We stop by now and then to visit FireDad at the fire department when he’s working a 24-hour-shift. We did so tonight after we ran some errands. They hopped out of the car, marginally hugged their daddy and climbed onto a fire truck. Being a Fire Department Kid has benefits. They played for a bit, talked to some firefighters and then it was time to go.
In fact, while I was talking to FireDad, BigBrother let himself into the car, got into his booster seat and buckled his seat belt. That’s quite a change from what the Leaving the Fire Department scenario looked like, oh, four years ago.
Oh yeah. That’s a classic. So is this one:
I like that you can see a booger in his nose in this one. Awesome.
And, of course, I just took pictures. And snickered. I mean, what can you do but laugh at that face. It is the face of complete and utter horror. “You’re taking me away from the woo-woos? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? I WANT TO STAY WITH THE BRIGHT RED WOO-WOOS!” He called them woo-woos until well after he was two. I kinda miss that.
Not the screaming, mind you. But the woo-woos.
It’s not that the screaming doesn’t still occur from time to time. LittleBrother is two years younger, of course. And then there’s the whole We Overstayed Our Evening Welcome and Pushed Their Bedtime and Now They’re Overtired and Screaming So Loud that it Echoes in the Garage scenario. And there’s also the But Mommy Was Mean and Made Us Clean Our Playroom Today So We’re Going to Act Like Daddy Is Our Favorite and Scream That She’s Taking Us Away scenario. All good times, let me tell you.
Begging and pleading never worked to get them out when they were absolutely hysterical. Yelling only made them yell louder. Bribery was the only thing that ever made them stop screaming, blink through their tears and wonder, “Now, does she really mean that I can have a special snack — something like ice cream — or is she going to give me some carrots and hummus and call that special?”
The face kinda looks like this one:
The pause is enough to get them in the car and get on our way home. I’d really kind of rather that they throw their fit about the un-special snack at home than make passersby think the firefighters are beating small children. Whatever the case, tonight felt like some kind of turning of a page. Leaving the fire department without tantrum or debate or even a question. In fact, I was told to quit dawdling.
What new chapter awaits us now?
Because I have blogged this, they will through an Epic Tantrum when we leave the Fire Department next time.
