Friendly Day

Had some wonderful conversations with a couple friends today-I'm so thankful God has placed them in my life. : )  One is finding themselves in the midst of a miracle (hard to tell in the moment!), and one is cleaning out closets.  So thankful I can assist in any way.

Mary Claire had a friend over today to swim, lunch, and play hide and seek!  I didn't even get a picture.  She's a sweetie though!

Clay left for work, and I found him a wallet online for only $12.99!  Remember he lost it this weekend? :o/  I sent pictures, and he likes it.  Probably the price, haha!

Lots of laundry today after swimming and biking sweat, and thankful I have a washer and dryer I love, and time to do it!  Another good day, no big stress.

Knowing people around me have real hard days, my hard looks easier.  Makes me thankful for the hard I can manage.  High blood sugars?  I got this.  Site changes?  I can do it.  Fund raising for a cure?  Sucks, but I can do keep at it. ; )

Hope your hardest days are manageable.  No?  Compare to others...you might want yours back, ha!

Photo Credit, made with PicMonkey Magic : )

We're doing a book group study on One Thousand Gifts (being thankful for any and all the teensiest things..especially after walking through a hard time). . .and we talked about the fact that when you don't have faith, it's kinda like being a practical atheist.  You don't really believe you can turn over what you are worrying about.  Let's turn it over, and let it go.  Hugs, friends!

Walk to Cure 2014, Hooray!

We had an AMAZING walk this year!! : )  Friends, family, tons of fun..it always makes the work in the weeks before SO worth the investment! : )  Sometimes it blesses me more than we bless JDRF.  I guess it's partly because some of our bestest friends are in JDRF with us.  Them, and their kids, that is.  How did we even get here?  Whew.

2014 Walk to Cure Type 1 Diabetes Team: Team CMC! (formerly Clay and Mary Claire's Friends Who Care)

It was with a tent from my parents, balloons from Party City (and they even walk them out to my van, y'all!), Nestle Crunch candy bars (red, white, and blue!), and the people.

They had too much fun climbing the HUGE hill, as all the moms are screaming not to slide down the wet grass on their bottoms! ; )

I can't begin to tell you about THE people.  The people I've known for YEARS that continue to come even when they are on their way back to MD Anderson in Houston for yearly tests (hugs, Carla and Kenny!), new walkers we are so thankful to know (Clay's new nurse, Candace and her family!), and a doctor we haven't seen in a few years (thank you for coming, Murl & Concetta Baker!).
 

Ethan's good friend, Gabe, who also has diabetes!

And all the friends in between.  Clay's friends who came out to support him, Mary Claire's friends who know how this party goes, MY friends who walk for our kids, church friends, girl and boy scout friends, neighbors, my parents, Ches' mom and stepdad, and the list goes on (praise the Lord!). May I sincerely THANK each of you for spending your Saturday morning with US!!

Sweet Girls!

And then, we are SO thankful for our supporters (even the new ones I've never met, Willeen!!).  The ones who make it work, make it possible, help us dream a little bigger.  And brighter.  The ones who make the research and the CURE possible.  In my kids' lifetimes.
 

So this little guy doesn't get it.

I can't say thank you enough, is my heart even deep enough?  I know you work hard for your money, and to part with it on behalf of my kids is sooo humbling.  But know I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
 

A few of the MOMS who rock.  The ones checking blood sugars at 2am.  The moms who listen when you can't handle one more ketone check or pump site change! : )

Feeling blessed instead of stressed in the midst of it all.  31 units left, and she has to hurry off to school?  Praying.  Take one to the doctor and back to school, only to pick him up two hours later?  Thankful I don't have a job!  One going low every day as he has marching band practice for an hour before lunch?  Rocking lowered bolus ratios.  One wanting to see his poo-poos?  Check.  Getting ready for my son's Sunday school class and my AMAZING helper is out of town?  We'll survive!  I can do this.  Every day is hard, but you know what?  Everyone's everyday is hard.  This is when we give thanks for our crosses to bear, 'cause I'm sure yours are too much for me! : )

God bless you as you go out into your day (or your night!) and slay your dragons.  I'm with you, if only in prayer.  Hugs!

