Fire Stations, Parks and Pumpkin Patches...Oh My!!

I've been having problems with blogging lately. It's not that I don't have anything to blog about, I'm just having a hard time getting a post up. I don't know if it's the fact that I take way too many pictures and have to decide which ones I want to blog. The time it takes to resize them all. Or the time it takes to actually upload and type it all up. I need to be better!!!

Quinn has already had 3 field trips that I have yet to blog about. The first one was to the fire station. I always love going to the fire stations. I get to reminisce about my dispatching days to myself. So I just have to share, for my enjoyment. For part of my "training" I had to go sit with the fire fighters for 2 shifts. I would go on calls...if there were any. The best time was when they had me get all suited up in the gear. When we first got all the gear on, they got paged out to a woman falling in Safeway. So all suited up, actually with only the boots and pants on, I rode on the ambulance and went into Safeway, where everyone thought I was just one of the fire fighter/EMT's...Haha! After transporting her to the hospital we went back to the fire station where they set the practice building on fire. After they got me all set up with ALL the gear on, including the oxygen and mask, I got to crawl in between two fire fighters helping drag in the hose (which is very heavy). They even let me spray the water myself (also very hard since it's so heavy and tons of water pressure). It was so awesome and so very, very hot. I'd have you know, if I didn't have a family, I would totally be a volunteer fire fighter. I loved it!!

On this field trip, right after we got started on looking at the ambulance, the station was paged out to a medical call. All the kids had to line up on the wall, as the ambulance and fire truck left. We almost had to reschedule, when two fire fighter that were training, came back and finished the tour.

Quinn waiting his turn to go into the ambulance. Malcolm was being really bashful and didn't want to participate. Which is so funny, since he's done it twice before.
Quinn coming off the ambulance, he was pretty excited to be lifted out by the fireman.
There's always a few kids that get scared and cry during this part. The fire fighters do a great job of letting them see the real guy and slowing getting on all his gear to help make it less scary. They like to let all the kids know that if there was ever a fire and they saw a guy like this, he's not scary.

Malcolm giving him a high five.

The second field trip was to Reany Park where the kids were all going to collect leaves and such for a nature collage. Malcolm, Winston and I waited for about a half an hour until the class came. Apparently the bus got stuck when it tried turning around after forgetting something.

Malcolm had fun waiting and playing on all the toys. I just loved this picture I captured of him. He is one handsome boy if you ask me!!
He kept posing for me in various parts of the play toy, wanting me to take his picture. Perfect, I loved it!! Here he's making his sad face. So, so cute!
When the bus finally got there Quinn was a little excited to be there. He just wanted to play, and I had to convince him to look for leaves and things. He wasn't there 5 minutes when he found himself a mud puddle to jump in. This doesn't capture the full effect of it. He had it all over his other shoe and up the back of his legs. He's such a nerd!

My little Quinnie. He's a beast, but I love his little personality.

With his bag of nature stuff. I think Malcolm and I picked up more stuff then he was. He was just anxious to get to the toys. I don't blame him really. Especially after sitting on a bus for so long! Quinn was sad when they had to go back to school and was crying. It made me feel so bad, luckily his teacher let me take him home. We had a talk that if he cries when I come, I won't be able to come.
This last field trip was to the pumpkin patch. It was so cold, I was really worried the kids would get to cold. I made sure to take gloves and hats with me. I'm glad I took the gloves. Winston stayed cozy and warm in the sling. I wish I took a self portrait, he looked so cute with his little hat and jacket and then he even fell asleep in the end.

When I was looking through the pictures I just laughed when I saw this picture of Quinn. He looks so cute with that expression on his face.
Each kid got to pick a small pumpkin to take home. This picture would have been so cute of Malcolm with his pumpkin, if kids didn't keep walking by! Haha.
The boys with their pumpkins. I tired getting them to look at the camera, it just never works.
Quinn picked up several pumpkins and would put them back. I finally tried telling him he had to pick one so he could take it home. Then he told me that they were "pokey". Haha, he was right, the stems are "pokey". Luckily I had those gloves, I put those on him and he was fine after that. Love this picture of him. Okay, really, what pictures don't I love of my kids.
Again, I tried capturing a super cute picture of the boys with all the pumpkins behind them. None of them looking. Quinn here is even getting his fist ready for some fighting, apparently.
I love this picture of Quinn. I love to see my boys' eyelashes on their cheeks. They all have wonderfully long eyelashes. (If a girl ever comes to this family, this trait will probably skip her! Haha) During the field trip, Quinn kept telling me he wasn't going to cry. At the end, he still did. It makes me feel so dang bad!! It was better this time. He actually went with his teacher on the bus. I'll give it one more field trip, and if he cries again, I just might have to skip. If I can stand doing that!