A Good Day for Tommy

One thing I have learned as a mom is how great it can feel just to know your child is having a great time doing something new. Today was Child Safety Day at the local volunteer fire department. Brian volunteered, and Tommy and I went to have the car seat checked. While we waited Tommy was given a new hat, colored for a contest, received a great pig-shaped piggy bank, met a big fuzzy bear (Daddy in disguise... ssshhh), and had his face painted. The best part, though, was climbing in the fire truck. We walked around to look at one, and there happened to be a volunteer fireman standing around the back. He saw Tommy and asked if he wanted to get inside, almost as if he actually had to ask. He lifted Tommy up into the driver's seat, and Tommy had suddenly arrived on cloud nine. I did snap a few pictures on my cell, though I wished I had the digital with me at the time. Later all the kids wanted nothing but to play in the fire truck and were all running around, I think making the lone volunteer firefighter in that area a bit uneasy. Tommy jumped in the back and buckled himself in, and he was happy to just sit there, pretending to go for a ride. After other parents gathered their kids again, and it again quieted down a bit, a little girl came in and joined Tommy. You would think they had been friends for a long time, all strapped in next to each other, wearing matching firefighter hats, showing each other their newly painted faces, and pretending to be some very silly firefighters. It was very cute.

We also had a police officer take Tommy's fingerprints. I have to say, I hope I never have to see that again. I mean, I know it was for a good cause today, but it was still a little weird to watch a police officer take my son's prints. Of course, a woman came around with a camera just then, too, and snapped a polaroid of Tommy at the fingerprint station. I'm not sure if it was meant to fit inside the child identification book or whether she was just snapping photos of the event, but throw in a verticle ruler on the side, take away the smile, and we would have had a mugshot to match. Okay, he's only four. It was still kind of funny.

Speaking of which, we went through a sobriety checkpoint on the way home last night. (No, of course we were NOT fingerprinted.) I don't think I've ever been through one before. There are more of them out here, though, than there were in New Hampshire, which I appreciate. They usually catch quite a few drunk drivers, too, which is both good and bad, I suppose. We didn't see anyone who had been taken aside for a sobriety test. I both hope they caught some people last night and hope there were no drunk drivers on the road. Let's be realistic, I know.

Anywho. I should be studying... or something.