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  Romans 8:26

  

Last Day and Pump Journal

Aww, sweet friends.  What a blessing when we meet them, even better when we know their hearts. : )

We've been busy, how 'bout y'all?  Today was the last day of school, hooray!!  I didn't get done all I'd hoped, but it was enough.  I'm finishing up with the house (only one drape left to hem..), and my plants are looking pretty good (except the one the mulch guys decapitated!).  I planted a row of hydrangeas along the south side of the pool, and I can't WAIT till they get big!  The blooms are already heavy and droopy.  I'm watering them at least once, and sometimes twice a day!

Diabetes has been..well, diabetes.  My kids?  Still being kids.  I don't expect them to be all grown up (even when they are taller than me..).  Mary Claire forgot to tell me she had a low reservoir warning (only 20 units left!!).  I found out when I went to her school for the pizza & ice cream party they'd earned (for Most Spirit, woohoo!).

I tried to bolus her, and she freaked out.  She didn't want me getting her pump out in front of anyone!  (Ahh!!  It's not a secret..will this ever end?)  Anyway, I pulled out her pump to learn she only had 16 units left!  When was she going to tell me about the Low Reservoir?  And the choices for drinks were canned Sprite and bottled water.  Umm..if you have diabetes, you generally opt for the least sugary.  Especially when you don't know if you'll have enough insulin to cover a 38 gram drink, two pieces of pizza, and ice cream!!

Because it's the end of school, I tried to breathe in, breathe out.  (Oxygen so totally helps my brain when I'm losing it, btw.)  (I actually read that when you are super stressed, you stop operating from your pre-frontal cortex, and begin thinking with the less mature brain centers.  (ie: caveman brain) and you lose the capacity to think rationally or react calmly.  And also lose the capacity to treat your family in a kind way.  So breathe.)

Anyway, we bolused her, she didn't eat the second piece of pizza (sacrificing it for ice cream I think), waited to be served dead last (getting the ok from mama, maybe?), and putting no toppings (chocolate, caramel, chocolate chips, sprinkles) by choice.  She's a sweetie and knew she had to be careful.  Diabetes sucks.

Monday was Clay's awards ceremony, and he received All A's and B's and a Citizenship Award.  He's a good student and was a little disappointed he didn't receive an award for science.   He's got a very good grade, and he's been gathering fish for the teacher and taking them in..he was just sure he was teacher's pet, ha! : )

Mary Claire's was today, and she received All A's.  She's smart, and has really been working to bring up a couple borderline B's!  And she did it, yay! : )  We had a small Last Day of School party after school.  Just some balloons, swimming, hot dogs, chocolate strawberries, and strawberry shortcake, and friends!  (Strawberries were .98 a quart today!  So, I had to get six quarts!  And find things to do with them!)  There are a few chocolate strawberries left, and not quite a quart that was just washed to eat fresh.  That's it.

I went in to say goodbye to the kids' middle school nurse, she's been so sweet.  I got their supplies, snacks, care notebooks, etc.  She was telling me that I know more about diabetes than so many other people.  That I understand it better than some people who've had it their entire lives.  (I told her it HAD been ten years, haha!)  I guess I just kinda get it, and I have a math-y brain, so it's not that hard for me.

And that I had *great* training early on from Children's Hospital.  They had a nurse call-in line that was open every day from 11a-2p, and you might wait on hold for 30 minutes, but you got to talk to a HUMAN, and that was sooo worth it!  You could talk numbers, and I created all these charts to record her carb intake, bolus ratio, correction ratio, how much exercise she'd had, any illness, when her site was changed, and even what foods she'd eaten.  

up above the hour, I'd write the :14 or :30 to tell the time for the record, and I wrote every food that crossed her lips.  Good for figuring out glycemic index and her reaction to fatty/high protein foods too!

I kept these for four years.  They were my training wheels.  And then one day, I just quit.  I think I'd grown out of them.  And now, when I feel a change on the horizon, I start keeping them again.  After two weeks charting, I can kinda read where the issues are, and I make changes.  Sometimes I even do them on the fly.  BUT, I still have my original notebook from day one, and still record every time I've changed her basal rates or bolus ratios!  I feel like the nurses and dietician answering the phones and teaching me made a HUGE difference in my education.

