Friday was my preschooler's field trip to our local fire station. We met in the parking lot across the street, the kids donned their Engine 2 paper hats, and we marched across the lawn of the station and into the entry hallway. After approximately two seconds, the speakers crackled to life, and dispatch sent across a fax requesting aid for a roll-over car crash extraction.

About one minute later, we watched the big fire truck (my favorite!) pull out of the garage, and silence descended. There were 20 preschoolers and their parents crammed into a small room, and no fire personnel left to oversee our tour.

So, we waited. And we waited. The kids were really pretty patient, but when the plexiglass windows started to steam up, we decided to move into the fire station's great room. The teachers gathered all the kids on the floor, and had them sit cross legged. The parents hung back, not wanting to interfere. The teachers were not inspired to lead the kids in song, or tell them a story or anything. The kids and the teachers just sort of sat there and stared at each other.

"Kinda makes you wonder what circle time is all about, huh?" I stage-whispered to one of the other moms.

The station's other engine returned shortly thereafter, and that crew came in and did a quick double-take. Why, hello, fellas! There's a bunch of four year olds sitting in your La-Z-Boys. The moms hung back and swapped "that time my kid called 911 and the cops showed up when I was fresh out of the shower" stories. Knock wood, we haven't had THAT particular problem yet.

Finally, the kids made it out into the garage to see a firetruck. So, so exciting.

Although, frankly, the kids were more interested in the giant exhaust hoses that hang from the ceiling.

Lucky for us, we got to see those hoses in action, because two seconds after they started to talk to the kids about the different areas on the truck, there was another call. Grass fire at the high school!

"Betcha it's some kid's stash in a locker." I said to one of the other moms. She looked alarmed at that concept. Whoops.

For the second time in less than half an hour, we found ourselves alone in the fire station. After a quick consultation, we decided to cut our losses and head to the park, after a quick self-guided tour of the bedrooms.

Sadly, we didn't get a group shot of the kids with the fire truck, but it was still adorable, all fifteen seconds of it.