The Flaming Toaster

So this is a story familiar to most, but so far its my BEST and most CRAZY mom moment thus far.

So it must be re-told.

It dates back to February of 08'. I was about 3 months pregnant with Emma and feeling quite ill almost 100% of the time.

I remember it was about 7pm and I had not fixed dinner yet. After deciding to veg out on the couch for a while, the kids told me they were hungry. Well of course.

They asked permission to look for a snack and I happily obliged because I didn't have to get off the couch. I could hear them rummaging around in the fridge and cupboards and then I tuned it all out.

About 7 minutes later......

I was jerked out of my TV coma by the strong smell of burning toast, I looked up to notice BLACK smoke pouring out of the kitchen door and immediately ran into the kitchen. Here is a visual of what I saw and the events that followed:

Abby and Caleb were standing at the counter on a chair with horrified faces as our toaster spewed out smoke. I pulled both of them off the chair and literally pushed them out of the kitchen into the living room. At that exact moment the toaster exploded into a huge flame.

The toaster was placed in a position that the flame could easily ignite the kitchen cupboards into flames, so I instinctively grabbed the toaster to prevent my kitchen from going down.

As I jerked the cord from the wall, it fell and got caught between the counter and the fridge.

Bear with me, it gets worse....

So I've got this toaster spewing a 2 foot flame in one hand and jerking a cord with the other with all my might.

(Abby and Caleb are watching in complete terror as Abby cries "I don't want my house to burn down! It's my best house!")

I finally free the cord with one mighty pull, which makes a ball of fire fly out of  the top (which was actually a burning waffle)

This ball of fire lands on the kitchen floor and starts a little "mini-fire" on the linoleum floor.

I ignore that - must get toaster out of house.

I am now holding the flaming toaster and running for the sliding glass door.

I hit an obstacle.

Our accordian style blinds were closed. These are fabric and there is no way I was making it through those.

As fast as I could, I cranked those suckers up. Well guess what...

That caused more jerking movement that launched yet another fire ball out of the toaster.

I now had two mini fires going. One in the kitchen...one in the living room.

By now I had yelled at Abby and Caleb to run out into the front yard. I had no idea if those mini fires were going to get going.

Bless their little hearts because they ran as fast as they could and got outside. Crying their sweet little eyes out.

I got the sliding glass door open and tossed the huge fire ball out onto the concrete patio.

Back to business...

I ran into the kitchen and got a wet rag, put out waffle fire number one, ran into the living room and put out waffle fire number two.

Somewhere in all this chaos I looked for a fire extinguisher. None to be found.

My babies!

Outside in the front being good little bees and waiting, I found Abby and Caleb.

There was a thick cloud of smoke pouring out of the front door and we just stared.

I turned around and noticed my elderly neighbors squatting in their driveway and smoking cigarettes staring at us. Thanks for the help neighbors. They are another story which I will probably name "Squatting Old Neighbors"

Back to the toaster:

Seeing as how I had no extinguisher in site, I called the hubby to report the incident. Our toaster friend was still out on the patio burning away but no longer posed a threat. He came home and put out the fire.

From that moment on I have been looked upon as a super hero in my kid's eyes. I carry fire, have the strength of superman and can put out fires without a fire extinguisher.

I think it was just luck, but we won't tell them that. ;)

oh... one more thing. They never, ever, ever, use the toaster any more, but just in case, we have three fire extinguishers in plain sight.