Down and Out

In my last post I showed my true crazy side and emotions and I have to say the feedback I received from my friends was surprisingly positive.  I was told over and over how other working moms often feel the same way I do but they do their best to keep it together and not show what they think others will perceive as "weakness."  I was very happy that no one "mocked" me for showing my feelings and no one treated me differently.  It felt amazing to finally put my feelings out there and get them off of my chest rather than bottling them in.

Shortly after that post we were able to take the family on a weekend trip to Kansas City.  We had some points for a free hotel from our Choice Rewards that we had to use soon so we settled on KC.  It was a great trip.  We were able to take our kids the T Rex Cafe and we were also able to meet up with my husband's aunt and uncle as well as a friend of mine that I met when I worked at Worlds of Fun.  It was a great dinner and our 5 year old was amazed at the dinosaur environment.  We even let the boys build their own dino at the Build a Bear (Dino) store that was inside the restaurant. Even though it was FREEZING cold that weekend, we didn't let it stop us from doing the things we had planned.  We took the boys to Lego Land and I swear we made our 5 year old's year by doing this.  He is OBSESSED with Legos and is having a Lego birthday party this summer!  We finished the trip with a must stop visit to a store called Cargo Largo.  Basically they get returns and clearanced items and sell them super cheap.  We always find some amazing deals here,  We would be in so much trouble if we lived close to KC.  We were not able to stop at our other must stop locations while in KC, the City Market, because it was so cold.  We love the Arab spice vendor.  Any spice or spice blend you can think of, they have.  They only charge $1-$2  per scoop and I would say each scoop is at least a cup.  We returned home and went back to the daily grind.

Back home we decided our 2, almost 3 year old son, was ready to move in to a big boy bed.  I'm not talking transitioning from toddler to big bed.  Nope, he was still in a crib and was quite content there.  We found an amazing memory foam mattress then let him pick out his bedding.  He chose trucks.  Doesn't really go with the previous jungle animal theme so I guess we have some work to do so the themes don't clash.  He was so happy.  He stayed in his bed all night from the first night.  We have not had any problems with him getting up in the middle of the night.  In fact,  who needs an alarm clock when you have him.  He knows when the sun comes up and he will not let anyone sleep past the moment he knows the sun is up.  Its hard to get mad at the face for waking you up that early .  When he smiles your heart just melts and his dimples....wow...I can't even.  He was so happy about his bed that he made sure every visitor to the house saw his new big boy bed for about a month after he got it.  

The evening we got the bed was going perfect....until bedtime.  Our 5 year old was running around the house after his shower and he slipped on the hardwood as he came around a corner.  He fell and his glasses split his eyebrow open.  So....life with boys is never dull.  Daddy took him to the ER where they were able to glue the gash back together rather than stitch him.  

A few weeks later it was time for our son's 3rd birthday party.  He chose Minions.  To this day I haven't the slightest clue why because he never has seen any minion movies and refuses to watch them at home.  But the little stinker sure knows what Minions say "Banana!!!"  The party was sugar overload.  We didn't have a meal, per say, but we had enough sweets to put a healthy person in to a diabetic coma.  We had twinkies with Minion wraps on them, bananas with minion wraps, minion cereal, minion birthday cake, puppy chow with blue and yellow m&ms, Minion cupcakes, minion fruit snacks, and probably a whole lot more than I cannot remember.  The party was great.  He got some new toys and new clothes and was so happy about all of it.  He got a new tool bench and outdoor gardening and lawn care set from mommy and daddy.  We all had a really good time.  

January 30 marked a very important date in my family's history.  On this day 20 years ago, a fire truck crashed through the front of our house sending my mother to an advanced trauma hospital because she was actually struck by the truck.  See what had happened was there was a flue fire up the hill from us so the fire department was called.  They arrived and someone forgot to block the wheel of a truck.  The emergency brake slipped and down the steep hill it began to roll.  One of the fire men noticed this and tried to jump in to the truck to stop it but was struck by the open passenger side door and thrown in to a row of mailboxes.  He also ended up being transported to the advanced trauma hospital.  The truck then continued down the hill where it crashed through the front of our house and struck my mother who was watching the incident from the front door window.  The fire truck came to rest inside of my brother's room.  Luckily it was a smaller truck.  My brother was on the phone with one of his best friend's lying on his bed when this happened.  Somehow he sustained a gash above his eye.  His mirrored dresser was blocking the door to leave his room but he was able to get out.  He ran out to the living room looking for me and found me sitting on the floor.  He picked me up and took me back to mom and dad's room, which was on the back side of the house and not damaged.  All I remember asking him was "Is this real?"  He said it was and I don't recall another time that I had even been so scared.  I was 11 years old, what was I supposed to think.  Prior to this the most awful thing that I remember happening were some awesome bike wrecks that left some cool scars.  Scars I have to this day that still have oil trapped inside of them because they were not cleaned by the ER staff. Anyway, my mom and the fire fighter made a full recovery.  We lived with my grandparent's for 3 months while our home was repaired.  We moved back in and my family has been there ever since.  