I learned about the glycemic index, that baked potatoes (and even healthy-ish chips like Baked Lays!) were faster to affect her blood than orange or apple juice.  And just how exercise dropped my baby, but excitement could raise her numbers!  It was a science.  I wish this opportunity for all my T1D mama friends.  Wish I could teach them.  But I don't want to be a know-it-all.  And sometimes they don't want to know.  Lord, sometimes I still want to stick my head in the sand! : )

Ok, so the pictures!  They are from JDRF 2014 Walk Kickoff (still working on a NEW team name!) at the Naturals Baseball Game, a field trip with Mary Claire's sixth grade to the Tulsa Zoo, some award ceremonies, a few of my baby being adorable, and anything else I found on my phone, haha!  (ps-these are for forgetful-future-me who loses her stock of pictures off the hard drive..it's only happened twice, but I'm learning!)

When a child of mine decides to spray sunblock all over my windows..they get to scrub it off (and wash the painted part too)!

 

**I found this blog post sitting on my computer ready to post..I guess I got busy last week, ha!  I'm getting ready for some judging on my house.  A busy time.  Cleaning windows..setting the table..making beds, haha!  I've done so many fun projects-I made Ethan's curtains, painted jars for hydrangeas, glazed huge letters, I need more time in my day to WRiTE about them! : )

Hope you are having fun with your family and friends this week!  Hugs!

Yelling and Whispering

Hey ya'll!  I'm coming to you L-i-V-E from...Branson, Missouri! : )

We've shopped till we dropped, and we've dropped at the hotel for the night.  We always take a shopping trip around my birthday..woohoo! : )  We found some good deals (Polo was 30% off the entire store, and then I had a coupon for 20% off my purchase ; )  Good thing..since Ches asked for 4 white polo shirts!!  What?...Yep.)  It's been a great day.  We also got to see our friends Dina and Sara who live here! : )


I've accepted that my kiddos are growing up..I made my maiden voyage into...Aeropostale!  The music was sooo loud-it was like being at a concert.  I actually had to yell at the employee and lean my ear to listen.  I wanted a size chart, and they didn't have one.  I had NEVER been in there, but heard from the "cousins" at the shore that it's a cool place to shop.  And it was, but there was a learning curve.  (for my fellow unexperienced Aero-shoppers, they only carry juniors sizes!) (so..your young child, 9 or 10-ish, will wear an X-Small, FYI).  I was totally asking if a Medium was 7-8 or 8-10.  They couldn't figure out what I was talking about...now I know why. ; ) haha, what an experience.

And tonight we went to the IMAX to see Tornado Alley.  It was not as emotional as I thought it'd be (especially seeing it with Angie, my friend from Joplin).  It brought up so many memories, both of tornadoes we've lived through, and the ones that have taken lives in ou lifetime.  They are still doing research to give us a 15-20 minute lead time to take shelter.  I'm thankful for the time and energy the TIV and VORTEX2 group has put in for our safety.  And thankful for the National Science Foundation for giving them a grant to continue their research.

and Tomorrow, more shopping! : )  I'm so thankful for our families, and the time they gift us with each year.  It's a restful, recharging, verbal catch-up : )  I love it, and need it.  I'm praying for you to have a recharging weekend too!  Call, visit, or email a friend and talk about your life.  Sometimes we have to share a whispered secret. ; )  ..maybe I'll share one with you?  heehee  Sending you big hugs! ; )

Take a Friend

What a great couple of days!  We are so blessed to have such great friends : )  Summer really is made up of a lot of little fun things every day.  Sometimes my kids remember the odd little games or prayer time together rather than the big events (Disney) when we are on vacation.  I'm trying to do more little things. : )

