Real and serious grace

Pea's burns are first degree only. This is a miracle.





On what was supposed to be our next-to-last day of camping we had awakened to early morning rain. A whole lot of it. This made an already-tricky situation with a 1 year-old who puts EVERYTHING on the ground into her mouth and does NOT like to be constrained AT ALL (ask me right now what I was thinking taking her camping and I will tell you that I have no idea but for some reason it had sounded fun...) into a wet, muddy, slick headache. But there was the promise of sun later and the beach was already dry and warm when we woke so we lit a small fire to warm our chilly bodies and started making plans for the day.





Pea was playing a game at the large picnic table when she slipped on the slick ground and fell backwards into the now-cooling campfire coals.





I had just hidden away in one of the tents for a much-needed nap (Birdie had screamed/nursed/screamed/nursed two nights in a row) when I was shocked awake by the cries of, "Am I on fire?! Daddoo, am I on fire?!!!"

Oh my god.

I stumbled out the front and saw Jeffrey rolling her on the ground.

I think my heart stopped.

Right before the adrenaline kicked in.





In the end her burns, across the back of her legs and back, have begun to heal quickly and thanks to Jeffrey's always-ready first-aid kit and the healing salves I always travel with she probably won't even scar.

But oh, my heart...my heart will carry this scar forever

Obviously the camping trip was over. Jeffrey started throwing all of our stuff into the big car and the girls and I piled into my mom's car and back home we came. Mostly because I wanted to be near our doctors/hospitals in case she needed further attention. But also because it was hard to recapture the peaceful relaxation of the hours before.

And because my heart would not slow down at all.





The whole time I'd been completely paranoid about Adeleine's safety. Penelope follows directions so well and is pretty cautious about powerful things like the ocean and fire so I hadn't worried much about her. And we had five adults with us so all in all things were set up very safely. In the end it was an accident, something we couldn't even prepare for.

She talks over and over about what it felt like to land in the fire pit and grab onto the hot sides just before my mom and brother pulled her out.





Thank you, thank you god that the fire was almost out.

Thank you that it was such a cool morning that she was wearing thick clothes.

Thank you that my husband takes his Boy Scout training seriously.

Thank you that there were four adults right there.

Thank you that now, just a few hours later, there is hardly even blistering.





Now if only my heart can recover...