Tuesday Recap!

HOLY MOLY!  Today is a total recap day.

Diva's talent show was awesome!  She was my little star... and had the attitude to back it.  haha.  She walked the red carpet with her fellow performers, sat in awe of each person before and after her then asked nicely for frozen yogurt at the end.  YIPPEE!  I bought the DVD so Hubby can see it when he gets home... he will be so proud.
Thursday night my 15 year old brother flew in for the weekend.  YAY.  So much fun having him around... he was a great help and Diva was in heaven.  He even helped out with our Surviving Families event on Friday!  We had a blast with 5 families aboard the USS Midway!!  I can't say enough how honored and humbled and proud I was.  Diva met her sister from another mother, she can't wait for her to visit.  When we were sitting there watching them explain the memorial she started to cry and whispered that she wanted to share her daddy with the girls and boys that lost theirs... she wanted to know if I minded.   Of course not baby.
Then Sunday was a LOUNGE day... except said 15 year old brother wanted to spend the $40 he had burning a hole in his pocket.  So he bought a shirt that says "I LOVE BOOBIES".  I just shook my head... what to do with him!  I was super sad to see him go yesterday.  Diva and I relaxed most of the day, hit the pool.  NOTE to self:  Lilly white skin + ZERO SPF Hawaiian Tropic Oil = LOBSTER.  Now I look like I have a permanent white bikini on.  JOY!
Last night we attended a local Memorial Day rememberance event in our hometown.  It was beautiful.  They have a permanent granite wall with the names of all of the servicemembers that have been killed in action since 2001.  It was a celebration yet somber hour where I was asked to read 10 names of service members killed since October - 1 happened to be from Hubby's base in country.  It was heartbreaking.  Diva and I took pictures of the names we knew - too many.  She laid a rose at the base of each panel and thanked them. 
I was emotionally exhausted last night... in bed by 10.  Looking forward to a short week and fun with an Army family this weekend... Maybe I will try some SPF!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in

I love learning more about my fellow MilSpouse bloggers!  I learn so much about my fellow bloggers and can’t wait to learn more. 
Each week, Wife of a Sailor will post a list of questions on Thursday (so you can have your blog ready on Friday). Head back on Friday and enter your blog post into Mr. Linky so others know who else participated and we can all visit other blogs.  And please feel free to use the button above!This week’s questions are:
1. Do you think civilians, in general, understand the meaning of Memorial Day?
Sadly I don’t think the schools teach it very well therefore I don’t think our younger generation understands it more than a 4 day holiday weekend (Thank you Furlough days!)  While adults know they are typically more excited for a day  off work and great sales…
2. What are your plans for the Memorial Day Weekend?
YAY!  SUPER EXCITED!  My brother is in town, he is 15 and hasn’t been here for just some sister time since 2005 BEFORE Diva!  We are taking a group of Surviving Spouses and their children to a day on the USS Midway tomorrow with the Got Your Back Network and then just HANGING out on Sunday!  YAY!
3. What skill/talent do you wish you had? submitted by The 3 Turners
I would take ANY talent… I can barely whistle!
4. Which came first: the chicken or the egg? submitted by I Married Into The Army
Depends on how hungry you are… oddly I can eat chicken with eggs as that’s just weird but typically I eat breakfast first so I say egg.
5. What is the best thing about your post (base)? The worst? submitted by Randomly, Robyn
Yep- reserve family no post to speak of  BUT I can say that the city our unit is in only boasts one good thing to me…. John Incredible Pizza!  I have great memories of Diva and her daddy there the night before he deployed.
The worst… well just about everything else!

Summer Swap! YAY!

I always miss out on all the Secret Santa's and Swaps... but I came across one today and am SO excited!

So many ideas are flying through my head... CANT WAIT!

Stop Telephonin Me-e-e-e-e

Happy Wednesday!