Yesterday the boys and girls split up and I took Mary Claire and her friend to the Fayetteville Public Library...*love* that place!  We got lots of books, videos, music, and a couple playaways. (they are audio books on mp3 players!)  And since I didn't have Ethan, and they wanted some time to look alone?  I got to check out some parenting books.  (so thankful there is a parenting section in the children's department!)  I'll tell you all about a few when I get more read-such amazing lessons for kids.  Sometimes we lose sight of where we are guiding our kids.  We have to keep the end goal in mind. : )

Fayetteville Public Library

The patio is outside the children's section, and the "garden" is roof over the parking deck, so if the kids fall over the rail, they only hit grasses-so safe! heehee ; )

So..today we started at Boingo Bounce (indoor jumpy place!) with Sandra and her girls.  We watched the l-a-s-t shuttle launch on Sandra's phone (can you believe it's the last one?),

Last Atlantis flight, photo credit: Gary W. Green, Orlando Sentinel

and the kids sweat and generally wore themselves out.

I was super-worried about Mary Claire this morning.  She was 126 when she woke up, but she gave herself a bolus for breakfast (a yogurt), but kept leaving it laying around-not eating it or even opening it!  When we got ready to leave, I told her to take it with her, she ate about half of it, but she said she didn't feel like eating the rest of it (extremely rare for her, she *loves* to eat!).  I got a little panicked since she was getting ready to jump and run (and was really likely to go low!).  I set her on a temp basal of 0% for an hour, knowing it'd make up the .4 that she probably didn't eat.  Would it work?

About 11:15, I saw her laying on the floor.  I ran over, and asked her if she was low, and she was mumbling, but after repeated asking, said no.  What the heck was she doing on the floor?  She told me she was tired.  (Maybe she was running out of steam after not eating breakfast and playing so hard?)  She was 112, so she'd made it.  SCARY!

We ate lunch with the kids at Lenny's, then went by the church to straighten the books and set out new envelopes.  Next, we came home and swam with one of my friends, then Mary Claire had a friend over to swim.  The boys were wiped out.  Ethan fell asleep on the couch.  Sweet boy.  I know he's too young to give up naps, but he has.  He tries so hard to keep up with the big kids! ; )

Then we went out to eat for dinner, and took Mary Claire's friend along.  We also decided to go to the movies! : )  We all didn't want to see the same movies, so we split up and I took the girls to see Monte Carlo.

It was a sweet movie, and I liked that for the most part of the movie, Selena Gomez hardly wore makeup.  She is just gorgeous without it, but I love that it encourages other girls that they are just perfect without it!  The girls did get close with some guys, but the culminating scenes with each "couple" involved a kiss.  Not too bad.  They did assume another's identity to get a vacation of their dreams, but admitted wrong and lived with the consequences.  They were all so cute, and instead of wearing 40 outfits (each like I thought they would!), they wore mostly the same thing since their luggage was left behind in Paris! and they only :borrowed: Cornelia's clothes for the big events.  Ok, all this to say, it was a good movie, and didn't make the girls think they needed big cities, or bright lights. : )

We're all home, and getting ready for bed.  Thankful for friends tonight, my kids' friends, and all of you!  I pray that God blesses you with the counsel of Godly friends (Proverbs 27:9), with sweet company, and that you make some special little memories with your kids (or friends or families)! 

No one has greater love than to lay down his own life for his friends. John 15:13

Mocha Turtle

Sandstone Gardens (in Joplin) is my absolute favorite place.  The chicken tortilla soup is amazing, and the decor...even better.  I got a few things: a box turtle (he's concrete), a bird's nest with eggs, a big roll of burlap "ribbon", and a really big lantern! (it's about three feet tall, with glass in a wood frame, and it has an opening door!)  It's just beautiful. I have a picture, but it's on my phone and I forgot the USB connection wire to my computer (and..therefore the charger too!).  I'll get it up when I get back home.

