Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Melting

not just our snowmen, either.
There is something about me and this stove in our house. I never had too many problems in Calgary, but here...it's a different story.
Greg left today for a five day work and fun get-away. I'm okay with it, until the clock hits 5'oclock and I realize that he won't be walking through the door! I will not get my 15 min. break today! I have to try to make dinner while the rugrats are going NUTSO! Lucky me.
Today I made spaghetti with garlic toast, peas, noodles and sauce...using most of the burners and the oven. Shea was at my feet throwing large utensils around so I could trip over them. Riley was asking me to look at what he was drawing, while Liam was yelling at me to come wipe his bum.
I'm yelling back...
"YOU CAN WIPE YOUR OWN BUM!! I'm making dinner!" (He's totally capable!)
All of the sudden I heard this POOF noise and I saw a large flash of light in the window! What was that?! I thought it was outside until I turned and the whole back left element was on fire! Flames up to the microwave!
I realized quickly that I had turned the wrong element on, and my microwave splash cover thing was on it and in flames. I quickly grabbed the burning cover and threw it in the sink, then put a pot lid over the flames on the element. It didn't quit. There was melting plastic dripping down into the bottom and burning. I was mostly scared that the greasy vent thing above (in the microwave) would catch on fire as well, or maybe the plastic would drip down into the oven which was on and catch on fire too? I had to start throwing water, and thank goodness it went out soon enough without too much damage to the stove or my dinner!
Had I gone up to wipe Liam's bum, the kitchen would have been on fire. So I'm thanking God for helping me to stay put.
I need a new stove.

9 comments:

Anna said...

EEEK! Thank goodness you weren't doing an ass wipe! It could have been so much worse like you said. Is there plastic all stuck onto your element now?

Sarah said...

Yes, the element is toast. I scrubbed at the bowl thing and I don't know if it's going to be ok or always stink like plastic. And there is a big puddle of it down inside as well.

Bloggy Mama said...

Yipes!! What craziness!

Unknown said...

YIKES! ! ! ! scary! ! I'm scared that you put water on the fire to boot! ! Your first reactions sound good. Crazy burners! They're confusing aren't they? I think the plastic will peel off eventually. Have you heard the story of my Mom almost burning down the house when I was about 6? I was in the LR practicing piano, and not doing a great job - so she came in to help - leaving the supper started on the stove - which DID ignite the fan grease. FREAKY - managed to stop it before too much damage was done. Multi-tasking mothers are AMAZING! !

Anonymous said...

VERY SCARY! I had those stove covers in college & did that once. I chucked them & never used them again. Recently I turned the wrong burner on. Easy to do in a house full of kids.

Sarah said...

It wasn't the stove cover! (we've burned all of those!) It was a plastic microwave splash cover that I had just set over the element when I wasn't using it.

Anonymous said...

Ok- gotcha. Scary. I always keep tons of baking soda on hand. Works way better than water. I know from experience.....LOL.

Anonymous said...

Glad everything's OK That's so scary. I probably would have panicked and made things way worse!

Michelle

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, that's crazy! Glad it turned out OK.
I would also like a new stove.....one of those nice flat top kind that has a self cleaning oven! Sounds heavenly!