After watching Glee's most anticlimactic season finale last night, and Hines Ward take the mirror ball I am feeling pretty underwhelmed with TV... back to my book writing!  I am not a fan of summer tv, thats for sure.  At least I still have Secret Life of an American Teenager and Army Wives to keep me warm. 

I have been sleeping a little more each night, up to 5 hours now!  My mom asked if I was depressed... nope but I just realized that I have been forgetting my stupid thyroid pills!  I am horrible with pills, thank goodness that birth control was never an issue or I would be octomom by now!  Worst part for me is that I don’t realize that I have been forgetting them until I hit rock bottom and am so tired that I can barely keep my eyes open.  Then a lightbulb goes off, usually the same time the automatic refill people call me… and I have 20 pills left on a 30 day refill and they are calling me to refill for the next month… CRAP!  Back to the pills tomorrow.

This week seems to be taking forever BUT this week has been super crazy.  Tonight is Diva’s big talent show… boy is that girl excited.  Today I am on a mission for a black sparkly shirt and hot pink tights!  We practiced her dance last night, oh yeah I know it (Don’t be telephonin meeee)  Then I am in the final stages of planning and coordinating for a huge event on Saturday aboard the USS Midway.  If any of my San Diego friends would like to go and support several military organization and see Kenny Loggins please see the information below.  OOH and my little brother will be flying in tomorrow for the weekend.  He is almost 16 so he is excited to come and I am excited to have him!

YAY for Memorial Day Weekend!

Jumbled...

My brain is jumbled… oh so jumbled!  I am ecstatic that the end is in sight, well the sorta end before the end I suppose.  Long story short... orders are fickle things in the Army, they can always change!

Diva is not really sure what she thinks or feels right now… a lot of changes in her little life BUT she has her BIG Talent Show tomorrow and I will be SO happy to be at the end of hearing the Kids Bop version of Telephone by Lady Gaga!  I can assure you that song is obnoxious, especially when heard repeatedly in the car, on the iPod and sung by a 7 year old EVERYWHERE!  I am excited to see her and her friends perform their dance as they have worked SO hard at learning the choreography.

All she talks about, when not holding a fake phone to hear ear saying “stop telephoning meeee”, is how it’s going to be when daddy is home.  Is he still going to love us, is he going to leave again… where’s he going to sleep on the weekends cause she sleeps with me.  Normal kid questions, haha.  She already has days planned out with him, a dinner date just the two of them, bike riding and a million other things.  I love her excitement but feel horrible for her fears.

ME… oh good grief the closer to homecoming the busier I get.  We are going to Arizona next weekend for our last Yellow Ribbon event before homecoming.  Thank you to the US Army Reserves for an all expense paid weekend for us to see our friends.  Mini vacation!  Trying to get our next one in Dallas or San Antonio… and make it a hubby and I weekend.  We’ll see!

MilSpouse Friday Fill In

I GOT A DATE!  I feel like I haven't had a new date in SO long so I am beyond excited.  Well... a date to turn his phone back on which means he will be in the states on or around that day and that makes me SO happy.  He won't be home, stupid in-processing... but he will be on US SOIL!

So for your regularly scheduled programing!

I love learning more about my fellow MilSpouse bloggers!  I learn so much about my fellow bloggers and can’t wait to learn more. 
Each week, Wife of a Sailor will post a list of questions on Thursday (so you can have your blog ready on Friday). Head back on Friday and enter your blog post into Mr. Linky so others know who else participated and we can all visit other blogs.  And please feel free to use the button above!

1. What is one of the things you always do special when your husband returns from a deployment?  submitted by Keep Calm and Soldier On

This is our first deployment BUT I always buy one new sexy floor covering item when he comes home from AT and did the same for R&R – Sometimes I have him pick something and send it home for us both to open together.

