I've over a year of experience answering the 911 phones and here's what's happened: I've aided in the delivery of three (THREE!) babies, I've been the last person that somebody has talked to before dying and I know every person that should be avoided at all costs in the entire county. And hey, remember how scared I was of getting my first CPR call? Yeah, I've moved on from that. I've taken more CPR calls in the last year than any other employee (I know, my supervisor told me so). While my two most-used nicknames at work are 'Firestarter' and 'Black Angel of Death', my co-workers have to admit that it's always a fun time when I'm there. Or at least busy. And traumatizing. Starting next week, I am officially Law Enforcement training. Movin' on up! But please don't turn on your scanners to listen to me until I've had some experience. And by experience, I mean until I'm done making a complete ass of myself.
Since I last blogged, summer happened. I don't really remember it and I'm pretty sure I was gypped somewhere in the process. We did get to take a family vacation this year and we spent a whole lot of time at the swimming pool, but it really seems like the entire summer lasted two days.
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| Mae can fly! |
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| Kyler fishes in a very dramatic way |
Family vacation was Colorado. In my constant effort at making my children responsible, I made them pack their own suitcases. I told them ONLY the necessities: clothes, toothbrushes, money, cameras. After driving the "back way" through the night (my brilliant idea that nearly landed us deceased several times due to dark hillbilly highways flooded with deer), we arrived, exhausted, at our hotel at 8am. I was shuffling all the paperwork and pamphlets together that the hotel clerk gave me when I muttered under my breath, "He could have at least stapled them." Mae, who was cheerily unpacking her suitcase, proclaimed, "I have a stapler you can use!" When I turned to ask why in the world she would have a stapler, I noticed that she was hanging her dream catcher above her bed that was lined with stuffed animals. Only the necessities...
For five days, we spent time in Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs and completely fell in love with both...to the point that Kenny was checking out the prices of housing and inquiring about jobs at nearly every place we visited. We hiked through Garden of the Gods three times, ATV'd over a mountain and took a train ride to the top of Pike's Peak. We slept like the dead every single night. One night, we ate dinner at a sit-in restaurant and Kyler was so tired that when the waitress asked how he would like his burger done, he replied, "Over easy." And now he'll never live that down.
Our drive home seemed much simpler since we took the interstate, like we should have done in the first place. You just don't appreciate home like you should until you leave for a while. For me, it's one day. I get homesick so quickly that it's embarrassing. And now that I get to leave the house nearly every day and have social interaction (remember, from the first paragraph?), I just don't ever feel the need to leave home unless I'm taking the kids to the park or the library. Those are safe places that feel like home.
Now, school is back in session (sad mom-face). There's a new app that lets me see exactly what the kids are doing in school, what grades they receive on each assignment and how much money is in their lunch account. It is updated daily. Kyler is not liking this new app, as I am constantly telling him which classes he needs to study for and where he needs to improve. Mae, on the other hand, is loving it, every day opening it and saying something like, "Hmm, STILL all A's."
I've decided that it's either time to clean the house or time to take a nap. Bet you'll never guess which one I'm pulling for. Either way, I'm done with this post. I feel like I've left a lot out but I'm just not used to functioning during the day. Hopefully I'll be back on here before winter!