I consider my whole family to be lucky because this could have been so much worse.  I know we had angels watching over us during this time.  My mother was lucky that she didn't get killed.  Not many people can probably say they were hit by a firetruck and thrown through a wall and live to tell the tale.  My brother was lucky in that he was so close to the impact and he only sustained a cut that required a few stitches.  I was lucky in that I didn't receive a scratch but I had been in two places prior to the impact that would have killed me for sure.  I have no doubt.  I remember looking out of my bedroom window at was going on.  I went back to my bed about 30 seconds later and laid there for about a minute before going out to the living room to ask my mother what was going on.  That's when the truck hit.  I was 6 feet away from it.  The impact forced a set of dresser drawers through my brother's wall and into my room which crashed up against my dresser drawers, right along the wall that I had been standing at looking out the window just moments prior.  The impact also threw my brother's television through the wall and it landed on my bed, right in the area of where my head and chest where while I was laying down.  I have no doubt that the force of these impacts would have killed my 11 year old body instantly.  I feel truly blessed that we all made it through this incident alive and in one piece.  I remember that my dad called the house, like he did every night that he was on the road (he is an over the road truck driver) and his phone call was answered by the Sgt of the police department who told him what happened.  My dad made it to the hospital in about 30 minutes of the call.  The drive should have easily been an hour and he was fully loaded too.  He doesn't even remember the drive he has said. 

Moving along....

We finally had some new family photos taken. It had been 2 years since the last set.  The photographs were done by an amazing photographer who made this the least stressful family session we have ever done.  And bonus,,,,he does AMAZING work!!!!!!  Our boys were so well behaved and he just took pictures naturally instead of "posing" them and making them stay in one spot.  They turned out great.  The photographer was Rodrigo Pineda.  Below are our favorites!!!!

The month of February brought us a much needed double date day out with our neighbors who have blossomed into our best friends (sorry Cassie, I have more than one but I still love you!!!!)  We went to the Goodwill Outlet, Ikea (where we spent waaaaaaaay toooooooo much money) and to a local root beer brewery where we had dinner and the biggest root beer floats I have every laid my eyes upon.  It was so relaxing to get away.  Us two moms had really been having some stressful days with our children so this was so welcome and so relaxing.   

It was a good thing we had our relaxing weekend because February 19 ended our 24 hour streak of horrible luck.   February 18th my husband got home an said there was a warning light on in his truck.  The company said that he should not drive it anymore because the whole transmission could just lock unexpectedly.  So we used our insurance roadside assistance and had the truck towed to the dealer we bought the truck from.  The next day we received a phone call that the truck was fixed and it was covered 100% by the warranty.  AWESOME!!!  A few hours later we received a call that said our truck had been hit on the parking lot of the dealer,  but the damages had already been paid for by the striking vehicle.  Still stunk.  That truck is my husband's baby.  That evening I was driving to a small town to sell some crib bedding.  I was not even 2 miles from home and a deer jumped out of the woods and I hit him dead center.  He somersaulted in the air and  caused $5000 in damage to my car.  UGH!!!!  Luckily all is fixed now and no one got hurt. 

We finally finished with IEP testing for my 5 year old.  Basically they said he is overactive, but not to the point that he needs an IEP.  They also said, based on the testing, that he probably has an Autism Spectrum Disorder.  So our next step is to get him medically diagnosed.  The school was also going to look in to a 504 plan for his encopresis and Sensory Processing Disorder.  I haven't heard anything back yet.  It was comforting to know that my mother's intuition in regards to the ASD were not too far off base.  Now we move on and give him a normal life.

March 20th brought the sad news that a former officer of our department lost his battle with cancer.  He was a great man and a great role model.  Our department attended both the visitation and the burial in uniform.  This is the first law enforcement funeral I have ever attended.  It was truly a touching and emotional experience.  We had bagpipes being played and a 21 gun salute.  It was amazing to see how much he was loved by the community he served and protected for over 20 years.  

