... Your 4-year-old poops in his underwear, your 2-year-old has his first blow-out diaper in months, and your dog steps in his own poop and tracks it all over the house... all within twelve hours.
... You find yourself crooning loudly along with the local blues station, "I got a HOUSE full of TROUBLE, and a ROO-OOO-OOM with a view of the BLUESSSSSS."
... You put your non-profit fundraising skills to work and send your friends a "Six Ways You Can Help" email (no, I did not ask for money... but I did request in-kind donations).
... You end each night with a glass of red wine, a piece (or three) of dark chocolate, and a chapter (or three) of a good book, dishes and laundry be damned.
... You take the kids out to eat at Applebee's, Panera, McDonald's, Red Robin, Starbucks, and Panera (again) in the course of just seven days.
... You repeat the same conversation with your 2-year-old at least three times a day:
"Where'd Daddy go?"
"Daddy's on his ship."
"On his ship?"
"Yes, Daddy's on his ship."
"He's working?"
"Yes, Daddy's working on his ship."
"He's working on the ocean?"
"Yes, Daddy's working on his ship on the ocean."
"... Okay! You come play with me?"
"Yes, I'll come play with you."
... Your 4-year-old decides that hitting, kicking, and throwing toys are all perfectly appropriate behaviors.
... You remember all the amazing things about your spouse, and forget all the little things that make you frustrated.
... Your phone rings five times during dinner -- every call another recorder solicitation, not one a friend asking, "How are you doing? I'm thinking of you."
(Ooh, that one sounded especially pathetic... But I won't self-edit. I really did feel bummed about that.)
... You spend more time on Facebook... A LOT more time.
... You let the kids play in the bathtub for 20 more minutes than normal because you're not quite finished with this one chapter in the last "Harry Potter" book.
... You discover the true breadth and depth of your children's love when they find you crying on the kitchen floor, then wrap their arms around you and whisper, "Are you okay, Mama? We're right here. We love you."
... You drink more coffee... A LOT more coffee.
Just another day at the Casa, huh? Hope the deployment goes quickly. Not looking forward to any of what you posted, but thankfully it's "just" for two years. When does CDR transfer?
Posted by: Jill | March 15, 2009 at 07:12 AM
I'm new to your blog but this post was so sincere! Thank you for that! Loved what your kids said at the end. Great post! Keep your head up! God Bless you and your family!
Posted by: Meg | March 18, 2009 at 08:36 PM
Blogs are good for every one where we get lots of information for any topics nice job keep it up !!!
Posted by: dissertation help | March 26, 2009 at 10:45 PM
Hope you're doing well. Hang in there!
Posted by: Sarah | April 15, 2009 at 08:26 AM