emergency

What constitutes an emergency??

Must it involve blood or the cracking of bone?

What about when the car won't start and you're already late? When you burn the preschool snack the morning of? When you can't get a hold of your babysitter while she is in school and you need to get to work early? How about when it is getting cold and you have yet to get corn for your corn stove and your pellet stove is still out of commission?

How about when you have two uninspected vehicles and every time you take it in to get something fixed so it will be inspectible they find something else wrong?

(Today I took the van in to have a small valve that monitors tire pressure replaced. It was necessary to pass inspection because without it, the dashboard light would remain on. I was on my return trip in since they had to order the part. After waiting 20 minutes, the guy comes out and says, "I'm really sorry, but there is a screw that doesn't come with the valve. Looks like you're going to have to order the whole sensor for $115." I laughed- what else could I do? I also said, "How about you back to your desk and then come back and say something different?"

I left with no sensor and the same slashed inspection sticker I went in with, practicing in my head the story I would tell the police officer should I get pulled over. Before I could strap the kids into their seats, a mechanic came out after me. "I found the screw! I found the screw!" Back in we went. Luckily the other man waiting hadn't switched off Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and I thankfully didn't have to wrestle him for the remote.)

Anyway...

Is it a legitimate emergency when your almost two-year-old paints her lips and the inside of her mouth with nail polish? Deep, vermilion nail polish that you initially think is blood streaming from her mouth? I mean, what do you do, use nail polish remover?? (You never know unless you are in this situation as I was this morning. I went for the forceful washcloth. Maya was saying, "yuck yuck.")