I know it has been a while (like months !) since I last blogged, but we have had a lot of things going on that have made me either unmotivated or just plain old busy with no time for it. The most recent changes are that I was finally hired by San Bernardino county as a Sheriff's Communications Dispatcher I Trainee (what a title !!!) after a six month long process. I tested for the position on April 30th, got a card in the mail a few weeks later saying I passed and was in group B, received a call a few weeks after that for an interview which took place on July 18th, interview with my background investigator on August 1st, polygraph on August 22nd, physical and drug test on September 10th and finally had an official start date of October 6th. It was such a long process and I thought I'd never get hired. I work four days a week with rotating days of 8 and 12 hour shifts. Naturally, the 8 hour days fly by and the 12 hour days seem to never end, but I love having 3 days off and really don't mind working weekends. I prefer to have week days off so I can get things done like banking, doctor/dentist appointments, etc. The job is definitely high stress at times and there is so much information to memorize but I think I am doing pretty well after about four weeks on the job. I do dread the day where I get a 911 phone call about a child not breathing. Fortunately, we don't have to do much on our end other than transfer them immediately to fire/paramedics, but we do have to listen in to make sure the child/adult is breathing, and if not, then we send deputies to the scene to administer CPR if they can get their sooner. It really is very different listening/talking on difficult phone calls where people are distressed as opposed to watching a TV show or movie and bawling my eyes out immediately. Thank goodness for that because I was so afraid I'd cry every time we had a sad call. I'm sure there will be a phone call here and there that will affect me and that I will never forget. It happens to everyone there at some point so every one knows what you're going through when it happens. Oh, and did I mention I got to pick my 2 weeks of paid vacation already for next year ? Totally awesome ! :] It has been 3.5 years since I quit my job at the blood bank so going back to work has been a challenge for me. I am so not a morning person (never have been, never will be !) so getting up at 5:15am to be at work by 6:50 4 days in a row is still something I am getting used to. Or should I say, adjusting to. I don't think I will ever really get used to getting up that early, especially since I will change shifts every 3 months ! Some mornings I feel like I am regressing instead of progressing but eventually find my groove again each day and don't feel like such a failure all the time. I have a hard time with not being good at things the minute I start them so I get frustrated when it takes a while of practice to get the hang of it. I know, I know.... get over it, Jamie ! ;]
Starting this past Sunday, Bud officially went back to work after over 2 years on worker's comp. Of course, he is back in Vegas. (At the CA border in Primm, technically.) He is making really good money but it is stressful for me having to make sure we have either preschool or a babysitter for Brett. Our little boy started preschool today (sniff sniff....) so he will be going on Thursday and Friday every week with the possibility of adding another day earlier in the week so mommy has a day to herself when she is off work. ;] He seemed to really enjoy it today and did not cling to me when I dropped him off like I thought he would. After he had gone to the children's area during church over the past year or so, he started getting used to us leaving him in someone else's care and with other children, a.k.a. "friends." It was hard for me to drop him off and not cry because he is finally going to school/day care after being home for the 3.5 years of his life. I know he will love it and he is excited for grandma to pick him up tomorrow !
Here are a few pictures of our little (big) boy from Halloween last night and his first day of preschool today. My mom and I took him trick or treating at my office where all the dispatchers had bowls of candy on their desks for the employee's kids to trick or treat from. :] He was so well behaved there, it was scary. Everyone loved his costume and thought he was adorable ! How could anyone not ?! :]