March 25th I took the boys to an Easter Egg Hunt at a nursing home in my hometown.  My aunt actually told me about it and I am so glad she did.  They had a great time and they were surprised when pawpa (my dad) showed up there to watch.  My 5 year old won a drawing for a gift basket.  It was filled with gift certificates to local places which included the bakery, the fudge shoppe. the candy shop, and the local deli.  He was so happy and beaming with pride and excitement.  The Easter egg hunt in the town we live in now.....well.... that didn't go so well.  My 5 year old was so obsessed with finding the golden egg that he only picked up 3 eggs.  Meltdown City!!!!  Great!!  Luckily another little boy saw this and he came and gave my son some of the eggs he had found.  It was very sweet.  It is good to know that there are still parents out there that are teaching their children kindness, compassion, and sharing.  We also had Easter at my Aunt's house with my grandmother.  We had a great time.  What was even more fun was watching the little kids beat up on my baby cousin (not so much a baby-in college.) It was great seeing the children of the cousins pick up where the adult cousins left off.  lol  

April 8 brought my 8 year anniversary as a police officer.  It is hard to believe it has been that long.  I have developed some of the best friendships both with officers and non officers as a result of this job.  They are all people that I would have never met and I am truly blessed to have each one of them in my life.  These last few weeks have truly shown how much friendship means to these friends.  April 6th I felt awful so one of my best friends, Krista, was gracious enough to pick my son up from pre school, take him to kindergarten screening, then hang out with him the rest of the day.  

I have also been reminded about how much friendship means in this past week.  See, April 17 I ended up getting into an altercation at work after the suspect slipped her handcuffs off.  Without going in to too much detail, since the charges are not finalized yet, I ended up tearing my ACL.  Bascially when another officer and I went to place her on her stomach, I turned quickly with all of my weight on my left leg, heard a pop, and fell down the hillside.  An MRI this past Friday confirmed my worst fears....A completely torn ACL.  I have now been referred to an Orthopedist for news on what's next, but I have no doubt in my mind that surgery is in my near future.  I don't believe there is any amount of physical therapy that will heal this injury.  Right now I am on crutches and only able to place a small amount of weight on the injury.  I feel so helpless.  I feel so useless.  I am trying my best to stay busy and eat healthy so depression does not sink in.  I am trying to stay as active as possible so I do not gain a lot of weight.  I hate feeling so dependent on people.  I can't even get in and out of the shower alone because I cannot bend my knee to get in.   I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared.  I am scared and nervous about this.  Will my knee be the same after this?  Will I be able to play softball again?  Is my age going to hinder or delay my recovery?  I am also nervous and scared about the actual procedure.  I have NEVER been put under before.  I don't know what to expect and I am actually a little scared of it.  I know I have a lot of people praying for me and I will just have to give it all to God and know that he is in control.

As far as friends, I have received phone calls and text messages several times a day checking in on me.  I have friends that have taken me to appointments.  I have my neighbor, and best friend Lea, who has been taking the boys on the days they wouldn't normally be in daycare.  I have an amazing support system an I don't know what I would do without the.

So apparently the black lines on the right should be connected. Lol

Oh yeah... my 5 year old lost his first tooth!!!!!!  He didn't even cry.  What a strong guy!!!

To close out this blog post...here are 3 installments of why my kid is crying!!

I didn't take the "farm way" home

We didn't follow the U haul with the dinosaur on the side to its destination

He couldn't go to the dentist today

First time Blogger!

So, this is my first time trying this whole "blogging thing."  Anyway, for starters I will introduce myself. 

So my name is Mindy.  I've been married to my husband since 2009 and we have 2 of the most gorgeous sons God could have blessed us with, ages 4 and 20 months.  We also have a fur baby that we adopted in 2008.  He is a Golden Retriever/collie mix.  The boys love him, he doesn't love the boys.  We sound like the typical American family right...married with 2 kids and a dog, but here is the kicker...My hubs and I are both cops!  Now we can throw normal out of the window since our lives are anything but.

When we found out we were pregnant with our second child, my husband had the opportunity to switch to the Civil Division at his department which gained him a Monday through Friday 8-4:30 job with weekends and holidays off.  He's pretty lucky right...not so much.  He has had to step up and play Mr. Mom when I work nights so he becomes mom for the night rotation.  He gets the bathe them, feed them, and put them to bed.  I couldn't ask for a more wonderful man in my life. 

My husband served in the USMC Infantry and was deployed twice, the first deployment being to Nasiriya, Iraq during the initial Iraqi invasion.  His unit suffered heavy losses and saw things that 21 year old men don't need to see.  This haunts him to this day.  We were finally able to get him a PTSD diagnosis and he began receiving treatment through the VA.  He is much better now, but we struggle.  His memory suffers a lot and this in turn causes a lot of frustration for him but all I can do it be there for him. Thank goodness he loves to work out and take care of himself, it gives him an outlet for any pain he is feeling inside and gives him a healthy way to let it out.

