Mini Me

Sometimes, it's really weird having a mini-me running around in the world.  It's amazing, yet slightly scary how alike we can be.

I'm a huge water baby.  I could spend hours at time in a pool if I could.  We've discovered this summer that Lilia is the same way.  Once she got used to wearing her water wings, whenever we've gone swimming in a pool, she just plays and swims for hours.  When we finally got out for the last time, it was serious "end of the world" reaction on her part.

I hate being woke up from a nap.   If I get woke up, it takes like 20 minutes for me to function.  In the meantime, watch out!  I'll bite your head off for breathing.  (I admit it.)  Lilia is the same way.  See, she goes down for a nap around 1, and lately, she doesn't go to sleep right away.  She'll play in her room for an hour or two; reading and playing with her toys.  So sometimes it's 3 or 4 before she actually naps. So 5 o'clock comes around, and it's almost dinner time, and we don't want her sleeping too late or else she'll be wide awake around bedtime.  But when we wake up...it's literally like waking a sleeping bear.  Today she sat at the dinner table, whimpering and looking like someone cast Zombie on her.  We couldn't help but giggle at the level of cranky.

I was being a huge pest while watering my container garden today.  I started chasing John around  the yard with the hose a little, laughing hysterically.  Lilia found this to be absolutely hysterical as well.  There are quite a few parallels in our sense of humor.  (Maybe this means I never grew up?)  Both Lilia and I seem to have a weakness for funny cat videos.  She cracks up when we watch them,  and I don't think she'd ever get tired of watching them (Oh thank ye wise LOLCats.)

Take this cat for example.  I showed it to Lilia, and she first squealed incredibly loud.  Then she laughed.  Then she proceeded to make up a funny story about the cat, and how he was meowing very loudly, and it was really funny.  Now she's demanding that I stop typing, and find some more funny cats.

I could probably go on and on about how alike her personality is to my own.  She's definitely a very emotionally driven child, which is pretty much how I'd describe myself.  And while this can be a challenge at times (Let's just say tantrums are a lot of fun.  Except not.)  it's also pretty cool to see myself reflected in someone I think is so awesome.

How I almost died. I think...

Since we love blowing stuff up on the fourth of July, this is a fitting story.

First you should know, I'm deathly afraid of electricity. I've been electrocuted on more than one occasion. When I was little I was trying to plug something into the wall, and my finger was touching a prong. ZAP.

Then when I was 13, my idiot step father, left some wires hanging out of a wall above the kitchen sink. I was washing dishes, a knife hit the wire. ZAP. Felt like someone came up from behind me and just physically grabbed me and slammed me against a wall. NO JOKE.

When it comes to stoves, I've had zaps a few times while using either an electric stove or a hot pot. These aren't fun either, although for the most part, they weren't as bad as the previously mentioned incidents.

Yesterday, I was boiling water. Just simply, boiling water. I filled the pot. I put it on the stove. I put the burner on high. I turned my back to peel potatoes. I peeled 2 1/2, when suddenly, all at once, I see this bright pinkish flash, and hear a ZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP POP! sound. I turn my head, see water and metal bits all over the stove, water rushing out the bottom of the pan, steam and sizzling sounds. I'm TERRIFIED.

The knob was plastic, so I figured it was ok to turn the stove off. I turn it off, shaking and just stare at everything. NO CLUE what happened. I look at the pot and there's a hole in it. I look at the burner, there's a hole in that. I put everything down, and just stare for a few more minutes, and then go find my husband, napping safe and sound.

I incoherently try to tell him what happened. I leave him, go turn off the breaker, and then go back up, trying to make myself coherent. He doesn't understand until he actually comes down and sees the carnage.

This is the coil on the burner.  Now clue what really happened, other than maybe it wore out, and faulted.  I had used that same burner earlier in the day, and didn't notice anything funny about it.

This is the pot.  It was a solid pot- I think it was also a pressure cooker.

I can't help but wonder what would've happen if I had been closer, or if I had been stirring the pot.  Would I have been electrocuted?

I know there are dangers with gas as well, but you know, I'm seriously considering installing a gas stove when we get into the new house.

I am laughing about it now, but man...I was scared when it happened.