Our dd accepted into the Jr. Firefighter program

This isn't an academic achievement but typical of our children's independent spirit and ability to stretch mom and dad's preconceived notions. She had to go through an application and interview process plus earn the vote of the senior firefighters over a period of a month. They recently, unanimously voted her in to the Jr program. She now begins a period of probation and training and will need to pass various tests (physical and academic) to move up the levels in the Jr program before she can actually go on a call.

We are happy for her and the excitement she has found in learning the particulars. It seems the newest decor of her room will be fire engines (the one she will work on once she earns a slot by moving up in levels) and a picture she took of her hook in the station with her fire get up (she told me the official name - which I cannot remember). She cannot wait to start more formal training and study - she has begun practicing jumping in her gear, but begins official training work with the senior overseeing the juniors this Tuesday. She is hooked, it seems, and is at the fire station every moment she can get our permission to go.

What floors me is how quickly she seems to remember things like hose name, size and location on the engine almost instantly and how much fun she thinks it is to get grimy cleaning engines and .... - yet, science terms from a textbook have taken her hours and hours of diligent study and often, frustration.

She seems to have found something suited to her gifts and talents that take advantage of what seemed to be weaknesses for other types of things.

Janet