Sandstone sells (and makes) tons of concrete, and then custom colors it for you.  It takes about 15-20 minutes to wait on it.  They have about 2000 designs, a catalog (that's pretty rough-looking!), and oh..it's just so fun to walk around and explore all the neat stuff!  I took my turtle the way he was (mocha dark), but you can have natural, aged, mahogany, green..it goes on and on.  It's neat that they can age them right there for you!  I found so many beautiful things today.  It gives me great ideas (lots of lanterns right now, birds' nests, birds, crowns, glass, tree branches, animals, fountains, architectural remnant lamps, each thing is more beautiful than the next, it just makes you want to go home to clean and decorate for the season! : )

My sweet friend, Tiffany finally had her baby today!  Bless her heart-she was in the hospital on Sunday, dilated to a 3, and 80% effaced, but they sent her home-even though her contractions were 3 minutes apart!  How do they know a baby is not imminent?  I mean..in the next 24 hours?

Her water broke at lunch today, and her husband hurried back from Van Buren to meet her at the hospital, and Veronica had her kids in the car outside!  (Poor Tiffany went in alone!)  What a day-and I'm so thankful that Veronica was there to take her to the hospital-that girl was listening to the Holy Spirit today-there's so much more, but suffice it to say she was really in tune with God's will.  I know God will bless her richly.

Angie and I are in Branson now (after our afternoon in Joplin!), and we'll be here until Sunday afternoon.  Lots of shopping, eating out, some relaxing, and we'll catch up with Dina and Sara while we are here!  (Our friends-the girls at Gymboree!  That's what happens when you continue shopping at the same place over and over and over, year after year! : )  What will we do when our girls are too big?  Ummm...cry?

Precious days with our friends are just that..priceless! : )

I might be a Reject...but I have great friends!

Remember the crazy blinged-up sling we did for Mary Claire with a monkey and imperfectly-spaced rhinestones?  Well..my friend Jenifer had rotator cuff surgery a week ago, and we had to Bling her Sling! : )

For the first one, I just monogrammed it-very preppy with navy and hot pink-too sweet!

And then.  Before Bunco tonight, I loaded up a (really glitzy, sequined-appropriate for the occasion, don'tcha think?) bag with my iron, and blingy iron-ons and rhinestones! : )  I got to Candace's house (our lovely host), and heated up the iron.  (She can't really be without a sling, so we have to keep them close to her-she wore the monogrammed one while I blinged the rockstar one:

This is the only pix I got!  We were just enjoying the moment, and I never took my own picture!  Can you see the sequined guitar, the glittery Rock Star words and star, and wild rhinestones?  Perfect for a night out with the girls!

We had so much fun today, shopping at Hobby Lobby, lunch with little Ethan at Jose's (we were so hoping for Doug to notice we were there-Jen even "checked us in" there for a free dessert!  but he didn't notice till this evening.), and blinging, and Bunco.  Precious moments with friends are SO worth the time (and the hair washing, at least ten clothing changes, getting out of slippers, forgetting the chocolate cake calories, and braving the chilly cold!).  Thank you, God, for friends and honesty...

I emailed my "paragraph" that I intended to send into Bethany Christian Services to my friend (yeah, that preliminary application I sent in last night?), and I asked for her honest opinion.  I won't quote her, but I laughed!  She said she was glad I loved kids, but I might be moved really low on the list! : )  She said, "they don't make loving, peaceful, caring kids!"  "Don't you remember Mary Claire's colic??" (ha-yes!  I also remember ALL of my kids having at least a month-long bout with that crazy "illness" that drives you over the edge with panic, worry, and hair loss.  It is NOT fun.  But we made it through!  I think I meant to convey we couldn't handle drug-withdrawal babies.  I did complement it with my desire for any race (biracial included), and my insurance company's acceptance of all pre-existing conditions.  But, that wasn't enough-we'll be last on the list (if we get any further!  Ha!).  I LOVE a friend who can give me what I need-honesty included!  I love that we know each other well enough to ask, and to give those hard words.  Even if I don't get a baby due to my stupidity, at least I can be thankful for knowing why! : )

I gotta get you a picture of this game my friend Susan got for Ethan-we've been playing it most days.  It is murderous and hilarious all at once.  It's called Smashed Potatoes (by Play-doh):

You make these little potato people in these forms, then you start on the bag of potatoes.  Spin the spinner, and move along little dinner plates.  If you land on the Mash spots, and your playmates land on the green squish spinner spot, they get to mash everyone (on Mash spots) into french fries, waffle fries, scissor them up, or chop them with a green knife!  (you can also choose not to butcher your playmates, sweet afterthought).  If you die, you go back and get molded into a new potato.  So, you are back to square one plate one.

