take your child to work day

This is so embarrassingly overdue, but sometimes you have to swallow your pride and finish a blogpost, 5 months in the making. Since I, Tony, am the one who took the kids to work, it is my responsibility to write about it. We started off the day with a nutritious breakfast. The kids liked getting up with me.

Carrie insisted on a picture as we left for the day and made me take an oath that I would take pictures throughout the day. I did my best.

The kids may have actually been the most excited for the bus ride to and from downtown Kansas City. We took a seat in the back of the bus so that we could all sit together. They beamed as they watched out the window and had their own seat, no car seats.

My boss had all the kids there for the day take an oath, not too dissimilar to the oath every federal worker takes their first day on the job. The kids were unsure about doing it.

They gave the kids each a goody bag, and Lauren instantly started eating the candy bracelet in it.

The first stop on our tour of the federal building where I work was down to the police office, where they probably arrest someone every other year or so. I was proud of the kids for mugging it up. Perhaps Will was a little to natural taking a mug shot.

I put the kids in the holding cell without actually shutting the door. Lauren was having NONE of that as she screamed, assuming I just locked her in jail. I consider this her scared straight moment.

Upset with their father, the kids took out their aggression on the training dummy.

Next we went out to see their police cars. They let each of the kids get in the driver's seat and make the alarm go off. Will liked it very much, given his new love of all automobiles.

Then we got to interact with the K-9 officer and his dog. The kids were fascinated as the the officer showed them how the dog can smell drugs or a bomb when human beings cannot. They were fixed on the dog, and like a John child should, they kept their distance from the dog. They have a healthy fear of any dog that comes up past their knee and is not totally docile.

We came back to the office where my friend and coworker Kelly had arranged activities for the kids, centered around the theme of everyday superheros. The first game was one where the kids got to crumple of paper and throw it at each other. Will got into it, and the kids each won a puzzle which made them very proud.

Then we started talking about superheros. Kelly asked if the kids could name around who had superpowers. Lauren exclaimed: "Jesus!!!" which made me proud, while I hoped her earnest answer did not upset the less religious people in the room. Everyone laughed. Will decided to create a superhero named "Zooman". He has animal powers, as you can tell from the picture.  Lauren was not interested in drawing anyone.

But I icould get her to color in an award for a coworker. Kelly got the kids to do us a service by creating awards for our team that were going to be handed out the next day. My coworker Chris got a very purple award.

We finished up the day by watching cartoons in my boss' office. These kids are all going to grow up together as they are all so similar in age. It will be fun to see how they change year to year.

Tuckered out from a hard day at Dad's work, both kids passed out on the bus ride home. Lauren totally passed out, and a minute after I took this picture, she slipped backwards and hit her head on the window.

I am grateful to work in an office that takes this type of thing seriously enough so that my kids could come and have a fantastic time with friends and their dad.