For our family the word "advent" means something more like "hazard."
I feel like any time the church recommends or endorses something like advent, it should be immediately followed by a handout cautioning parents on the dangers that could be present when participating in such an activity.
Something like:
WARNING: Over zealous candle blowing out could result in wax splattering all over the table, the wreath and the children.
Jack's arm is healing fine.
WARNING: Getting too close to the candle when blowing it out can result in singed Ty-brows and bangs.
Ty's hair has lost that smoky smell and his eyebrows are full as ever.
WARNING: It is not good to keep candles buring all night, especially unsupervised.
Surprisingly we didn't burn up.
Last evening marked, hopefully our last scary situation resulting from the 2010 advent season.
Austin, our advent mishap virgin, was playing on the floor in the big boys room when he just started gagging and threw up half is dinner. After checking him out, we thought maybe he had just shoved a toy too far down his throat and gagged himself.
We begin observation.
A few minutes later he is again chewing on a toy and gags. This time spitting up just a small amount. Over the next two hours, he acts as if he's feeling just fine minus the fact that he wouldn't eat when offered, and is occasionally gagging and getting all red faced for just a short moment. I begin to get suspicious...
Legos.
The boys were playing with Legos in their room earlier.
Although they were at least a yard away from Austin, he's starting to squire a little and could possibly have picked up a stray Lego.
My normally happy boy had a couple fits where nothing seemed to calm him down. --And the fat kid wouldn't eat.
hmm... seems so simple now doesn't it?
I call the doc.
He asks me if I'm already on my way to the ER.
"Uh.. no?" I embarrassingly answer, "His airway isn't obstructed."
I'm told I should probably take him in.
We do.
Turns out the phrase "I think there is a Lego stuck in my child's throat," will get you seen by the ER doc just as soon as you can walk back to the room.
I think from now on I might just tag that on to the list of symptoms we are experiencing any time we show up to the ER. Especially if we are hoping to get an Xray of something.
"Yeah, he fell off the playground and is complaining of a hurt arm. I can't get him to move it or let me touch it, ...and I think there is a Lego stuck in his throat."
Money.
We hang out in the triage room for maybe 10 minutes.
While we were back there He let out one more cough-gag and then, seemed a little bit less uncomfortable. The doc had ordered an Xray and we were waiting for them to come pick him up. Austin was getting pretty hungry by this time and in an effort to express his displeasure threw back his head, mouth open.
That's when we saw it.
It wasn't a Lego at all.
It was this:
Tape.
Packaging tape. He must have found it stuck to the floor. And it was still sticky! Poor baby. I reached right in there and grabbed it. No need for the Xray now.
It was the same tape that we used every evening to attach our crayola drawn symbol on to the Jesse tree. The Jesse Tree was also the name of the book we read to the children during our advent time.
Sigh.
Dangerous I tell you.
Now, I understand that educating our children on the dangers associated with fire, closer supervision, and vacuuming would have taken away much of the risk...
But friends, we still need to be aware that any time we chose to disciple our children, train them in the ways of righteousness and teach them of the incredible love of God... we will find ourselves in opposition to the prince of darkness, the one who came to kill steal and destroy.
So lets arm ourselves DAILY with wisdom, prayer and Truth. Because there is an unseen battle going on all around us, and it's not going to be...
safe.
1 comment:
poor austin! i am glad all is resolved.
em
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