2. What do you do to help your spouse and/or yourself re-adjust after a deployment or long separation?  submitted by Diapers, Dogs and Deployments

First deployment so looking forward to seeing what the seasoned MilSpouses said.  We always take a few days to ourselves so maybe that will be our thing…

3. Are you a crazy coupon clipper (I’m becoming one, so share your secrets with me)?  submitted by Married My Airman

No- but I want to be!  I just don’t see the point in clipping coupons and driving all over kingdom come to use them… at $4.30 a gallon for gas I need to be realistic!  Teach me ladies!

4. What’s your most treasured memory of you and your spouse (not counting your wedding – that’s a given)? submitted by Scrubs, ACUs and One Crazy Ride

The day we picked up Diva.  We weren’t spouses yet but we were a family and I will never forget the moment they met for the first time.  It was the moment I fell in love.

5. If you could live anywhere overseas, what would you pick and why? submitted by Little Moments Like This

ITALY!  I have always wanted to go there… then I could travel Europe!

Thoughtful Thursday

Meditation is something that Hubby swears by now... me, well sorry I can't stop my brain long enough to focus on eating much less take 5 minutes to relax.  HA, now thats a novel idea!  He is in a room by himself with a psuedo schedule to follow... I have a 7 year old, 2 dogs, a cat, a fish, and a MILLION and one things to do so 5 minutes alone is a joke.  Anyhow he keeps telling me that when I get stressed I need to find my happy place... its always been our post engagement trip to Sedona but now... well here is my happy place~

Missing the East Coast...

Today SUCKS!  I went to bed with a migraine and woke up with… you guessed it, a migraine!  I went into work late to try to get rid of it; I did to a degree… now it’s just this annoyance!  I have decided that my frequent headaches are a pleasant side effect to job stress, the weather… and my total disregard for a normal sleep pattern. Plus side is that my room is clean and ALL Diva’s clothes are done.  Perfect timing for her to whine and complain about it tonight when she gets home!

It’s also a day that I wish I was in DC tonight!  So many of my friends are there attending the Martini’s and Makeovers event for the Got Your Back Network.  I am pretty bummed.  Plus side is I am going to visit my great friend in September for her birthday.  And her kids are planning on cleaning the floor with me on Just Dance for Wii, little do they know I am totally practicing!  Should be loads of fun!  I am ready for a girl’s trip and I have never been to the east coast before.  I am planning on maybe corrupting her a bit… but it’s always the quiet ones you have to look out for!

Hubby and I are planning a trip to NYC to see one of our favorite people in concert after he gets home.  I can’t wait to see the city and our friends out there!  Hubby and I have decided to take one trip just us every year – last year was Palm Springs for 4 days, the year before was Hawaii for 8.  I am going to save for Germany in 2012!  I want to look into the military traveling to get there and then commercial home… maybe.  We shall see.  Traveling is something I always planned on doing with my husband before we had kids but since we did it a bit backwards we travel now… One trip alone and one with our munchkin!  This summer we are taking her to Seaworld and the Zoo with our friends and their kids!  Should be LOADS of fun.

Tighter than rubberbands!

I feel like that!  Ifeel that I am wound so tight that I can never come undone.  I am beat today… full night of mental stress.  The next 90 days will see some major changes and possibilities of more.  I know the saying that ‘Nothing in life is never easy’ but GOOD GRIEF!  With the Hubby coming home, then training, then back to work on top of our lease being up and feeling like we will NEVER find a house I get a little down.  I feel like 98% of this is firmly on my shoulders.  I know most don’t understand why I bare the brunt of the stress about home but when your husband is running several missions a day the last thing you are going to or should do is add additional stress about home.  His focus should be on safely making it home. 

I am a list person… my life is in lists!  Here is my stress list:

 1.  Hubby is coming home and while I know this shouldn’t be a stress but the whole reintegration part is a bit awkward for me.  I do it all and stress about it all… how can I possibly just let go!  I have used the stress as my way of dieting; I don’t overeat when I am stressed!  Last time he came home I gained 3 sized in 7 months!  Hopefully his ridiculously good shape will continue and he will help me through my eating phase!

