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- We’ve had a couple additions to our Babysitter’s and Business Directory, so please check out those pages for information if you are looking for occasional childcare, or if you are interested in supporting our fire family businesses! You can find these pages under the “Member’s Area” tab on our website. If you do not know the password to access the Babysitter’s Directory, please get in touch! Additions:
Business
My name is Natalie, my husband Jesse Dyrland is on Platoon 4, and we two kids, Walker and Monroe. We have been a part of the SCES family for 12 years!
I am a mortgage professional, working with Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Mentors. If you have any mortgage related questions, are wanting to review your current mortgage or are looking into future mortgage options, please reach out. I am more than happy to chat with you
(780) 720-7101
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatalieDyrlandDLC/
Childcare
Name: Jordan Bazlik
Phone: 780 – 953 – 9260 (Jordan’s Mom, Bonnie)
Age: Twelve (as of this writing, December 2019)
Recommended by: Jordan’s Mom and SCPFSA Member, Bonnie Bazlik
Notes:
Jordan babysits for a couple other fire families and is comfortable with all ages. Aside from sports, babysitting is her favourite activity. Lots of energy and lots of fun! A responsible and mature eldest child.
2. Kari Lyn has a crib mattress to give anyway at no cost. It has barely been used and has always had a cover on it. Please get in touch if your baby needs on.
3. One of our association’s friends asked we share this very sweet article about life as the partner of a first responder.
4. In earlier news, one of our members asked for legal advice on behalf of a friend not in our group. SCFPSA Member Brenda offered her assistance as a family law paralegal (a career spanning thirty years). If you could use information in this area, please reach out to us to be connected to Brenda.
5. Roisin writes:
I am making these Christmas items if any one is interested.
Fire Family prices are $20 for The Santa Sacks and Plates are $10.
Message me if you want anything
6. Our Firefighters have been busy sharing information on First Responder Wellness and we couldn’t be prouder! Please see this article by our former Fire Chief Darrell Reid and check our this video featuring Peer Support Lead Ian Clavelle and Strathcona County Disability Management Lead, Denise Annicchiarico.
7. Speaking of being so proud of our own – BIG love and congrats to SCFPSA Member Catherine who, after many years of serving our community as a part time SCES Emergency Dispatcher, was hired on as permanent full time. More evidence our families and community are in the very best of hands!
8. Recently there was a conversation about managing full time work with a family and a shift working family after SCFPSA Communication Lead Katie (that’s me!) started full time work after a decade of part time and work-from-home gigs (and that’s why this newsletter is so late! Sorry!). Many of our members offered advice, including:
- I worked out 6-8 week meal plan spreadsheet with corresponding grocery lists and preloaded each week’s groceries on to the superstore website. It’s been the best thing ever! And also, I’m a nerd. I also worked out a system where Tuesdays are final changes to meal plans, wednesdays populate grocery cart with preloaded meal plan plus weekly essentials like milk, bread, etc. Thursday pick up groceries after work and Friday night prep for the week ahead by cutting every single veggie and meat imaginable. Dinners only take 45 minutes at most to put together after work.
- For meals, I do a bunch of freezer meals for my instant pot (but crockpot meals works too). We also do HelloFresh some weeks. When I’m working and my partner is on nights, we do “quality time” kid exchanges. He gets our daughter from daycare and they head to the park, library etc and I meet them there. Or he gets dinner going for us before he needs to leave for work. I love my instant pot. Cooking meals from frozen in under 30 minutes without having to watch them has saved me on work days. Another favorite is to put 1 cup water in the bottom, a bag of frozen meatballs (homemade or purchased) then top with marinara. 5 min high pressure, 5 min slow release and you have dinner. The meatballs are always ready before the pasta.
- Once a month I go with 3 of my working mom friends to simply supper, it’s a meal prep place. We make a bunch of freezer meals together and go for a glass of wine after. I imagine Sherwood park would have something similar and if not Simply Supper in Albany (North Edmonton) is awesome! On night shift nights we eat simple haha lots of grilled cheese and soup or pancakes are a favourite at our house. I Try and alternate nightly what chore I do.. I wash my floors one night and do laundry the next so I don’t spend the entire weekend doing chores. We both contribute but we do find that you need to do stuff every night in order to stay on top of things. We always have enough to run the dishwasher before bed and I unload it in the am while I make coffee for both of us. Vacuum and wash floors – laundry – floors – laundry. Clean bathrooms on the weekends. I will admit that now that I am quite pregnant (7 months) I have a cleaner come in every other week to clean the shower/tubs and change our sheets.. at this point it helps give us enough time for everything else. We clean up all the toys together as a family before bed.
- Silence the worry (and the guilt that often accompanies it) and know that your (school-aged) kids are getting a valuable opportunity for a bit of independence. It’s good for them to have a bit of time on their own!
- The only thing I would do different if I was at your stage in life is I wish I had really communicated with my partner that I needed him to pick up the slack and be more hands on at home. I was often exhausted and I grew resentful of his lack of participation in house work and child rearing. Save yourselves the marital struggles; equal distribution of all the work will keep your marriage healthy.
- Make and freeze sandwiches for easy lunches and hectic mornings. Bagels and cream cheese and pbj work well!
9. Local 2461 Vice President Elliott Davis sends this meme to remind us it’s that time of year! Please use your family’s hard-won benefits before they run out!
10. Roisin, one of our Outreach Team Members, shared photos from Nov. 1st Convocation Ceremony. If you meet any of our new spouses, please say hello and let them know how happy we are to grow with them as part of Fire Family. Thanks, Sheen!
