Skip to main content

Red Hot Fire

 I sent the boys outside to play with fire this afternoon.  I'm not even kidding.  It's wet out there.  What could possibly go wrong?

Out they went with their flint and steel and about two dozen cotton balls.  I reasoned that at best, they might actually learn some legit survival skills, and at worst they were getting some outside time.  I felt like it was a pretty genius parenting move.  The boys were thrilled to be given permission to start a fire, and I was able to make dinner without anyone telling me what they didn't like (at least until it hit the table).  

Fischer is so obsessed with fire that I'm fairly confident he will grow up to be a fire fighter or an arsonist - depending on Ross and my parenting skills.  

Yesterday Fischer woke up, came into the living room and poked his head out the door.  "I think it's a burn day," he told me.  

"Why is that?" I asked.

"It smells like a burn day.  You should call."

So I did.  He was right.  

Today, he sniffed the air and said "It's another burn day. You should call."

Right again.  I don't even know what to say.  

He will drop everything he is doing to watch Ross start a fire in the woodstove.  When I let the woodstove burn down to coals this afternoon, I knew I could count on him to help me get it going again.  He told me exactly what to do and sure enough, we were back in business. When I complimented him he said, "I watch Dad do it and learn something every time."  He is five.  I don't remember studying anything but Lady Lovely Locks when I was five.  I mean, she's pretty much got the corner on late 80s hairstyles, but not a lot of life skills going on there.  He impresses me.  And has me brushing up on my parenting handbook.        

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sheltering in Place

In the past three months Corona Virus has more or less turned the world on its head.  I feel almost guilty for not being more stressed or put out by the whole thing.  We have been extremely fortunate. What we thought was a most impractical move on our part, wound up being a huge blessing.  With our two boys and our two newborns, we moved out of our house with no yard in the city limits and into my parents' house in the country while waiting for our new house to be completed.  The weekend we moved "quarantine," "social distancing," and "shelter in place" became the new mantra of our state.   Moving in with my parents meant ten plus acres of play space and two extra able bodied adults to help even out the score with the four kids.  Win for the St. Clair's!  Unfortunately, my parents are beginning to realize they may have made an error in judgement.   Yesterday, Sawyer gave their cat swimming lessons.   Last week th...
1 comment
Read more

For the Love of Kids

I love the contrasting sides of our children.  It's one of my favorite things that I didn't know I was going to love.  I think it's fair to say that when we have kids, we all know we will love the squishy babies, hearing kids laugh, seeing holidays through their eyes, and dressing them in the cute little outfits (I'm told boys don't wear outfits , but it's my blog). I didn't know how much I'd love seeing my loud, dirt loving, gun fanatic, wrestling maniac five-year-old turn into the sweetest and most gentle big brother while holding his baby sister.  He sits and quietly tells her stories about his fishing and hunting conquests unaware of anyone else in the room, and my heart absolutely melts. Then we have my slightly crusty, flannel loving, mismatching three-year-old that will choose a princess dress from the costume closet because although he likes sand and rocks and sticks and filth, he also likes and appreciates things that are beautiful. I lov...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week in the Real World

Exhausted.  Mentally and emotionally drained.  And that's where I'm at, at the end of this week.  I'm almost embarrassed to admit it.  I've been defeated by a six-year-old and a three-year-old.  Plus a couple of babies.   This is Ross' first week back to school full-time after a wonderfully long summer and spring of being mostly at home.  We are grateful he has a job, but we are sad to see him go.  This is the first time since March that I have been running solo with all four kids all day everyday.  I was feeling pretty low by the end of this week, and then I had to give myself a reality check.  We have a friend who has been doing this for a whole year.  No nights off.  No weekends off.  Her husband has been deployed since last fall.  I have it pretty good.   But, lest you think better of me than you should, sit tight, and I'll give you a little glimpse into our week.   We don't do transitions...
Post a Comment
Read more