Ethan laughs hilariously when he gets to chop them up, but they have faces, and he just cuts them in two!  My job is the potato-maker.  He likes to have a small army of at least three of each color, at the ready.  I really love the game, but can you imagine being the inventor-lets cut up the little kids' potatoes!  (bahahahaha..Evil Laugh)

I love the game, would totally play it a million more times, and might even get if for another little boy, but girl..probably not!  She might cry when her sweet little purple potato gets the ax.  (and mine wears a bow)  Sadness.

Can I add that we just checked Mary Claire's blood for her midnight check (I know it's only 11:30, but we are tired, People!), and get this: she was 100!  First.  Time.  Ever.  We are real Rock Stars!!! : )  Sometimes the stars line up!  About every 6.6 years?

Bless my Friends

My baby is still sick, but getting better.  He hasn't thrown up today, so Yay! (progress)  He's held down lots of liquids, and now toast and fruit snacks.  He's sleeping now, and I hope he's healing.  Lots of prayers going up!

I haven't gotten to shop since he got sick, so I don't have a kitchen towel to monogram.  I'm so bummed!  I even have new stuff to work on, but it's hard to sew and hold my baby, and rub his tummy.  We've pushed the pause button for the week!

I had a meeting with Mary Claire's teacher this morning.  She hasn't been doing her best work, and she's too smart to not.  We are going to find a cool homework folder this weekend, and whatever she doesn't finish in the day will go in there.  She can be messy (surprise!), so things get lost, and sometimes she totally redoes them, then finds them.  She also hadn't turned in some spelling sentences, and one of them was in her folder finished.  The others we couldn't find, so she'll be working on those this weekend!  She's in the high reading group, but if she doesn't pull her weight, she'll have to move down.  I think it'd be letting her off easy!  We'll see how she does.  She likes to put forth the minimum effort required, unless it's something she's chosen to do (not unlike lots of us!).  I get it, but this is school, and she'll have to do better.

We have two teacher birthdays coming up in the next week, so we are hustling.  One is on Wednesday when the kids are out of school, and we have cupcakes, a picture of the kids with the mat signed by them, and then the kids are all going to bring little things.  The other is next Monday (after break), and we don't have a for-sure plan, but another mom and I are going to watch her class in the afternoon so she can leave early-I hope she does something fun! (not get groceries!)  She's so sweet, so we just asked her what we could do.  She couldn't think of anything, but another teacher said we should give her a nap-time, so it got us thinking! : )  We'll just watch the kids, and she can run away. : )  I'm thinking I'll make one teacher some stationery maybe.  She is super-thankful and sends lots of thank you cards, so she could use them! : )

We had requested a babysitter for tonight, but she never told us for sure, so I have a feeling it's No now.  She was trying to get tickets to see Harry Potter (I think Ches is going to take Clay next Tuesday after school!).  Anyway, Ethan is sick, so it's not the best night.  It is nice to go out and reconnect, but maybe we'll talk next week. heehee : )

Ok, Thanksgiving is in less than a week!  Hmm..what am I thankful for?  My friends.  My childhood friends who shared playdates, backyards, and dolls with me.  My junior high friends who shared secrets, notes, and sleepovers with me.  My high school friends who shared shoes, boyfriends, and car rides with me.  My college friends who shared more notes (class this time!), decorating ideas, and lesson plans with me.  My teacher friends who shared books, time, and copy paper with me.  My baby momma friends who shared potty training, shopping, and maternity clothes with me.  And my big-kid momma friends who share party ideas, school help, and their kids with me.  I love you all dearly.  I'm so thankful I got the chance to know you and adore you even if we are miles apart now! xoxox

They used hammers!

