Oh. That Kind of Hot.

Well, yesterday Sami touched the iron. Oh boy. I had told her and told her every time I got the iron out that it is VERY hot and NEVER to be touched, and on and on. Well, when she saw I was distracted by being on the phone, she snuck over there and deliberately touched it with her finger. I only saw her pull back from it. And you know how it takes an instant when you're burnt before it hurts really badly? She just looked really surprised, and then the "ouch" hit, and she wailed.

Now, I had my iron on the absolute hottest it goes, because I was ironing damp cotton and linen stuff. But unbelievably, her finger did not blister, just turned red. And we ran downstairs and ran cold water over it, and then I got some ice in a cloth, and she would just sit there bawling and daintily holding her little finger tip onto that ice. It really was so cute.

And I know after about 5 or 10 minutes, it didn't hurt anymore that badly -- but she kept replaying the whole scene in her head, and cried over and over about it. Then when Daddy got home, and we were still sitting there--me holding her in my lap with the ice--and then when we told Daddy what happened, oh God, we had to bawl all over again.

Michael and I agreed that really, as sad as you feel for her, there's no way to make them learn why you keep telling them not to touch hot things until they burn themselves once. And at least it was just a fingertip, and no blister. Much better than the oven or stove or something. So now she knows. Before I think she thought when I told her something's never to be touched because it is VERY hot, she just thinks in her head, "Oh. Hot like a french fry that will cool down" ya know? So now she knows. And I guarantee you she steered clear of the iron when we came back up later.