am officially adding "Do not suck on plugs. Ever." to the list.

It is always interesting around here!