Firestation 2-

We visited Station 2 on 9/12/12

(we had to go on a Wednesday because Peter and I went out of town on Friday)

This station has 1 fire engine 

and

1 Medical Unit (Ambulance)

A few notable things:

There is a fireman at this station named Blaze.

Isn't that the coolest name you ever heard for a fireman?

Station 2 is currently the oldest station in Gwinnett County. 

 It's a little smaller than Station 1, but it's a great group of guys.

This was another temporary truck like we saw at Station 1.  But, still cool!

Fireman Blaze let Lucas put on his gear

charmed I'm sure...

he looks like a drill instructor in this one

pirate??? not quite sure what this face was about!  But, what a cool helmet!

Here are the fireman from Station 2:

Parks, Blaze, Cory Lucas and Lieutenant Jakerry

Lucas's First Baseball Game!!!

Could a boy have a more exciting weekend?
First a firestation visit on Friday and then his first Tball game Ever on Saturday!  He loved the game, and stuck with it all the way through.  One of the coaches did have to tell him not to "hit" the other guy from the other team as he was running between bases from 1st to 2nd.  Later, I asked him why he did that, and he said he didn't like him and he was cheating.  Kind of funny, because the kid was just doing what he was suppose to do, but Lucas just didn't want him to score.  I hope he isn't going to be the player that starts a fight out on the field--and he doesn't have baseball confused with football...lol


Here he is when he got up to bat.  All business...

I found myself saying "run lucas run" ...

a boy just can't resist playing in the dirt.

Yeah!!! That's a Run for Lucas!!!!

Up to bat again...

his bucket o'stuff in the "pen"

They WON!!! 18-17! Go Reds!!!

Here's the sweet part.
He was so excited, but he thought his best bud on the team, Grant, actually won the whole game because he ran in for the final score!  He didn't think his run or any of the other runs made a difference. It was Grant's final run that won the game singlehandedly.  We smiled and said indeed his score along with all the other kids helped win the game.  It was a team effort!

Afterward he was so excited that he said we should eat cake!
Sorry to say I didn't quite get to that, but we will one of these days.
He just kept talking about it over and over again for 2 days.

And this is just the beginning!
So excited for the boy and his hard work and that he even understands now how to play--So amazing to me! One proud momma.

"handicapped"

Why does that word throw me?
I mean it really is a descriptor.
I don't consider myself a PC kind of person that gets offended easily because someone used the wrong word to describe something.
I have a plate on my car that is considered a "handicapped"plate.
I park in "handicapped" parking.(when Lucas is with me and I feel it would be a better thing for him)

So here's the story:
The other day I was talking to someone at baseball that doesn't know us well - yet.  But, we are getting to know eachother.   I like her.
We were talking about how I had put Lucas into PeeWee baseball but when he went to the first practice the coach called me and said he might be better suited for Tball since he hadn't played before.  I had already dropped him one level per the age they normally would have put him in for PeeWee.  So it kind of became a big deal at that point for Lucas.  What I heard in the conversation from that first coach was that they suggested it so he could learn the skills needed and it would be a little more laid back than the PeeWee's.  I could see that team already had skills he didn't have and it was obvious they all understood the game well.  I chose to put him in Tball, especially since it is a Fall league with the hopes that he may be able to play PeeWee in the Spring.

Back to the conversation with my new friend...
She asked if they put him in Tball because of his "handicap"?
Why was I taken aback by that?
His legs are obvious.
He runs well, but not quite as fast as the other kids.
There are some obvious differences.

I told her I didn't think so.  I thought it was more because he just doesn't have the skills quite yet since he has never played the game in his life.  At least that is what I am hoping was the reason.

But, it made me realize.
I don't think of him as handicapped.
I just don't.
I rarely cater to it.
I expect him to do the stuff I ask him to do and figure out a way to do it.
Admittedly, I don't think he will ever be a balerina.  But, that was never my goal for him anyway.

The reality is the world does see him as "handicapped'.
So in my own mind I'm thinking what does that word really mean and why would it catch me off guard so much? Do I have an issue with thinking someone who is handicapped is less than ?
Maybe that's the bigger issue?
Am I thinking handicapped means something that would label him as less than capable of doing things--mentally or physically?  Is that why it bothered me?  Is it because I see it as an obvious defect or delay or inability to accomplish something?

I think her question forced me to ask myself if I have an issue with that word.  It was a completely innocent question.   She is not the bad guy here.  It just made me wonder how other people see Lucas and how I view the labels that could potentially come in his life.  If he is labeled as "handicapped" that will give him an excuse to not live up to the goals he sets...(ie being a fireman)

The whole thing made me reflect on my own issues with the word not only for Lucas's sake but also for how I personally percieve others that could be handicapped.  I have to check in with my own judgement and how I view them.  convicted!
Whenever something like that offends me so much--I should always ask myself "why?"

Mt. 7:1-3

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Firestation Fridays--Firestation 1

This may be one of the craziest things I have committed myself to.  

As anyone who's ever read this blog knows, 

we have more pictures of Lucas and firetrucks than anything.  

He is obsessed.

Well, since we homeschool, 

and

since I can find an excuse to create school out of just about anything...

We are doing a sort of Unit Study on 

drum roll please...

you guessed it...

All The Firestations In Our County!

Now, that may not seem like a big deal, until you realize we live in the largest county in our state.

so,

that means

30

yes

THIRTY

Firestations...

Each Friday we will go to a firestation 

(sometimes a different day if something else is going on that week)

I am giving him a map to follow to show me how to get there-Geography

We will visit the sation and count how many firemen and what equipment they have and create a chart or graph of it as we go along--That's Math

We will talk to them and write down how they answer a series of questions-Language Arts/Social Studies

We will talk to them about how they use "Science" as they fight fires

and the list goes on.

Then we are going to create a scrapbook of it and put it all together taking pictures, etc.--Art anyone?

Have I fallen off my rocker?

Am I a tad Crazy!

Probably yes on both accounts.

and

I am not really very good at follow through on big projects like this, 

So

Let's see how this goes shall we?

FIRESTATION 1

Lucas in the car

giving me directions...

That may have been his favorite part of the day

Telling ME where to go...lol

The card you see on the top of his clipboard is a picture of him with a paragraph on who he is and how to contact us if they want to.  We are leaving these at each station.

Welcome to

STATION 1

1 Med Rescue Unit

1 Fire Engine

As always, the Firemen were AWESOME! They took all the time we needed to ask questions, touch stuff, open every door of the trucks, have Lucas sit in the trucks, etc.

 Fireman Adam

 Ah ha...that's HEALTH class (Science)...Lucas learned how to take his pulse!

These are used to prop up cars, etc that might slip or fall-more science- that's Physics!

 The infamous Sheet Rock Puller...(one of Lucas's favorites)

 "why do you have such big tires on your truck?"

 Jaws of life...

 This Station has a Med Rescue Unit--We learned this is different than an ambulance.  It has equipment on it for fighting fires as well as the medical care it provides.  Ambulances are simply medical.

 A stair wheel chair that can get people up and down stairs..

 Unit 1

 Med Unit

The Firemen of Station 1-B shift-

 Firemen:

Matt, Ryan, Joel, (Lucas) Adam and Cory

 And as usual on a hot sticky day in Georgia..one of the guys sweetly put on all that gear so Lucas could once again pose with fireman Ryan in his Turnout Gear.

 Then...to top it all off??? They gave permission for Lucas to SPRAY A REAL FIREHOSE
(a small one mind you or he would have been knocked to the ground--) but he couldn't have been happier...

 ya baby!!!

 Thanks guys...you are going to be a hard act to follow!!!