Downside to Being Married to a Firefighter

For the most part, I love this life.  We can divide and conquer when it comes to the kids' activities and I don't (usually) have to run around like a lunatic.  I can watch TV - what I want, every three days - whether he likes it or not.  I enjoy having the bed to myself, believe it or not.  I wake up and get the kids moving easier, when he is not in bed with me when that alarms goes off.  I can keep the TV on as long as I want, without worrying about whether or not it is keeping him.  You get the idea.

But, that I also means that every third day, I completely hold down the fort alone.  Kids getting sick, houses being broken into, ER visits...that is all on me.  

Tonight is one of those nights.

Nothing has happened.  There was a pounding on the front door around 8pm...setting the dogs into an alert frenzy.  Our neighbor came over at 9:30pm on Friday, with a similar event.  He wanted to make sure that we had not needed something.

So, when this happens again, to us...it makes me wonder if someone is checking houses.  I let the LEOs know and the neighborhood watch group.  And I let the dogs bark - inside and out.  I wanted them to hear AND see my big dogs, if they were indeed watching.  So, there are lights on, doors locked and vigilance is in place.  had our neighbor not stopped by, I would have presumed it was a night of ding dong ditch, but when it is both our houses...I begin to wonder.

I am not quite ready to go to sleep, gives me the opportunity to catch up on my DVR...

Have a good night and hug those firefighters tight.  Happy Monday.

Things That Go Bump in the Night

You know how it is.  You're sure you heard something, but you don't want to wake him up and take the razzing for being the damsel in distress.  Except that he's not here.  And that means there is no one to bust your chops if it is all for nothing.  But after our home was invaded six months ago, I am much more trusting of my gut, even if it means I take some crap if I am wrong.  There are four sleeping angels who trust me to keep them safe.  I need to do that.  

I know I have a couple hundred pounds of canine that have thousands of years of guarding instincts running through their veins.  I also know that there is an amazing firewife just next door.  Our FFs work the same shift and she would be here in a heartbeat.  There's another fire family - with the exact same house number just a few streets away, that I am certain would be here if something was wrong.  I know I am okay.  I know the kids are okay.  The pyrs are sleeping soundly - one by the front door - because B fell asleep on the couch and I left him there - and the other at the foot of my bed, protecting me.  They will tell me at their first inclination that something is off.  And they will protect us to their death.  I know that. 

But as I started to drift off, I heard something.  And the adrenaline kicked in.  And now I am WIDE awake.

8AM mass will be here soon.  I need to turn off my radar ears and get my juices to quit flowing quite so quickly.  Netflix will rescue me, I am certain.  But, what if I heard something...

Ahh, the things that go bump in the night.  Such is the life of a firewife.

Kiss your firefighters, tell them how much you love them.  Hug your kids and be sure they know how amazing they are.  Everyday.

One of Those Scary Nights

We all know what can happen to our FFs on the job.  When we think about it, we shove it to the back of our minds.  But, we forget about what can happen at home while our FFs are on shift.  I have talked about the curse of the Blue Shift quite a bit.  It is the holiday shift.  My daughter has had to be taken to the hospital.  You name it, it always seems to happen on a Blue Shift.


But, they are all inconveniences.  Things that annoy us because HE is not here to help deal with the headaches, but they are just that...headaches.


Tonight was different.  I went to bed early, I wasn't feeling good.  I sent a text to my hubby.  When he got back in, I saw that left me a feel better message.


I fell asleep watching last night's  Smash.  I have no idea what time it was.  The next thing I know, there is an all dog alert.  My boys go running and barking like crazy down the stairs.  A key...in the door.  Someone was futzing with the lock and the kitchen door opened.  


My dogs are big, loud and protective and got out the door. My purse from the island is the only loss. AND for some reason my wallet was upstairs.  I think one of the kids may have taken it upstairs to my room when we cleared the table for dinner, it must have fallen out. I let them chase whomever it was out my back door.  They are lucky they got the gate to close, my boys would have followed them forever to protect their flock.  It is the nature of the breed.  I found my phone in the mud, when I went back out just to check to make sure the gate was locked.


So, I am here at 4:23 am.  I called into work, sleeplessness and stress lead to seizures.  I need to get the locks changed and probably talk to the management company about who has keys.  I thought we had them change the locks when we moved in. I need to get the kids off to school with some sense of normalcy. I have every light on downstairs.  Bear is following me everywhere, literally laying across the bathroom door when I have to go potty.  I wish my FF was here.  The kids slept through the chaos.  I have to decide how much to tell them and how much to leave out.  I have to stress not only closing the gate so the boys don't get out, but locking it...all without alarming them.  


And I have to make myself feel safe in my own home again.  How do I do that?  Especially when every 48 hours, I a responsible for keeping my kids safe and secure.