A Close Call With Hot Cider

Safety is of the Lord (Proverbs 21:31) I truly believe that. While I don't understand* why the Lord allows some of the things that he does, I do believe that the safety of my family, safety that I too often take for granted, is truly of the Lord. Accidents happen, we've had a few, 2 children with some stitches, one with a broken toe, and more falls, bumps, scrapes, and bruises than any of us can count, but we've been fortunate enough (blessed enough!) to have not had anything serious.

*I don't have to understand it all, I could never understand it all, that's part of faith.

With 7 children in our Ordinary family, statistically speaking, we have a greater likelihood than the average 2.5 household to have about any sort of accident, or illness for that matter. There are just more bones to break, more lips to split, and more germs to spread, in our home.

That being said, last night we had our 1st scalding. Praise the Lord, it was very minor, and could have been much worse.

This being the Freezing Time in the Frozen Tundra, warm beverages are a common drink of choice around here, last night being no exception. A big pot of apple cider, loaded with cinnamon sticks, was not only filling our main floor with a wonderful aroma, it was filling our bodies with warmth & goodness. Daddy had just filled another cup for 4 yr old Hope, and she had just set it down on the table to cool for a bit. She walked away and Baby J, currently 13 months old, walked right on over and reached for it.

I was sitting about 10 feet away, saw the reach and sprang out of my chair, reaching straight for him, while semi-calmly saying "No touch!", but he was determined and down it came, fresh off the stove hot apple cider, splashing the left side of his face and chest. I peeled his shirt off so fast it was almost simultaneous with the splashing, picked him up and headed straight for the kitchen sink, grabbed the hand towel, quickly soaked it with cold water, and applied the cold wet towel to the pink blotches developing on his shoulder and chest, not noticing right away the blotch of pink on his left cheek.

The initial shock from the heat wore off fairly fast and he was soon more irritated with my trying to hold a cold wet towel on his bare chest and shoulder, which stayed pink for a while, but showed no signs of blistering- thank the Lord! With no blistering, we quickly determined that it was, at worst, a very mild 1st degree burn, emphasis on very mild. The pink on his chest and shoulder faded over the next hour or two, while the blotch on his cheek became more obvious. Being overlooked in the immediate response, it didn't have the cold applied right away, and must have stayed hotter longer, though it also showed no signs of blistering, and was starting to fade by the time he was put down to sleep for the night. It was pretty completely faded by morning- again, thank the Lord. It could have been so much worse.

When Googling (yes, I do believe to Google is a verb) burns and children, we learned that scalding is bay far the most common type of burn on young ones. Doesn't surprise me one bit. What does surprise me, is that in this coffee loving, tea drinking, cider & cocoa consuming family of 9, this was our first scalding. Seriously, my husband and I have been devoted coffee drinkers for years. I make up big batches of bulk cocoa mix that is enjoyed most every Freezing Time in the Frozen Tundra day around here. With all of the hot drinks and all of the little hands in close proximity over the years, it's rather amazing that no hot liquids have landed on little people over the years.

I'm still just so thankful that yesterday's accident wasn't worse. I went to sleep thanking the Lord for our sweet Baby J, for his incredible smile, and for his safety- which is truly, of the Lord.

Enjoy your children, and enjoy your warm drinks this cold season, just watch where you set them and whose hands can reach them!