 2. Diva is having adjustment issues… well she needs an attitude adjustment.  I have always loved that my little girl doesn’t ask for things, that she always offers to donate her things to other children.  Well, lately she is being quite the unappreciative brat.  I love my daughter to death but that just isn’t acceptable, nor will it ever be.  She got some clothes for summer the last few weeks; I have been holding them hostage until she earns them.   She needs to understand the value of money, end of story!

 3. Our lease is up about 2 weeks after he gets home and I don’t know what to do.  Ok, I know that we will just extend and stay there but it’s so frustrating as I know the rent will go up in which case it will be more than some people mortgages.  I just want to leave the state sometimes; VA is looking better and better!

 4. Getting back to normal is just weird.  Our normal since we met was embracing the abnormal.  Hubby’s civilian job has odd hours, last minute changes, business trips and requires the flexibility to go at a moments notice.  This has always made family time difficult or non existent in so many ways.  This past year I have only needed to consider my schedule when making plans or arranging Diva’s activities.  I am sure that Diva will welcome daddy being home so that she doesn’t have to attend so many things with me.  I just don’t know how it’s going to be to have 3 people getting ready for work in 1 bathroom because while Little Miss has her own bathroom we both converge in mine ours in the morning for ease and quickness.  Making dinner for 3 instead of 1, grocery shopping together or just being there together.  I have to get a whole new routine.

 5. Finding a house!  We have been working with an agent for a few months; she isn’t very VA knowledgeable so it’s a ridiculously slow process.   It’s extremely frustrating now and we need to move forward to a new agent but currently stuck in a broker/buyer agreement for a few more months.  I couldn’t be more annoyed with the entire process and with her. 

While it may sound like I am complaining I am not.  I am blessed that my husband is scheduled to come home soon, I am blessed that he and I have made it through a separation that so many in my life could never imagine.  I am madly in love with the man with whom I share my last name and couldn’t imagine any other person sharing life with me.  I am still allowed to stress… freak out and be paranoid over all the WHAT IF’S that come along with reintegration.    

LAST BOX!

Do you know what this means?!  This means that the unit is preparing to prepare to come home!  Yep, when you get your "MUST MAIL BY" date you get instantly excited.  Even though this is just in anticipation of mail taking exactly one week past FOREVER to get there it doesn't matter because you are at the end.

It's funny - I remember patiently waiting for his address... emailing him daily so I could get that first box out.  Well, mainly because his birthday was just about a month after he got to theater and I had this awesome box done.  Wrapped from the inside so when he opened it it looked like a present.  I LOVED it. We even sent crispie treats and all the makings for a Spiderman birthday party (plates, cups and streamers... even balloons!)  Each month we have sent 2 boxes, one themed and one that has necessitites.  We sent Halloween decorations, 7 Veterans Day boxes, a 4ft tall prelit Christmas Tree and ornaments... and the list goes on. 

The last box was 16lbs 14.4oz... my PERSONAL BEST!  Oh and the post office's heaviest flat rate APO AE box sent... yep!  I am so excited... even though he is on orders for about 3 or 4 more months, so it's going to be a bit longer before we can live as a normal American family again, I am excited. 

Oh and the house... found another great one.  It's not in the city I want to live in, not a bad place and there are GREAT schools there but I am spoiled by a 7mi drive to work and the new house is 28 mi to work!  Luckily it's the exact same distance to his work so no one feels slighted.  When I asked him what he thought he told me that he doesn't care how far he has to drive because he will always be driving home to us!  We shall see...

Friday Fill In!

First I have to say I am SO ANNOYED!  Blogger deleted my Flat Stanley post and of course Idon't have a copy!  I am SOOOOO ANNOYED!  Onto your regularly scheduled blog post!

