Look What I Did and an Update :)

During the last week Brian and I decided that it was time to tackle the backyard, hence the pretty flower.  When we moved in last year the backyard was a disaster zone, and it has remained that way.  Gophers, a giant cactus, patchy grass, and weeds ruled the backyard.  I already wrote how I started destroying the cactus.  Well, it is no more!  I showed that cactus who was boss.  Well I did for the first 98% of the job, then Brian finished him!!  Then, on Saturday, Brian made me a planter box for a veggie garden.

Does it not look awesome?!  We cleared the ground together, but he made the box.  That baby is sturdy!  :)  We planted two zucchini plants. The third as supposed to be bell peppers, but I grabbed the wrong one.  So instead we have a caliente pepper, which are MUY CALIENTE!  So if any of you likes the feeling of your mouth being on fire, please let me know, I have some peppers for you. :)  Not bad for our first project!  Brian is making another box this weekend, but it will be bigger then this one.

One Monday, I started "our" second project.  I cleared the ground for another flowerbed.  Then on Tuesday, after A's dentist appointment and two trips to Home Depot, I finished the project.

First half...

Second half.

Not perfect, but come on, I did it all by myself!  Yes, I did hurt myself once.  I smashed my finger between two of the cinder blocks.  It hurt really bad.  I was thinking a lot of bad things, but only managed to say "OH! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!".  Then I practiced labor breathing techniques.  It still hurts.  Today, after taking the girls out for breakfast and the mall for our super fun girls only time, I cleared the ground for the second box and a pathway. Since that is the project for Saturday, I thought I would get a head start.  It feels good to get stuff accomplished, but I am sore!  I will get a rest tomorrow, since it is Thursday and I have other things on my plate.

Tomorrow is Brian's last day of phase one.  Next week he starts phase two and switches to grave shift.  It should be interesting for all of us.  Brian has not met his new FTO and is both nervous and excited for the change.  At home, we just got use to his current schedule.  He is gone before we get up and gets home (if he comes home) right before bedtime.  Now he will be leaving just as I am leaving to pick up the girls from school, and coming home (if he comes home) just as we are leaving to take the girls to school.  There is a chance that, even if Brian makes the commute home, A and H will not see Brian at all on the days he is working.  It is just another new normal for us, and we will have to get use to it.  And we will, just in time for it to change again.  ;) 

Well I should get to bed.  The girls are on Spring Break this week, but still want to wake up at the break of dawn.  I can only ignore them for so long before they attack me.  Tomorrow they will be especially excited because we will be getting ready for our big trip on Friday.  On Friday we are going to the San Francisco Zoo with Brian's academy roommate and his family.  We have not taken the girls to San Francisco yet, so we are all pretty excited.  Plus, Brian and his roommate can refresh the BROmance. ;)  Good Night!

Blessings,
~Cara

It Has Been Awhile...

Wow, it has been awhile!  The last week and a half has been crazy.  Poor M caught a stomach bug and was miserable.  A was awarded "Student of the Month" for the second grade!  She then used that to get us to stop at Baskin Robbins during a family walk.  "Look!  There's the ice cream place!  You know we haven't celebrated my 'student of the month', yet."  Smart little cookie.  H has been surprising us with her mad reading skills.  So much for spelling things out to keep secrets from the girls.  Our car spent a couple days in the shop, where they told us it was time to look for a new one.  :(  Oh, and today I decided the big ugly cactus in our backyard needed to go!  I destroyed 90% of it and now I just need someone to come finish the job and get rid of the evidence for me.  Any takers?  ;)

At home, it feels like we are getting used to Brian's work schedule.  Which is good, but phase 2 starts after Easter, and that brings a new schedule.  We still never know if or when he is coming home.  Last week we were pretty lucky!  He had a couple short shifts and came home each night. 

When he comes home during his work days, he;

• greets me, 
• unloads his stuff;
•  goes in and kisses the girls; 
• washes the blender cup (breakfast drink) and coffee cup;
• restocks his lunch bag;
• eats dinner while talking to me;
• sets up his breakfast drink and coffee maker for the morning;
• takes a shower;
• comes back down the stairs to tell me good night;
• goes to bed, and is sawing logs 5 seconds later.  Then he is up and out by 3:45am.  

