We work seriously on the fire around here. So seriously that last spring, walking through a rain forest of huge trees in Hawaii, Cedar revealed the impact it’s had on her. TJ said, “Look at the big trees, Cedar. She replied, “Cut them down and burn them!” This from a child named Cedar.
Here are some woodstove tips for folks with young pyromaniacs around.
1. Get the good fence. Here in Fairbanks they sell them at The Woodway. If you’re elsewhere, try the One Step Ahead catalog. A friend once told me a story about his one-year-old and a cabin they were living in. He was trapped mid-poop with the bathroom door open while his daughter teetered on top of one of the boxes they were using as an improvised fence to keep her away from the stove.
2. Leave the vacuum in the living room. Wood chips get everywhere. One afternoon Cedar said, “Mama, what’s Coral eating?” I rushed over and pulled out a piece of bark. “Wow, you really ran,” Cedar said, laughing.
3. Buy Eucerin. Your kid’s skin will get dry. We brought Cedar to the Doctor for a mild case of eczema and he called it “Fairbanks Winter Kid Skin.” Grease up your toddler before bed and stick her in 100% cotton jammies. It helps.
4. Expect static electricity. The colder it is outside, the drier it will be in your house. We hover around eight percent humidity with the stove going.
5. Be mindful of your speech. Everything you say in front of the fire will be repeated. Again and again. When you don’t realize that the log you’ve half stuffed in is too big until it’s already burning, and you have to pull it out, run outside, and throw it off the deck into the snow, and you mutter, “Jesus Christ” as you dash across the living room, know that your toddler will walk around muttering, shouting and singing “Jesus Christ” for the rest of the afternoon.
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