It is official. After the testing, interviews and waiting - my FF will be entering paramedic school in September. I couldn't be more proud, but he seems to be dealing with mixed emotions. He has not had that big fire. I think he is afraid he will miss out on it or get rusty if he is in the box for a few years. I am certain he will be just fine. I am also looking at it from a practical aspect. We have lost $32,000 combined in salaries. I left the public schools in order to be able to afford a private education for our kids and he left the public schools in order to follow his dreams. Any money we can get back will help make life a bit more comfortable. I am also looking to the future. My FF came into this life a bit late in the game - he is 35, his classmates are in their 20s. He would like to work as long as I am working, but I am not sure he could fight fires that long. I am planning on teaching well into my 60s - I enjoy it. I am not planning on being a 55 and out kind of gal (although I would be teaching for 34 years if I did!). If he is a paramedic, when firefighting gets to be a bit more physically than he is comfortable with, it allows him to work a bit longer. I think it is a good move for us. He agrees and is looking forward to being the paramedic that gets put on an engine in a few years - best of both worlds.
What is interesting, however is the schedule change. He will be going back to a quasi normal schedule - 8 hours days - and I am not sure I will like it. Ironic, isn't it? Mind you, he is on a schedule that includes 3 out of 4 days ON starting this Friday, so I might be singing a different tune in a week. I think I might have actually begun to adjust to this wacky schedule. I have started scheduling kids' appointments and having time scheduled when he can take the kids for me, etc. This '9-5' schedule will be going on until the new year when he finally gets back on a rig. Never thought I would be actually miss this goofy schedule! But - on the bright side, he will be home for all of the holidays AND for the 2 kids' January birthdays.
So, now we are on to this next phase of our journey as a fire family. I am certain that this will be a much smoother transition. I have adjusted a year of curriculum to pull from and am starting from scratch for next year. I have learned how make things work, get the kids going, who needs to do what. I will also have all four kids in one place, rather than having to drop each of the girls off at a different location before the boys and I begin making our hour journey to school.
It is official. After the testing, interviews and waiting - my FF will be entering paramedic school in September. I couldn't be more proud, but he seems to be dealing with mixed emotions. He has not had that big fire. I think he is afraid he will miss out on it or get rusty if he is in the box for a few years. I am certain he will be just fine. I am also looking at it from a practical aspect. We have lost $32,000 combined in salaries. I left the public schools in order to be able to afford a private education for our kids and he left the public schools in order to follow his dreams. Any money we can get back will help make life a bit more comfortable. I am also looking to the future. My FF came into this life a bit late in the game - he is 35, his classmates are in their 20s. He would like to work as long as I am working, but I am not sure he could fight fires that long. I am planning on teaching well into my 60s - I enjoy it. I am not planning on being a 55 and out kind of gal (although I would be teaching for 34 years if I did!). If he is a paramedic, when firefighting gets to be a bit more physically than he is comfortable with, it allows him to work a bit longer. I think it is a good move for us. He agrees and is looking forward to being the paramedic that gets put on an engine in a few years - best of both worlds.
What is interesting, however is the schedule change. He will be going back to a quasi normal schedule - 8 hours days - and I am not sure I will like it. Ironic, isn't it? Mind you, he is on a schedule that includes 3 out of 4 days ON starting this Friday, so I might be singing a different tune in a week. I think I might have actually begun to adjust to this wacky schedule. I have started scheduling kids' appointments and having time scheduled when he can take the kids for me, etc. This '9-5' schedule will be going on until the new year when he finally gets back on a rig. Never thought I would be actually miss this goofy schedule! But - on the bright side, he will be home for all of the holidays AND for the 2 kids' January birthdays. 
Good luck to you and your husband. Medic school is tough but worth it.
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