Fire Station with Friends

In recent weeks I've tried to reconnect with some of the families from Jackson's first preschool. There are four moms that have kids the same age (4 years old and 2 years old), so I've tried to initiate playgroups and activities for us. Today we visited the fire station that is right beside the children's museum. This particular station seems to always have training taking place. Any time we're at the museum, we watch the firefighters training from the parking lot. Today we were able to watch them up close as they practiced knots and lifting the equipment. Fun fact: I didn't realize the ladder truck had two stabilizers on each side that are required to be used when the ladder is extended.

The firefighters asked the kids fire safety questions such as who to call in an emergency and what to do if your clothes catch on fire. The men gave their basic tour, revealing each compartment of the fire truck.

Surprisingly, none of my friends had toured a fire station. I've lost count on how many fire station tours I've been on, but it's always interesting and kids always ask new questions.

This was the first time I've seen the jaws of life turned on. In all this time, I'm not sure I even realized they were electric. Normally firefighters just point to it in the truck or gloss over it, but this man took it out and turned it on. Jackson later told Jesse, "We saw these really big scissors that can cut a car!"

The standard part of the tour is for a firefighter to dress up in his gear. The point is to show the kids that he's just a normal guy wearing special clothes, and you should never be afraid of a firefighter. This heartwarming speech offers zero comfort for Amelia, as she cries every time she sees a firefighter in full gear.

At least Jackson wasn't afraid. He gave the man a high five.

Amelia still wasn't recovered in our group picture.

The firefighters let the kids sit in the truck and they turned on the lights. James and Jackson both went inside. I wasn't able to take pictures since I was still trying to soothe Amelia. Maddie didn't want to go in the truck.

Another highlight to this particular station is the fire pole. One of the men demonstrated for us. (He wasn't quite as seductive as the last man was from a few months ago!)

The kids aren't allowed to slide down the pole, but that didn't stop them from trying to climb it.

After the tour we spent another hour at a nearby park. This is the first time I was at a park with a bunch of moms of two year olds. They were more relaxed than I was in regards to walking all over the playground, though they also only had one 2-year-old to keep up with. Regardless, I felt like I should trust the trio a bit more than I currently do. Here are some of the other toddlers in our group.

In my other circle of friends, I became friends with the moms first and we encouraged the friendships among our kids. This particular group at the fire station is the exact opposite. Our kids get along great and have played together every week for years. I greatly respect the moms in this group, but I don't foresee myself hanging out with them outside of play dates.

I've volunteered as the unofficial event coordinator, so I'm planning to call and schedule another tour of the regional airport. That was one of the more unique trips last year, and the trio will get more out of it now that they're older. I'm curious to see how our friendships (moms, preschoolers, and toddlers) develop over this next year and what experiences we can provide for our kids.