Great Balls of Fire or Incendie

Yesterday my three year old did the unthinkable. She lit a fire. I am embarrassed and ashamed to admit that I provided the primary flame for said fire. My sister gave us a really nice candle for our wedding anniversary, among other things. It's in a cute little tin bucket with a label on the front in French (what else?) I thought I'd light it and enjoy it for a spell. I had placed it on top of the cupboard by my desk, which technically Kestrel couldn't reach....unless she wheeled my desk chair over to the cupboard.

So I was in the kitchen loading the dishwasher and I heard her say "Mommy, the fire is big". I came out to the living room (and my office) and there was my waste-paper basket aflame. I guess what she did was grab a piece of paper off my desk, stick it in the candle flame and when it got too hot, tossed it into my garbage can, which then ignited because it has nothing but paper and tissues in it. I had to work to get it out of its corner because it is kind of wedged in there and then ran into the kitchen and doused it in the sink with the sprayer. I think if I had taken the time to go and get the fire extinguisher from the kitchen and then figure out how to operate it, the flames would have ignited the calendar hanging above the garbage can. There was no real damage; the garbage can melted a little and I burned my thumb a little (totally superficial burn and completely fine), but that's it. Of course, that has not stopped me from going over the list of what-ifs in my head. What if her clothes, or worse, her hair had caught fire? What if the baby had been nearby and she'd thrown it on him? I have had to numb myself and not think about it, because these things DIDN'T happen. I just have to be ten steps ahead of this kid from now on. I have to think of every worst scenario that might happen in any given situation and act as though they could all happen. I hate that.

Anyway, I'm off to get my tubes tied today, so at least I can prevent those kinds of accidents! I don't know if I will feel like blogging for a couple of days, but would love to hear about any crazy things your kids have done lately or when they were younger. I'm sure my mom could fill a book, what with three boys born in three and a half years!