Indulgence for the last 24 hrs

I am not going to spend too much time talking about the book I finished in a matter of hours because I would like for you to make the conclusion for yourself.  Here are the warnings before reading, have a Kleenex near by and keep an open mind (child like).  It is a book you will feel like you want the entire world to read, so if you purchase this book, I challenge you to read it and pay it forward, by either giving it away and telling the recipient to do the same or simply lend it to someone and have them return it to you so you can keep lending it out.  Either way this book is one that I feel everyone needs to pick up and read.  Below is a link to the website for additional information or just curiosity.

Heaven is for Real

Hope you all enjoy as much as I did!

Colorado 2010

Click here to view this photo book larger

THE LAST 48 HOURS

Below is listed my life in the last 48 hours while my husband worked at the fire station.  Well, the ones I can remember...

1. Sydney's arm got stuck in a restaurant chair and she screamed bloody murder until I was able to get it out.  A nice waitress came over to console her and she told her to go away! 

2. Maddox swallowed an earring (this actually happened while I was walking out the door when Matt finally got home).  Maddox recently told me he is waiting to pee the earring out! OuCH!


3.  Got told to NOT sell the baby stuff because the new brother AND sister that God is going to give us will have nothing to play with.  Please NO!!! 

4.  Countless times I heard, "mom, you are not going to believe this..." followed by an explanation as to why they should not get into trouble due to doing something they were not supposed to do.

5. Maddox gave me a rendition of a hola dancer while dancing to TNT by AC/DC!! 

6. The kids and I were without air conditioning one evening and had to have a slumber party in the basement.  One of the kids turned off the switch to the AC without my knowledge.  The lack of air resulted in a very interesting phone call with Matt and the other firefighters at the station trying to tell me how to fix the unit and what to look for!  There is a reason fixing things should be left to a man!

7. Attempted to eat lunch at Pizza Hut and it took 10 minutes to get seated and after 15 minutes at our table with no service, the kids and I walked out.  While leaving, Maddox says loudly, "this place stinks!!!"  At that moment I realized there is an advantage, at times, having a child with no filter!

8. We added a new member to our clan!  NO more worries about bears while camping in Colorado! I will finally be able to sleep!  
  
Meet Annie, well more formally 'The Pistol Annie'
*credit goes to the newly formed group by Miranda Lambert*

All in all, it was a blessed 48 hours.  Yes, I know I don't have it as bad as others.  However, because it is not my normal routine it does add a little more stress and comic relief at times.  So the utmost respect for those 24/7 single parents, military moms and dads and bless God for not making me one of them (I couldn't handle it).  Being a fire wife can be stressful, exhausting and comical, but I wouldn't want to be any other kind of wife! 


Hope you enjoy!  


Pistol Annies; follow this link to greatness!! New single released on iTunes.

A Weekend Get-A-Way

We actually had 48 hours with two parents in the same place for once!!  So we decided to take the kids and my niece to Oklahoma for the weekend.  The itinerary was hurried and last minute because we wanted to make the most of our time with the entire family, but did not want to blow a hole in our pocket book either!  So after talking to daddy at the station, Friday, before we left we knew what we were doing, heading to Enid, Oklahoma on Saturday to try Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse and Adventure Quest, stay the night then head to Oklahoma City on Sunday morning. 

Daddy comes home Saturday morning, after fighting a fire with one of our best friends who took his family to the Tulsa Aquarium and says, " let's go to the Tulsa Aquarium!!"  This sent me through the roof!  Not only did I scramble to get everything planned and find the best deal on a  hotel, but we had to head out the door to Sydney's TBall game....AAAHHH!!  And he decides to tell me this now!?!  

This is when you can refer back to the 2nd post about firefighting and parenting; we were NOT on the same page and so the roller coaster begins.  We have to learn how to live in the same house again! 

After everything was said and done we decided to head to Enid, stay the night and head to Tulsa in the morning. 

Before leaving for Oklahoma, we had to get Sydney to Tball, at that very moment the boys decide they want haircuts before the trip, so they will meet us at the TBall field (aahh, really, you decide this now?).  But just so you know these, last minute plan changers happen often in our house.  A lot of it has to do with the firefighter's schedule.  It is almost a mentality that, okay well, we are all her together, let's get everything done we talk about that needs to get done, done NOW, no matter what we are really supposed to be doing!! 

Okay back on track... I let that haircut incident go and the boys were out the door.  I continued to pack the bags for the trip and Tball, loading the car and I realize Echo (our dog) is no where to be found!  The garage door is open, her kennel door is open and there is no sign of our dog anywhere and we have 15 minutes before TBall starts and it is a 20 minute drive!!!  Can this morning get any better?!?

Sydney and I are almost crying on the way to Tball, calling daddy to tell him Echo is gone.  Daddy saves the day and goes back home to find Echo instead of meeting us at the ball field.  Needless, to say Echo was found, Daddy got to see Sydney at TBall; which she ROCKED at and we had a fresh start to the morning!  Whew!

