Last Wednesday, Hunter and I visited my old friend Fireman Dan at his fire station. When we arrived, Hunter was just up from a short nap and was in a raging bad mood. Fireman Dan took us inside the station right away and all the guys were great about talking to Hunter and snapping him out of his bad mood. They even noticed that he wore his special “Fire Chief” shirt to visit them!
After we saw the inside of the fire station, we went outside to see the trucks and spray the hoses. Hunter wasn’t so sure about the hose situation, but once he got to flip the lever, he got a little more into it. 
I wish I had a picture of the moment the firefighter asked if he wanted to take a ride in the fire truck! He was all over it! Fireman Dan took us around the block in the fire truck and even let Hunter blow the big horn a bunch of times. I only felt a little sorry for the people in the neighborhood… Hunter’s face was priceless. He told me it was “only a little bit loud.” When we got back to the station, Hunter hopped down and pointed to the ambulance and said, “Ride in that.” Fireman Dan was a champ and said of course… so we went around the block again, this time in the front of the ambulance! Now every time we see a firetruck or ambulance, Hunter thinks we can just get out of our car and go for a ride! When we got back in the ambulance, Hunter went around and around the trucks exploring all their levers and buttons. Fireman Dan showed him all the gear and Hunter declared the Jaws of Life, “Super cool!!”
Our visit ended when the firemen got a call and had to leave in both trucks! We got to stand outside and watch them zoom out of the station with the lights flashing. As they turned onto the road, the sirens went on – what an exciting end to our fun visit!
Thank you, Fireman Dan! Hunter talks about his rides in the ambulance and fire truck every day, especially when he is scared to go to bed and we tell him to think about happy things! I will post some pictures soon of the time I took my nephew Alex to the SAME fire station, TEN years ago, when Fireman Dan was working, and he was awesome then, too! Thank goodness for the fireman connection… it makes me look like a cool aunt and mommy!
