McDaniel Musings: More McFamily Adventures

Every night before I go to bed, I think to myself, "I need to write a blog post and get pictures up before so much has happened that I can't remember it all, and before I have so many pictures that it takes me hours to get them all uploaded." Well, many, many nights have passed thinking this, and each night, exhaustion and the cozy comfort of my bed on a cold night have beaten out sitting at the computer downstairs in the cold (because our downstairs is always far cooler than upstairs).

So here I am, with way too much to write, and way too many pictures to post, but I am determined to get it done.

A few quick pics from my 30th:

I think the last post was about my birthday, so I'll try to include everything that has happened since then, as best I can remember.

Since Kellen's birthday was coming up at the end of October, we wanted to do something super fun and special, something that would mean a lot to him, so we decided to take the kids to tour our local fire station. Kellen is really into firetrucks right now, and he is going as a fire fighter (or fighter fighter, as he calls it) for Halloween. I called up one Friday afternoon to find out about tours, when we could come, etc. Matt's fall break was quickly coming to an end (we really didn't do much for fall break - went to the cabin where the kids came down with strep, came home the next day, and that's about it), and we wanted to get the tour in before we had to squeeze it in and feel rushed. So, during Friday's to the fire station, we schedule the tour for the next day.

Saturday morning 10 am we showed up and the fire station certainly delivered! It was an exciting experience, and we got to see way more than I imagined! It was like something out of a children's book! Fire poles, lots of fire trucks and rescue vehicles, a small museum, the kitchen, dormitories - the works! I guess I expected to show up, see a few trucks and call it good, but I was was really impressed.

Right after walking in, we were shown the main office and the restrooms (which of course we had to stop at with an almost-three-year-old). From there we walked upstairs to the main floor where they spend their time when they aren't actively being heroic. We walked through the gym (where they are allotted one hour per day to exercise), and I found that I could barely lift the lightest kettle ball that they had on hand. That right there told me I could never make it as a fire fighter!

Next we walked into their small museum where they have a modge podge of various historical fire fighting "stuff", uniforms, hoses, mementos - but perhaps the coolest thing was the piece of iron from the Twin Towers that they acquired after 9-11. It was amazing to stand there and gaze at a piece of history and flash back to that day when we all watched the twin towers fall (I was a senior in high school, and I walked into the library where every student and staff member was crammed in watching a couple of small televisions while a replay of the airplane slamming into the building flashed across the screen over and over. Then I was in psychology class when the towers fell, and I remember a teacher from a different room walking into our classroom of stunned silence saying, "You just watched thousands of people die.")

After the museum we found ourselves in the fire station kitchen which was HUGE! They had several refrigerators (which makes sense considering they are there two straight days), lots of knives and pots and pans and cabinets. Basically it was a big kitchen made to feed several hungry men (and I did see one woman fire fighter, bless her heart). I'd never make it.

We walked through their private dormitories where they sleep at night (two beds to a small room - very college like!), and we got to see all 4 of their fire poles! Honestly, never having been in a fire station, I kind of thought fire poles were folklore for children to make fire fighting even more exciting an cool. Nope. I was wrong. They are very much real and very much used. Matt even got to slide down one of them while we all watched!!! That was one of my favorite parts. I tried getting a picture, but the light was bad and there was too much movement so my camera wouldn't fire and I didn't want to ask him to do a re-do just so I could get a picture. :)

Finally after Matt was safely down the pole, we walked out into the massive garage which held SEVERAL vehicles, including the massive ladder truck! It was amazing! The kids got to climb into a fire truck, play with some of the equipment, write on the driveway with chalk, open the garage doors, and so much more!

At one point they said that they needed to pull one of the trucks out of the garage, so they loaded Matt and the kids up into the passenger side of the truck and off they went! Granted it was just 25 feet out of the garage, but it was AWESOME! I kind of wanted to ride, but I was taking pictures, hehe..

In the end, it was an amazing, unforgettable experience - one that I hope my kids, especially Kellen, will always remember. I kind of want to go back and tour it by myself so I can spend more time looking at things and learning more about it all!

Kellen looking back at the trucks. He didn't want to leave.

Let's see, what's next? Oh, parent watch week at Audrey's dance school.

Once per quarter the school allows parent to come to class and observe what the kids have been learning. This was a particularly fun experience for me this year, because Audrey has been in the same class for three years, and it was great to see how much she has improved since she was teeny tiny! I have several pictures to post from that class.

One of the best fun dances they do is the "Tooty Ta." It requires zero knowledge of dance or anything related to it, but it's a fun activity to do with the kids, and I highly recommend you google it, because it's hilarious!

I am so proud of Audrey. She really loves dance, and she has come a long way in her knowledge and technique. Even though she is still only 4, she has learned a lot, and this year she is one of the older kids in class. She's more confident and beautiful than ever! She kept peeking over at me throughout dance class, her eyes all bright and shiny and excited, very eager to show me everything that she has been learning.

The last thing I will write about it Kellen's birthday.

I remember when I found out I was pregnant with a boy, I was terrified. I didn't know how to raise a boy. I was so worried about what I was getting myself into, and how I would ever be able to love a boy as much as I loved my daughter. Would I feel the same about him as I did Audrey? I was really scared.

But of course, as every mother experiences when they meet their child face to face for the first time, I fell instantly in love, and like every mother, I knew no mother had ever loved her son as much as I loved mine. He is so sweet and loving and kind, while still maintaining every ounce of boyishness in his body. He loves to play in dirt and play with trucks and get dirty and bounce off the walls. I love everything about him. He brings me so much happiness and joy that no words could possibly expresses everything that I feel for him. A mother's love for her children could never be quantified with words.

Last year when I was searching for music to play at my Grandpa Nick's memorial service, I came across this song by Bonnie Owens that is my song for Kellen: ( I have one for Audrey too, and I'll post it on her birthday)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8o-9wjVHIo

Kellen had a Cars themed party this year. I made him a rather sad looking Lightnin McQueen cake (I didn't give myself the time I needed to work on it), but all the rest of the party was great! He had such a great time, and got some really great gifts that just made his day!