"Fire Engine Birthday Party!" (part 1)

Ever since my son's nursery school field trip in the fall to our local fire station, he's wanted to go back. I told him I'd take him to visit soon but I never did, and whenever we'd drive past the fire station, which is almost daily, he'd say that he wanted to go in.  Cut to when I was planning my daughter's Barbie birthday party in February and we both asked him what kind of birthday party he would like.  Not seeming to understand the question, I gave him a choice.  "Would you like a fire engine party or a dinosaur (his other recent interest) party?"  His immediate response: "Fire engine birthday party!"  And there you have it.  So, for the past 3 months, he has been referring to and  informing everyone he knows that he will be having a "fire engine birthday party".  Here's the kicker: he's been convinced we're having it at the firehouse.  We drive by and he points to it and says things like, "after we go to the grocery store we can go to my fire engine birthday party!" All I would think was what a let down it would be when the day of the party arrived and we'd be in our back yard and not at the fire station : /  And then, a small miracle happened.  The flier for my daughter's elementary school spring fair came home and included was a list of the silent auction items up bidding.  At the top of the list?  "Firetruck/ambulance for a child's birthday party!"  Retail Value: priceless.  PRICELESS INDEED!  I instantly became a mother obsessed.  That truck would be mine!  I waited patiently for the spring fair, which had been postponed several weeks due to weather, to arrive.  The evening of the fair arrived, I took my mission seriously and for a $100. donation to the school, I had won my fire truck!  Now, the listing was for a fire truck/ambulance and  I had been wondering all along, "does that mean no fire engine and just one of the red rescue trucks?"  It didn't really matter because I knew my son would be thrilled with any form of the fire department showing up at his party, but I really wanted a full on fire engine.  I also wondered, "would the fire fighter coming be dressed in his full fire fighter garb?"  I mean, they're heavy and hot and it will be June and maybe they'll just wear their blue uniforms, which would be fine, even though the full fire fighting suit would be so cool.  So, next, I make the call to the fire department to go over the details of the event and the super-nice, fire fighter I spoke with said, "so they'll probably be a fire truck and an ambulance and about 4 or 5 fire fighters."  Whoa!  I told him to bring extra oxygen for my 3 year old son.  I was too embarrassed to ask if the fire truck was the big fire engine and any of the fighters would be in their big, heavy, fire fighting gear.  I was pretty sure I had already sounded like enough of a dork when discussing the date and time of the party and when to arrive.  I figure I'll be surprised by the whole thing.  It'll make it that much more exciting :)  Oh, the fire fighter added that I shouldn't panic if they didn't arrive on time because if there was a call, they'd have to take it (well, I sure hope so!) but that they'd be here.  Sweet! : )
"Fire Engine Birthday Party" planning is under way!  Stay tuned...