Too cold for a drink

We have a well cap in our front yard.  It sits about 15 feet from the house and stands about 16 inches tall and it is made from metal.  In the summer the girls use it as a stool, a perch to twirl on, and pretend to use it as a drinking fountain.

In the winter, the well cap should NEVER be used as a pretend drinking fountain.  Mikayla, learned this the really hard way today.  While I was busy shoveling the driveway the girls were playing with sleds in the front yard.  With a hill barely steep and long enough to gain any momentum, they were safely in my line of vision having a snowy good time.  Mikayla toddled up the hill and apparently went over for a drink at the “drinking fountain” aka FROZEN BLOCK OF METAL.  When I heard her screams, I looked up and saw her hunched over the well, I ran over thinking she had slipped and fell.  Then I saw the damage.  Her entire mouth; tongue, lips and all, were completely frozen to the cap.  I told Mallory to stay with her sister and I ran inside to grab a glass of water.  Thankfully, in a sense, her mouth was too frozen for her to rip it off herself (as instinct wanted) so when I returned with the water she was still stuck.  I poured the water over her mouth and thank God, she was able to pull it free.  Blood started pouring everywhere and her tongue was pure white.  I was terrified.  I ran to our neighbors, knowing she was home and also a nurse, the door opened, she had seen the commotion and heard Mikayla’s cries.  She took Mikayla from me, and like any well seasoned mother she grabbed a wet towel and held it to her mouth.  I took off the other way to find Mallory.  She too, was terrified.  She stayed by Mikayla’s side the entire time saying “It’s ok, mommy will help. It’s ok, mommy will help”  But when it was all said and done, she slumped. “Is my sister going to die?  Does she need to go to the hospital.”  As best as I could, I explained that she was going to be just fine.

A few minutes later we all made it home and cried together…it sounds stupid to even admit at this point. It was one of our first “emergencies”.  Fix it now or it will be bad.  Screams of terror that didn’t stop for too long and lots of blood—learning first hand today that the mouth does bleed a lot.  Mallory wants nothing to do with talking about it as it brings her back to a scary few minutes. 

Hours later, Mikayla’s lips and tongue are healing up.  She has plenty of open sores and a fat lip to boot, but she is no worse for the wear.  Her tongue returned to normal almost instantly when the warm wet cloth was used and now has no visible wounds.  When I told my dad the story, he asked, “Do you think this was a teaching moment, or do you think she is too young to remember?”  I quickly answered back, “Didn’t you just ask me this same question a few months ago when she stuck a french fry up her nose?  I sure hope she learns a lesson from this tale as well…”

We laughed and agreed that this story will make a great page in the book of Mikayla’s life: Day by Day.

I went back out when all was calm inside and snapped pictures of the evidence that lingered on the well cap.  The little lit bit that actually made it on top of the cap after she was freed, is nothing compared to what poured out of her tiny lips and tongue.  Yuck.