Can YOU breathe fire?

An incident occurred at the Sweet 16 party that I have failed to report until now.

Eclair learned how to breathe fire. Or vapor anyway.

All you have to do is CONSUME THE DRY ICE IN THE YODA SODA.

PLEASE DO NOT EVER DO THIS!

Because you will likely end up at the ER like we did.

It started out like this: I sent Eclair to bed thirty-five times, and she did not go. She kept sneaking back upstairs, because there was a party going on, and she didn't want to miss out on anything fun that the big people were doing. So I gave up sending her to bed and let her have some punch.

Here is where I give the warning: DO NOT let small people serve their own punch when there is dry ice involved. Yoda Soda is lime sherbet with lemon-lime soda and dry ice. A very small piece of dry ice was stuck to the ice cream in her serving, and she swallowed it whole. Then she started to burp.

Eclair has always been well known for what we call "Barney burps." Not the dinosaur. This Barney:

Seriously.

So, she swallows the dry ice, starts up with these tremendous burps, accompanied by enormous clouds of vapor. Everyone is cracking up, like she's the entertainment.

Then the barfing begins.

Yuk.

So, I call Poison Control (wonderful people, at Poison Control. So level-headed and calm.), they tell me to call my doctor, right now. So I call the doctor and get the answering service (as the after hours pediatrician went home thirty minutes before), and the doctor calls me back: take her to the ER, right now.

Who woulda thought a little dry ice could be such a big deal? We were at the ER until after 2am, and THAT was a joyous experience. All the girls went, because the boys don't love us and didn't care one bit (actually, I'm sure they do, it's just that as girls, we are incapable of going anywhere without an entourage).

Don't forget the silky blankie and the platypus.

The best part of the ER visit (apart from excellent doctors and getting to go home intead of being admitted) was the "pediatric" room in the ER. I had no idea that they had one whole room decorated just for little patients. Whether the decor is good or bad for the little people I will leave for you to decide. I will merely show you what it looks like (photo disclaimer - all photos taken with my horrible cell phone camera so they stink):

I must say that the flying elephant has me a little concerned. Or maybe the elephant has gone carnivorous and is about to pounce on the giraffe? Either way, a little disturbing.

Oh! Look!

There is also a flying zebra. Set to pounce on this:



This terrifying Screamapillar. Or maybe it wants the "bananas" over there on the left. I think they are bananas? I hope they are bananas.

Here's what you should REALLY be worried about:

This slightly deranged and loopy Thing One who is up past her bedtime.

 Fear not, gentle reader, for Eclair has recovered! Minor burns in her throat which allowed her to live on ice cream and smoothies for three days before returning to school. Lucky duck.

BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH!

and dry ice.