And the road trip begins....

While staying in Enid, Oklahoma we enjoyed time at Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse and Adventure Quest.  It was a fun time, but the best part for the kids was the hotel stay!!  They enjoyed the indoor pool, the outdoor pool and the hot tub!  Of course, the best part of traveling is eating, we didn't do anything out of the ordinary.  With kids, pizza at Mazzio's won the vote!  Surprise, Surprise!!  After a tiring day and a night full of crazy Oklahoma storms we headed to Tulsa to the Oklahoma Aquarium.  Now this was the highlight of our trip!

This Aquarium had the kids engaged at the parking lot!  It is full of sea creatures and SHARKS!!  It was amazing and well worth the time and money!  If you are looking for a fun get a way that is inexpensive, check it out.  After 2 hours at the aquarium, no Nance trip is complete without a visit to the nearest Bass Pro Shop!!  Can you believe we spent over 2 hours in the store and no one cried, threw a fit or asked when we were leaving?!  We caught dinner at Los Cabos and had a great view of a beautiful lake. 

My most memorable moment, was getting to see the State of Oklahoma's finest (the police) up close and personal on the way home, while the kids slept and Matt and I prayed we did not get a ticket! 

All in all, it was a great time and the most important thing, we had each other for 48 hours and that is rare.  Here's to more mini trips and family fun!!

Firefighting and Parenting

(Video: Nothing to do with parenting, just wanted to share. )

So I think the hardest thing my husband and I have to deal with on a daily basis after he has been at the station is learing how to parent together.  I find it difficult at times to share the parenting role when he comes home.  I enjoy the two parent household so much better then the single, but getting in the routine of two parents home at the same time, parenting at the same time is a challenge.  

When it is just me and the kids, I get to make the call, I get to decide who gets what and what needs to be done before the TV can be turned on.  When daddy and mommy are home together, the lines are blurred.  I do find when we are fotunate enough to have both parents home for more then 24 hours at the sametime we get in a routine and things run smoothly, then before we know it daddy is back at the station.

I ran across the article below and liked its simplicity and felt better since we do attempt to do most of the things that were outlined!!  Yeah us!!  

Best Parenting Practices for Firefighters

By ourdesigns posted January 4th, 2011

For firefighters, being a parent involves more than giving a child his or her own firefighter sweatshirt or letting them wear your fireman badge. Being a firefighter presents unique parenting challenges that require a twist on traditional parenting practices.

Best Parenting Practices for Firefighters

Find healthy outlets for stress. Firefighters see horrendous things others cannot imagine. They undergo stresses on a daily basis that their families cannot understand, and yet they are expected to act “normal” at home. Firefighters often feel like they’re living a pressure cooker, with stress building up over time. Such chronic stress can cause emotional explosions or other negative behaviors if not dealt with appropriately. It is important for firefighters to find ways to manage and relieve stress on an ongoing basis, instead of subverting it. Examples of ways to relieve stress include participating in a support group, exercising regularly, meditating, talking to a counselor or mentor often, practicing a relaxing hobby, or writing in a journal. Children who see their parents deal with stress in a health manner are more likely to do the same.

Create a schedule. Children thrive on consistency and routine. Firefighters work odd hours, often for days on end, and it is important for firefighting parents to create a routine that involves spending time with the children in-between shifts. Because it can be hard to say that you will go to the park on the same day of every week, plan your routine according to your days off. For example, if you get four days off in a row, you can plan to have a family game night on the first day of your weekend. This way, even though shifts seem erratic, your time at home is not.

Have a united front. Children need to understand that even though one parent may spend more time at home than the other, they need to respect and obey both parents equally. Take time to discuss important parenting issues with your spouse, or with the other parent if separated. That ongoing conversation should include issues such as discipline, family rules, expectations of each other and the children, and how to spend your time off work and school.


Communicate. Just because you are gone for days at a time does not mean you cannot communicate with your children. Modern technology makes it possible to call, text, email and chat with anyone from virtually any location. While on your shift, take a few moments to check in and connect with your children on a daily basis.

My youngest

JUsT LiKE DadDY!

It appears lately my youngest child, Sydney, has been really missing her daddy.  She is normally attached to my side and rarely wants anything to do with any other person.  However since the start of summer break she has been a true daddy's girl.  Hugging on him, laying on him, running to him, holding his hand any thing and everything having to do with daddy.  I notice this change of preference with the kids when Matt has been working a lot.  When he pulls a normal fire day (24 hrs on) and then comes home and is on call for EagleMed for 24 hrs, it gets pretty hard on the kids not seeing thier dad.  I ran acorss this video that was posted on facebook from another fire wife, it is a Trace Adkins video.  Normally, I am not a Trace fan, but this time I think it may be the mix of the message of the song and seeing it play out in the video that pulled my heart strings.  Hope you guys enjoy it.

Link to the video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IheODRwalEw