A week or so ago we decided it would be fun to take the kids camping. We stayed close to home and went to a campground that is about 10 minutes from our house called Willow Park. We were having a wonderful time, we made tinfoil dinners and ate cookies and the kids ran around and played and made friends with neighboring campers. Around 8:30 Scott and I were sitting by the campfire. Ever was with us and trying to adjust her chair. The other kids were also close by playing Power Rangers. (That's Indie's favorite game right now.) As Ever was adjusting her chair she lost her balance and tripped backwards towards the fire. Everything slowed. As I yelled, "Ever, Ever, EVER!" the kids all turned to watch. I began to stand to try and catch her, but I couldn't move fast enough. I had a series of flashes of being in the hospital and skin grafts and all kinds of horrible possibilities. I could hear Park and Annicka screaming. Then I saw the sparks fly as Ever landed in the fire. By this time I was standing all the way, as well as Scott. He got to her first and grabbed her by the leg, pulling her out. He lifted her up into my arms and in a matter of splits seconds I checked to make sure her clothes were not burning while I ran toward our water jug and cooler where I knew there was water and ice. Scott opened the water jug and dumped it on her. Then time resumed its normal pace. I set her down and removed her shirt to asses the damage. Blessedly she only had a few first and second degree burns on her back. It barely registered that Ever was screaming and Park and Annicka were crying in the back ground. I took her to the bathroom to try and clean her up some, Annicka trailed behind. Her hair was singed all over and full of charcoal. It was then I realized that she needed to be taken home to be cleaned up and treated fully. Scott stayed with the other kids to finish the night and I took Ever home to clean her up and get some ointment on the burns. What a scare she gave us! We are so grateful that it wasn't worse, or that she didn't land hands and face first. She did, however, need a new haircut as half of her hair was singed off on one side. Ever and I slept at home that night and drove back early in the morning to help make breakfast and clean up. The kids were glad to see her looking happy and fine. And since then Milo says several times a day, "Ever fell in the fire pit and got burned, huh mom."