My boys...  they are just the best thing since sliced bread, but they could NOT be any more different if I tried.  Our 4 year old is super hyper, can't sit still, and is 100% boy.  The amount of stress this child causes cannot be put in to words.  Nothing like walking in to the living room while cooking dinner to see him (2.5 at the time) standing on the arm of the couch with 2 cushions below. I walked in just in time to hear "I'm Superman" and jumped!  Thank goodness he hit the pillows and he got right back up.  We've not always been so lucky...he has had his share of ER visits but nothing ever more than stitches needed.  Our 4 year old started pre-school this year and got glasses.  Lots of changes.  I can honestly say that I wasn't upset when he started school and I had to try not to smirk at all the SAHM crying as they walked away from the classroom.  I guess it didn't bother me since the boys have been in daycare since they were 8 weeks old.

Our lil guy...He is the sweetest child I have ever met.  He melts my heart when he smiles with his big dimples and shaggy blonde hair (that he was born with.)  He is always happy.  He goes to bed happy and he wakes up happy.  The only time he isn't happy is when it comes to food.  That boy LOVES to eat.  I would certainly have 6 more of him if we could afford it, but sadly we cannot. 

As far as I am concerned... I earned a B.S in Criminology and a B.S. in Sociology in 2007.  I was lucky enough to graduate with Cum Laude Honors.  I went to the police academy in 2007 and was hired with my current department before I graduated.  It was great not having to worry about finding a job.  I am one of 2 women in my department, so its fun.  I was the only one for about 4 years.  I don't mind.  If it wasn't for this job, I would not have met my husband.  We met in jail.  Yes you read that right.  We met in jail.  GASP!  I was dropping prisoners off to his department for housing and he finally gained the courage to come talk to me.  He came to me, kicked his feet back and forth like a shy guy, and started talking.  The rest is history.  He proposed 4 months later.  We told that story at our Catholic Engaged Encounter and you should have seen the look of horror on the faces of these "Good Catholic Kids."  Then we explained it, yet there was one couple in there that shook their head in agreement making us think they really did meet in jail, as inmates.  oops.

So I can't really post specifics about my job because I just can't.  But I will try to chronicle my boring life as a part time SAHM and a full time working woman.  For instance, lil guy had his PAT 18 month screening yesterday.  He excelled, which I knew he would.  There was a parents playgroup afterwards.  We shall not be going back.  It was evident they were all SAHM and had already formed their "group"  I sat next to them and not one effort was made by anyone to make me feel welcome.  I guess this is what being the new kid in school feels like.  To make matters worse, some of the kids were down right mean and their mothers said nothing to them.  One child, who was about lil guys size, took toys away from everyone and proceeded to slap, punch, and push my boy while his mother said NOTHING.   I made my way over to him and pulled lil guy away and gently told the other boy "no hit" and still nothing from his mother.  I let my boys explore and I don't hover, but I will not let another child beat up on my kid while his mother says nothing to him.  We work out at the YMCA and the boys go to child watch where they play with other kids, plus they go to daycare when I work so I think it's safe to say they are socialized.

As much as I love my job, it has made me so skeptical of people.  I don't trust a lot of people and I don't have a lot of friends.  Several of my friends introduce me as "Mindy, my cop friend."  I know this happens but you don't see people introduce their friend as "Susie, the teacher" or "Jessie the hairstylist."  Why does that have to be a thing.  I don't know.  We have gotten close as a couple to another couple from my husband's VFW post which is awesome.  I knew them both in high school and we always got along, but weren't in the 'Hanging out" crowd.  They have never introduced us as cops...I like that.  I also have 280 of the coolest girlfriends ever.  While on an "Exclusively Pumping (breastmilk)" group on Facebook I was introduced to the "February Mommies."  These are the most loving and supportive group of women ever.  We are mommies that were pregnant with due dates in February 2013.  There has been loss and heartache for some mommas, but there have been many rainbows after the loss.  I have been honored and blessed to meet many of these mommies.  While almost all conversations have been behind a computer screen or text messaging, none of the mommy meets have been at all weird.  We just get each other.  We were even blessed to stay with someone whose family has become near and dear to my heart through this group when we vacationed to SoCal.  The Guth's allowed us to stay in their RV in their driveway for a whole week.  It was awesome and we were so sad to leave, but we know that it isn't goodbye, it was just "see ya later"

Hopefully I can entertain y'all with my boring little life and I will try my best to post once a week on here or more if I need to!