On his days off, he jumps into the family schedule.  I make sure he gets enough rest, works out, eats healthy-ish, has enough time to do his work stuff, and gets family bonding time.  He makes sure he fills the roles of Daddy and hubby. 

At work, Brian has been busy.  He has recovered 3 stolen vehicles, written a bunch of tickets, spent a shift with a dispatcher, and helped out with his first fatality.  He is improving in a lot of areas, but still needs practice.  Overall his daily scores (from his daily evaluation) are better than we expected they would be during phase 1.  Very proud of him!

Well I should probably go bed.  A lot of stuff to do tomorrow!  Good night!

Blessings,
~Cara

Just Checking in...

So we are now into the second week of Brian being out on the road, and it is going good.  So far this week Brian has recovered two stolen vehicles.  Here is a tip for you:  be careful buying a car on Craigslist. If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is and if you buy the car, don't be surprised when a CHP officer shows up and tows it away.  Just saying.  He also investigated two different hit and run cases. 

The last two weeks have also been very humbling.  Brian knew, coming out of the academy, that he still had a lot to learn.  The last two weeks Brian has been relearning how to drive in traffic, where to stand, and how to multitask on a whole new level.  All of our driving lives we have been told that the safest thing to do is move with traffic.  That does not work when you are in a patrol car.  No wants to speed past the cops, and that makes for a traffic break.  Brian's FTO told him he needs to drive through traffic the same way a shark swims through a school of fish.  Faster than traffic, to keep traffic moving, but slow enough to see violations. As for learning where to stand; at the academy when they were practicing traffic stops, interviewing witnesses, etc. it was not done in active traffic.  Brian is having to learn to pay attention to his surroundings, and to stand in the safest spot.  He is also having to learn to listen to the radio, while writing reports or while driving.  I feel Brian is at a disadvantage when it comes to this, because as a parent you develop the ability to block out annoying sounds.  Brian is having to learn how to overcome this skill at work. ;) To sum it up, break in is a learning process. Brian's FTO tells Brian what he needs to work on and Brian works on it.  So far Brian is improving!  He is being compared to officers that have been on the job for years, he was not expected to be at their level.  It is not all bad.  Brian's report writing skills are pretty awesome!  He also knows the vehicle code pretty well for a newbie.  Area orientation is another area in which he is excelling for a newbie.  I am very proud to see him doing his best.  He is willing and able to learn, and knows he has a long way to go.  He takes everything his FTO gives him and will put it into practice.

At home things are a little different.  We are adjusting to Brian's new hours.  Having him home more is wonderful, but our schedules are having to be re-arranged.  Plus I am never sure if Brian is coming home or staying at my brother's.  Brian has decided if he able to get out the door an hour after his shift ends, then he is coming home.  It is still like the academy in that I am still doing everything I was doing then on the days that Brian works.  Even if he comes home, it is only to get his stuff together and to sleep.  In some ways it is harder.  When Brian is home he wants my attention, and I want to give it to him, which means stuff goes undone.  The stress of the job is a little higher for him and that means a little added stress for me.  When he was at the academy I did not have to worry about what he was eating.  Now I have to make sure I have food that he can take with him that is both healthy and convenient.  Apparently I had gotten out of the habit of shopping for a family of five, because I am having trouble keeping my pantry stocked.  To add to it, the girls have been acting up lately, like they always do when there is a change to the every day normal.  A feels it is her job to argue even the tiniest detail with me.  She has not learned to turn away from me when she talks under her breath.  I have said to her many times lately, "you know I can see that you mouth is still moving, and I can read you lips".  She also has decided "crazy" is in right now.  One day last week she got sent out of her classroom twice for not settling down.  H is turning in to a hypochondriac/ drama queen who likes to spit.  M has been throwing pretty impressive tantrums.  They all have a bad case of selective -hearingitis. So, yeah, it has been fun. 

Alright, it is late.  If I go to bed now, I get to sleep in the same bed as my husband for a couple of hours. :)

Blessings,
~Cara