We started out with no plan today-always an awesome day!  Clay had no baseball games since Arkansas was playing (home) number one-ranked Alabama!  It was an awesome game, the Razorbacks played sooo well, but lost in the last four minutes.  Sorry, guess that's why they are number one.  At least we gave them a good game! : )

Anyway, we headed out to Lowe's for their craft and found a Field Trip!  We were going only because the project today was fire trucks, and they all wanted to make one.  When we got there, they only had puppet theaters (which Mary Claire was ecstatic about!) AND they had fire trucks, the Safety House (the old smoke house), and an ambulance-FUN!

So, first they made their project. They got all the wood pieces (precut for safety, of course), and they nailed them together following the directions:

Then they nailed on the curtains.  Ethan was too young to get a kit, but this nice lady came over later, and gave him one!  She said sometimes the people working don't let the little kids do one, but she always does-it was so sweet!  This afternoon, Mary Claire helped Ethan build his out on the driveway-I love a girl who can use tools! : )

 
Then we moved on to the super-cool machinery!  First we got a good look at the huge firetruck-it holds 750 gallons of water-all the time.  It is 12 years old, and is showing some wear inside.  The outside is perfect (guess they don't get door-dings!), but the seat and seat belts are well-worn.  I hope they are still safe.

We learned all about the valves, the axes (for breaking down doors, or even walls),

and the hoses.  They use the water in the truck first, and if it's going to take more, they hook up to a hydrant, refill the truck, then pump the water, so they have higher water pressure.  It was very neat.  Ethan was ready to move on, but we'll be back!

Next, we visited the Safety House.  They purchased it with a grant-it's a trailer they pull and show at schools and use to teach about fire safety.  There is a tiny kitchen, a "living room" and a "bedroom".  In the kitchen, they talked about a leading cause of fires: kitchen fires-usually on the stove top.  Then we moved to the living room, and the number one reason for house fires: smoking, and the number two reason: child-started fires.  We learned about locking up lighters (oops-I guess I can always learn something!), and calling 911, and who comes when you call.  Then we went to the bedroom, and talked about hot doors, smoke, and how to get out, and where to meet your family.

The kids all got to crawl out the window to "escape" the hot door-totally the highlight!  (but I had a skirt on, so I ran out the way we came in-kinda embarrassing, but better than flashing people!!)

Next, we went out to their mailbox (the kids pilfered in their mail..), then checked out the ambulance!

And then..back to the big pumper truck!  Clay hadn't seen it yet, so we went back for another go 'round: (and I love all the compartments and organization!!)

So, then they took turns sitting in the driver seat (Clay's in the passenger seat):

This is the rear passenger area of the big pumper truck-he's checking out the helmets and oxygen mask:

Then the big ladder truck came!  The firemen leveled it, and put the ladder up: 75 feet in the air!  (Clay wanted to go up, but no.)  We explored all of its compartments-here are the tools for extricating people from their vehicles.  Hurst makes the Jaws of Life, and these are pretty much the same thing: HUGE Cutters:

She says, "Look how BIG the tires are!" And I quizzed the Cap'n about them.  He says they have to be replaced every two months since they all turn, and it wears out the ones to the left of her in the picture so fast-so I asked why they don't rotate them?  He says they just started that!  (I can help them save money!)  (I also noticed their fire extinguisher was last checked in 2004, so I pointed that out too.) (I'm sure they love people like me.)

Ahhh...good day.  Then we came home, had cheesy lunch (quesadillas, grilled cheese sandwiches), and some naps.  Then Mary Claire had a friend over and all the kids swam all afternoon!  By 5:40, I was getting hungry!  We decided to eat here, since tomorrow Ches and I are going out.  I got busy cooking (grilled chicken, stir-fried veggies, wild rice, and peaches/grapes), and we all had a great dinner.  When we were almost done, Mary Claire asked if she could have her friend spend the night.  They rode bikes to get her stuff, then played puppet theater some more!  (thanks, Lowe's!)

The kids watched some silly Fred videos on youtube (then I stopped it after I heard some questionable stuff about teachers), and they got ready for bed.  It was 9:40 before I went back up and told them all Lights Out.  Ethan was a cutie-he was still up reading!  He smiled so big, so I had to take just one more picture:

 

Ahh..so thankful for today-and the firemen and EMT's who protect and serve our city.  What would we do without them?