"Safety Day" at the Town Park

We had big plans for today - and they bombed. I am so thankful that the kiddos are at that age where almost anything is exciting, because today really ended up being lame. The highlight of the morning was the trip to the grocery store - which they actually like quite a bit because they get to drive the silly race car cart around the store. They are turning the steering wheels and beeping the horns like maniacs the whole time and cackling like made men. After this little adventure we came home and did some snacks and a nap.

The big adventure that was planned for the day was actually a trip to the park for Strasburg's "safety day." There has been a flashing highway sign, a flier in the water bill, and fliers around town. SOoooo...in seeing this much billed event and the promise of helicopters, K9 dogs, fire trucks, and more - I thought what the hell? I'll bite. I play local yokle and take the boys. (Never mind the weird fact that it is being held from 1-5 on a Tuesday.)

After the nap they get up and we have lunch (tuna noodle casserole, which they love! and broccoli, which they also love - we are so happy our kiddos eat real food :-) ) and start talking up this fun trip to the park. I change the diapers, pack the to go bag with spare dipes and juice, camera ready, everybody has on shoes, grab the single stroller because I know someone will want to be carried at some point and it just plain hurts now that my belly is so big, and load into the car.

We get to the park and there are several fire trucks (the ladder truck was clearly the winner of the afternoon as far as my guys are concerned) and a lot of Rescue Squad folks just standing around shooting the breeze with each other. No 'hello! how are 'ya?' - nothing. So we wander over to the police area. No dogs. No nothing. Just a whole bunch of cops sitting around shooting the breeze - again - no pleasantries. So I am looking, looking, looking....no helicopter(s).

BUT....there is a huge inflatable bounce house. Kiddos are only 2 - this will make it all OK, I think. Until we try to let them get on it and see there is no adult manning the thing and a small group of 5-6 preteen boys have taken over it and have pulled up the ladder and are being rather dangerous and totally clueless to the fact other smaller kids might want to actually get on the bounce, too.

We end up in the regular old playground, which thankfully makes the boys happy. As we are making our way to the playground I look over and see ALL the fire trucks leaving - but it is only 4:15 and this thing was billed as going until 5. Later, on the playground we see the police cars leaving, too! It is now about 4:45. Still not 5:00.

Really - how can a town advertise a "safety day" with all this stuff and a time frame and then simply not deliver on the vast majority of it? And leaving early? WTF? Doug and I have said we realized we were going to have to start doing some of this silly town stuff with the kids, but when you go through the trouble and they blow it...it is hard to feel like trying again. And they wonder why so many people never support anything in town....

So I am pissed at the town, but grateful that the kiddos are little enough that it didn't matter to them. This will be a small window, I know.