Field Trip for the Kids, Minus the Trip

Since we've been in Denver I've tried to find an outing to get the kids out of the hotel most days. Today I suggested Nathaniel sleep in a little and drive the car to work instead of walking because Addie decided to entertain us for an hour or two at 4 a.m. this morning. 

So that left me without a car. 

After the children had exhausted their artistic enthusiasm for the day I was just looking for something else for them to do besides watching PBS Kids, which is their default, when I discovered the magical method for bringing a children's field trip right to our door: pull the fire alarm.

I actually wasn't the one who pulled it, but someone did, so we all got to do a practice evacuation down 4 flights of stairs, and play outside in the courtyard where we heard the sirens of distant fire engines approaching. Once the inspection had been made and the alarm deactivated, we went out front to see the fire truck where the fire men came and introduced themselves to the children and gave them all Junior Fire Fighter Badges!