A memorable party

"At least this one will be rememberaled." Sarah's best friend Allison stuttered after the accident.

Let me explain.

Yesterday my daughter's fourth grade class had their "Fall Party" (it's actually for Halloween, but they're being politically correct.) Usually the party takes place in the classroom where they do crafts, play games and have snacks. Not this year. This year they walked three blocks to a local apple farm where the kids took a hayride, had apple cider, got to pick out a pumpkin, run through hay mazes and make s'mores.

It's because of the s'mores this party will be 'rememberaled.' Whoever was in charge decided it would be a good idea for the kids (all ten year olds) to impale marshmallows on two-pronged tridents and heat them over an open flame. In retrospect, I'm surprised the kids didn't impale each other.

When it was Sarah's turn, her marshmallow caught fire. In her defense, she didn't know sugar was combustible. Seeing the flames, she panicked and shoved it into the first thing she thought would put them out: a bale of hay. Sarah doesn't spend much time around hay and didn't know it burns as fast as sugar.

Several parents, the farm's employees (and a couple of kids that had to be shooed away from the flames) tried to douse the fire. I had to divide my attention between cleaning the mess my kid made and the kid herself.

"They're all saying 'Sarah started the fire.'" She whined. This is the age when kids don't want to be singled out for being different. And starting a fire at a class party definitely puts you in that category.

I did my best (whatever that means) to talk her out of her emotional tree and remind her that it was an accident and that nobody got hurt. Yes, the kids were pointing and talking about her, but she'll live.

It didn't take long and she was laughing along with the rest of them. Yes, the other kids will probably call her "Firestarter" Fields, but if that's the worst thing that happens in fourth grade, so be it.