I love learning more about my fellow MilSpouse bloggers!  I learn so much about my fellow bloggers and can’t wait to learn more. 
Each week, Wife of a Sailor will post a list of questions on Thursday (so you can have your blog ready on Friday). Head back on Friday and enter your blog post into Mr. Linky so others know who else participated and we can all visit other blogs.  And please feel free to use the button above!

1. Which was the best day of your life- Wedding day or Homecoming day? submitted by Pink Champagne, Gatorade & MREs

I have yet to experience homecoming… but Wedding Day at this point.  R&R was a VERY close second but almost more exhausting!

2. Were you a part of the joining the military question or did you sign up for the relationship when your man was already in the military? submitted by Cammo Style Love

He was there… the military owns him and I get to borrow him for a husband every now and again

3. What is your favorite Disney movie and why? submitted by Raising Roscoe

I still LOVE Cinderella…. She gets her Prince, the Castle and the Crown and all it took was one lost shoe!

4. What is your favorite family activity to do on the weekends? submitted by Destination: RN!

Can’t remember the last family weekend… well whole family.  Now, we love to walk the dogs while she rides her scooter.

5. Where do you secretly wish you could be stationed with you/your SO’s line of work (realistically speaking, not everyone can be stationed on NAS Fiji)? submitted by Wookie & Co.

I would LOVE Korea or Germany… ooh, nope ITALY!  That’s #1 on my travel list.  Sitting in a café drinking coffee and inhaling my weight in Italian food!  Yep, I’m in!  Sadly just a dream... we are stuck in the ARM PIT of California!

Flat Stanley goes to the Sandbox

While Hubby was home on R&R Diva’s got her Flat Stanley project.  In case you are unaware of the story of Flat Stanley. 

Stanley Lambchop and his younger brother Arthur are given a big bulletin board by their Dad for displaying pictures and posters. He hangs it on the wall over Stanley's bed. During the night the board falls from the wall, flattening Stanley in his sleep.  So now Stanley can fit in a letter…  

After her really LONG explanation to Daddy, I already knew the story, she had a decision: WHERE we should send Flat Stanley.  First we thought of Grandma’s house in Arizona, she worried the dog might eat him (or the turtle), Grandpa’s house in Nevada, nope she wanted BIGGER, she suggested the Moon but I had to explain that I don’t know any astronauts or aliens so that wasn’t going to happen.  Then she asked daddy if his roommate would do it since Flat Stanley needed to be there and back within a month and daddy had just gotten home.  Well after a series of emails and explanations his awesome roommate agreed so off Flat Stanley went. 

The project is due on May 18 so Diva was getting a little nervous that it wouldn’t make it back on time.  Yesterday when we got home there was a manila envelope on the doorstep addressed to Miss Diva!  We got him and the pictures back yesterday…. She TORE the envelope open and hands me the paper to read.  Oh, did I mention I had a handful of groceries as I just went grocery shopping and brought in EVERY bag by myself since she saw the envelope was to HER.  I got it open and started to read all of the things Flat Stanley did. 

Wow, he was a busy piece of paper!  He visited a Mosque, rode shotgun in a truck and visited a biblical spot.  Hubby’s roommate did a great job and Diva couldn’t be more proud of her Flat Stanley’s trip around the world.  She is even excited to tell her class about all of the different people that it took to get the Flat Stanley to her daddy – United States Postal Service, Military Mail, several bases and finally to his COB.  

Flat Stanley sitting shotgun!

Has your child done Flat Stanley??  Where did he go?

WAIT! You can't redeploy already!

This word can strike fear or excitement in military wives.  It can either mean you are gearing up for ANOTHER year apart or it can be the BETTER of the two options, that your service member is coming home!  One of wives who’s husband is in Hubby’s unit called me recently to tell me a cute little story.  I thought it was fitting and still makes me laugh. 

