The Pits

We lost our parenting license temporarily tonight.

This weekend we bought one of those urban fire pits that allow you to easily have a fire in your backyard. We thought a lot about this, because we have very young children who are as excited by fire as we are. Having surveyed some friends with young kids and fire pits of their own, and based on our own experiences camping with young kids, we decided that if it was tucked away out of the play area that it would be manageable.

Here is our fire pit's brief history:
Sat 5PM: fire pit purchased at Menards w/help of 3 kids. They like the one w/trees on the side. Sold.
Sun 9AM: fire pit assembled in backyard with help of kids before leaving for church. Hopes run high for a marshmallow roast later in the day.
Sun 6PM: fire pit has inaugural lighting. Kids go a little bonkers wanting to toss sticks in. Parents eye each other warily.
Sun 6:20PM: 3-year-old places hand squarely on fire pit screen, getting enough of a burn to leave screen-impressions on his palm. No blistering, no tears, but big eyes. Parents horrified. Child comments that the screen marks look kind of interesting.

Future of the fire pit? Undecided. Maybe reserved for late nights when kids are in bed. I just hope the poor kid doesn't have a screen pattern scarred on his hand for the rest of his days! Childhood survival stories w/friends in the future: "Oh yeah, this grid pattern is from my idiotic parents when they let us have a fire pit in the yard and I was THREE!"