Her husband called her and mentioned his Redeployment paperwork needed to be completed.  After she asked him to repeat himself, surely this must be a problem with the communication as he couldn’t have just said RE-deployment.  She flipped… started questioning WHY he was already talking about redeployment when this deployment wasn’t finished yet.  He just started to laugh – which, like any wife, just made her angry.  She thought that RE-deployment meant he was already planning his next sandbox trip when in actuality it means THEY ARE COMING HOME!  After the explanation she laughed…

We are still a bit away from homecoming, but to know that it’s almost here is a relief and gets me all giddy!  I hear of friends husbands that are coming home in mere days and I start to tear up knowing that this will be us soon enough and this whole 16 month trip will be just a memory, something that Diva and I will talk about during his NEXT deployment.  It will be the memory of my newfound independence and bonding with my sweet daughter… learning communication with my husband in a way I hadn’t imagined.  It will be where my book started and in a lot of ways, where I started to be myself.

So… HOOAH for redeployment!

Oh get a hobby!

I am NOT a hobby person, never have been.  I am not creative, have zero discernable talent and have no problem admitting it.  This made the hobby idea kind of a joke.  My point is, find something to occupy your time.  Whether it’s a goal to save a certain amount of money, pay bills or like me, write a book (or 2) make sure you have something to look forward to on a smaller scale.  The idea of the countdown to the end is daunting… I mean seriously counting down from 445 days is just DEPRESSING.  Having the smaller goals to measure the length of time seems more manageable and it feels good to cross things off your list. 

I have come across this HUGE blogosphere as well of women just like me that are trying to pass the time.  There are so many military wife blogs that there is something for everyone to associate with.  Blogging is a low maintenance way of getting yourself out there.  It’s easy to set up and you don’t really need to be all that tech savy to do it.  Just pick a name and you are on your way. 

For us the goals were set out before he left:

-         First was, pay off bills and save money for the purchase of our first home.  *sidenote* When your husband is in theatre there are a lot of small financial perks such as BAH, Separation Pay, Hazardous Duty Pay and it’s all TAX FREE!  Remember this when you make your financial goals.  He will spend less money deployed than home, and most likely you will too.

-         My second set of goals was more personal.  I wanted to get in the best shape of my life so I signed up for kickboxing classes, I wanted to be able to defend myself so I signed up for mixed martial arts classes, I have always wanted to write a book so I chose the two topics that meant the most to me and started writing and my final goal was win my state pageant. 

We had our daughter write down her goals as well.  She wanted to learn to tie her shoes and ride her bike without training wheels.  She had barely turned 6 when he left so I think she missed the concept and procrastinated until a few months before his R&R.  Her main focus every day was the daddy hugs and kiss jar.  She counted down with this jar.    

My husband had a goal of losing weight.  Once he got to country he started taking a spin class a few days a week, then it became every day and starting the New Year he was teaching his own spin class.  My husband had lost a total of 50lbs the first 5 months he was in country.  I was just amazed at his determination.  During those 5 months I did manage to locate 15lbs of it and put it right around my muffin top region, thanks honey!  To date he has lost over 60lbs!  I am so proud of him!

We both used our smaller victories to mark the time passing during his deployment.  It was much easier to see to next week than it was to see 16 months down the line. 

Text Etiquette!

I am a firm believer in text message etiquette!  SERIOUSLY!  Don’t BUTCHER words and make your own abbreviations and expect me to know WTH you are talking about!  Too many smiley faces are annoying as are LOL every other line!  Texts are meant for short sentiments, there is a reason they restrict you to 160 characters.  I will confirm lunch plans, let a friend know that I am running late or, when Hubby is home, tell him I love him.  I am also big on sending random Diva pics to my family and her Aunties… thank you Blackberry!  It took me FOREVER to get into the Smartphone era, I held out for some now unknown reason.  I miss texting Hubby while he is gone, I miss seeing his name/picture pop up on my phone.

Much beyond the above I think you need to pick up the damn phone… otherwise you look like a SERIOUS coward.  In which case what you are doing is likely not right.  Just saying.  If you need to cancel a date, tell your parents you are married/divorcing/moving PICK UP THE PHONE!

This Mothers Day was an interesting one for texting!   I sent/received quite a few Happy Mothers Day messages to my favorite moms – those ladies that I have learned something from over the years.  Whether it’s the moms that have dealt with sick children and handled with grace and love or the moms that have raised children alone whether it is divorce, deployment or death and those moms that have grown and have businesses and happy marriages and wonderful kids.  These moms inspire me… I even got a text from my real estate agent wishing me a happy day and talking about a property that I love… yes I LOVE another one.  Poor Hubby….  I have looked at more houses in the past 4 months than I thought was possible… each one has some stupid thing I hate.  Our big NECESSITIES – Kitchen area, Living area, location, yard.  We would like 2 sinks in the master but I can work with that. 

ANYHOW- In the midst of my texts I got one from someone that is, well I thought, my best friend.  She is the woman that I have looked at inspired as a mother, she and I talk daily… we spent her birthday together not even 60 days ago.  Our kids call us each ‘Aunt’… we are just that close.  We share something I share with NO ONE ELSE in this world.  That is what made this text so hard.  I handle and forgive so many things in life, but I don’t forgive LYING.  That’s a virtually unforgivable thing to me.   She TEXTED me and her mom that she was expecting in 4 months!  That means when I saw her last she was past her first trimester… certainly when we talk daily she could have told me.  BUT A TEXT!  Texting you are pregnant is something that should be reserved to random friends… just my opinion.  Needless to say that her mom was devastated and I was pretty pissed.  We even had a baby conversation recently in which she said that she didn’t want anymore.  HMMM… thanks!!

Well… LOL @ u 4 lsg ME

…if your child uses a bladed hand gesture versus pointing direction

To all of my fellow MilSpouses... Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day.  Just like Valentines Day and Mothers/Fathers Day I think this should be a thing celebrated every day.  We work hard to support our service members, our family and ourselves all while looking our best and being able to either pack a house or prepare a state dinner in a day.

I told Hubby yesterday that I would deal with a million deployments back to back just to know that I was married to my best friend... nothing will change that.  His response was that I am an amazing wife and mother and my flexibility and support as a military spouse is forever appreciated. 

Wife of a Sailor posted more than 100 'You Know Your a MilSpouse When"...  I LOVE them and they are all so true.  Please visit and enjoy!  I did add 3 of my own:
…if your child uses a bladed hand gesture versus pointing direction
… if your child corrects their elementary school teacher about war facts
… if your 1st graders Flat Stanley project takes longer to do because we deal with MilMail not the USPS



So -
To my MilSpouse friends thank you for your support and help during this deployment... I dont think I would have my sanity if not for you guys.
To my blog family... your all amazingly wonderful.  I spend the majority of my day reading updates and I feel like I know so many of you  and you are a constant reminder that I am not alone in my thoughts, feelings or military disappointments! 

HUGS!

Toe tappin...

This phrase has brought back some cringe worthy moments!  Our old neighbors above us were Indian and did family toe tapping in their living room NIGHTLY… after I asked them not to do family jump roping OVER our daughters bedroom at 8pm!  Toe tapping is almost as loud and obnoxious! 

But today my toe tapping is because I LOVE music… I love to dance so much so that I get busted getting down at my desk regularly!  I can’t listen to music without at least tapping my foot.  Lately I have been LOVING Glee and today I found the Camp Rock soundtrack.  Oh yes, I am lovin me some Demi and Jonas!  It is silly but every song has a dance beat so it helps keep my brain happy.  I have been smiling and foot tapping all day!  I am just waiting and hoping for a call or email today.  It’s weird how much I pray for the little red dot on my blackberry to go off.  Hopefully my foot tapping will get me through the day all smiles so that when and IF I get a call I will be all smiles and giggles rather than sullen and missing my partner.

Last night my foot tapping was very different.  In fact it was the total opposite… After a successful dentist appointment, NO CAVATIES, and getting her cute haircut fixed Diva got a nice cold shower.  She threw a fit over lettuce on her taco, so instead of just eating it she ate the whole BOTTOM and let it fall all over the place while complaining and making faces.  I sent her to go to her room to calm down.  Oh no, she started really screaming and yelling.  I don’t put up with disrespect and getting yelled at by my 7 year old, however I am not a spanking parent.  Cold shower calms a child down quickly, especially when they are still wearing their clothes.  She then went to bed.  I am exhausted and annoyed that this is even an issue!  JEEZ KID.  New haircut, added attitude! 

She is SUPER excited for her summer camp though… YAY for the Army Reserves!

Flip the pillow and snooze

I have been in a blogging brain freeze. Its weird, like my brain and fingers aren't meeting.  I am writing my book, that’s going well, but my blog.... yeah, got nothing. 

Maybe it's because so many of the things about deployment that frustrate me are OPSEC, crap!  I am frustrated over ending dates and how they change... not by a day or two but by WEEKS, by how Hubby can think that he can interject on everything from his current location 10 hours in the future! 

Big frustration:    

Diva gets a week with my parents and nieces every year to go camping.  This is something that everyone looks forward to every year.  Last 2 years she has gone the last week of July... this year she can't due to aforementions OPSEC issue.  She wanted to go the week before Daddy gets home... well that’s a tough thing to plan when I don't even know what month he gets home in.  My parents have to take time off work, plan it all... there is a lot involved in taking 2 adults, 3 kids and a teenager camping.  Then hubby informed that he has a mandatory course to do at the end.  So there may be a break, or may not just depends on when they get home.  HA.

 

Upside!  Diva gets to go to summer camp this year!  Well, hopefully.  I signed her up and am praying that she gets to go.  It’s a free camp for children of reservists that have parents deployed, have been wounded or children of our fallen.  I am pretty excited for her.  I think its important for her to be around other kids that just get it.  I loved summer camp so this is FANTASTIC.  Then of course poor hubby is upset because, he is missing sending her off for her first summer camp experience, just a reminder to him of all that he is missing. 

Almost done... that’s all I can think about.  We are more than half way through, down swing...

From Sickness to Heck Yeah!

Diva and I were sick.  Yep, flu sick.  If you have ever been sick with the flu (yes, I couldn’t keep anything down) and had a child sick with the flu (opposite side!) you know how much it sucks!  She had a fever of 102 and I couldn’t keep any medication in her long enough to break the stupid fever.  I was cooped up for 2 days, had a horrible headache and wanted to cry.  She was still grounded but mommy lifted the ban on TV for Saturday night so we could just cuddle and relax. 

Yesterday we both woke up feeling like a million bucks!  This was also the day she decided that she was going to BEG me to cut her hair.  She has been asking for months and I have said NO every time, regardless of her reasoning… she has long pretty hair.  So, finally, totally sick of being the bad guy I deflected to daddy knowing that he would also say no.  He said no when he was home on R&R, he said no before he left… I wasn’t concerned ONE BIT.  To my surprise, he said YES!  CRAAAP!  Now I was totally screwed since he said yes.  I took her to the salon and let her cut her hair… 10” so she can donate it to Locks of Love.  Yes, that was her reasoning all along because my oldest niece does it as well. 

Diva does look pretty cute with her little bob cut.  I am proud of her decisions and will get the hair in the mail.  It was a moment… and yes I cried!

Last night we went Goodwill Shopping.  I LOVE the Goodwill.  I spent $35 and got 15+ items including a super cute 1950’s dress.  After we were all done we headed to my mother in law’s where we got the Bin Laden call.  My cell phone, email and texts were just blowing up and her home phone started rigning.  Everyone wanting to know what this means for our deployment.  In a short answer, nothing.   I talked to Hubby this morning and well… yep, business as usual.  They are all happy and proud of the team that did their secret squirrel work.

FABULOUS.  Question is, what next?