"Why are there SO many buses, Mommy?"

Last night I was up sneezing and blowing my nose every 30 minutes. My baby daughter Leah was keeping me company, she slept next to me the whole time I was loudly honking into the Kleenex. Once I finally thought the allergies were taking a break (so I could get 45 minutes of sleep before the alarm went off), Leah decided she was awake and ready to give a rousing speech (in baby babble) about who knows what to my half asleep form in the bed. I lovingly dropped her off into her crib, with her lights and songs and a teether to play with. I guess that worked, because around 30-40 minutes later the alarm indeed went off and woke me from sleep. Joe and Lily were up, in the showers and Leah was still talking about something, when I realized I was going to have to have one of those days, a Benedryl Day. Those are days I feel half asleep until I drink a bunch of coffee and then I feel just fuzzy. It isn't all together horrible, but I don't usually get much done.

It was a rainy day anyhow. Grey skies with a cold, misty rain every now and then. It was the kind of day that tea and books are perfect for. With a fleecy blanket. So I did the morning drop off at school and then was back my warm house, a fresh pot of nice coffee waiting.

My husband told me to buy nice coffee. I am a frugal person by nature, so I had
been buying plain old Folgers, French Roast. Not that there is anything wrong
with that... But Erick explained to me that I need to have something to look
forward to. I sometimes stay up late at night to catch up on housework, and I
make some coffee for myself to stay awake. He thought I should have something
nice to drink, not the plain old normal stuff. And he was right! Thanks love!

So, the kids were at school, the baby and I were at home with fresh coffee, and outside it was lightly raining. Leah was sleepy and hunrgy so we spent a lovely 20 minutes snuggled and nursing. Once she passed out I did random things around the house, they must have not been important because I cannot remember right now. Anyhow, by 10:00-ish I realized I would have to make a trip out to Wal-Mart for Joe's birthday. He is having a pirate party and I am doing some really fun things for the kids. We have invited a lot of kids, so we'll see what happens (aaahhh!!). Leah and I both were feeling like crap. When she woke up, she looked the way I felt. Fuzzy and sneezy. Her eyes looked like they were itchy, I can tell she inherited the allergies from me. Joseph also has the allergies (sorry kids).

The shopping was great actually, Leah was in a happy mood even thought she was sneezing every 10 minutes and shooting snot down past her lips! Her nose must have been sore after all the wiping I had to do. But snot aside, she was all smiles! I found all the things I needed (and more) and the sun even peeked out for a bit. I was feeling a little better when I drove home through Schofield Barracks and I once again saw all the "Welcome Home Daddy" signs all over post. One of the big units here is done with their 15 month deployment. And this is the week they are all returning.

Now, I have been through deployments. This is my 3rd. The 2nd one was 15 months, so I know what it feels like to go through that separation, and how amazing it feels to have them come back home. I hear the women in the morning walking the kids to school, talking to each other with excitement in their voices. They are keeping themselves busy these last few days, helping to make the rooms nice for the single Soldiers, manically cleaning their houses, nail and hair appointments, hanging up all the welcome home signs, decorating the cars... And I have been part of all that, and I will be part of that in about 8 months. But I am not part of it now, and right now I miss my husband. I really am happy for the friends I have whose husbands are flying home now. I know they have been alone so long and how good it feels to be reunited. I know where they are, I know what that is like, but I cannot help feel a little blue when I see so many "Daddy is our Hero" or, "We missed you so much Daddy, Welcome Home!" signs. But I just try my best to ignore them.

I decided to walk to pick the kids up after school. I like to walk home, they talk about their day, they unwind a little, and it is nice to get the fresh air. Joseph was the first to ask about the signs. He wondered if his daddy would be home soon, "is that why the signs are up?" I've always explained it to Joe and Lily that the Soldiers have to take turns going to Iraq. And that is what I said to them again. Joe and Lily understand that, but I can tell they felt a little blue like I did. After we came home, it was time to pass out Joe's birthday party invitations. We walked through the neighborhood for most of them, but a few friends were too far and we had to drive. The last invitation to deliver was over on Wheeler Army Airfield (WAAF). Now, when the Soldiers return, that is where all the families can pick their Soldier up and take them home. So once I drove onto WAAF, I saw all the signs pointing to the Welcome Home Ceremony.

~Sigh~

I dropped the last invitation off but by the time I left her house, I managed to get stopped at a stop sign as ten giant buses full of the returning Soldiers came round the bend, headed to the Welcome Home Ceremony. The buses are come right from the airport where they have just landed. Lily lets out a sigh of impatience, "Mommy, why are there SO many buses?!" I'm frozen, do I tell her and Joe that those are all the daddies, or just hope she doesn't ask again and they don't figure it out? Because, honestly, I felt a little like crying a bit. My frame of mine might have been a little off, it may not have helped that earlier I delivered an invitation to a friend whose husband was going to be home that night (he was, in fact, with the group on the buses I saw). I went to her house first and I could feel the excitement in the air, almost taste it. And of course I remembered what it was like when I was on my way to pick Erick up.

By the time I made it to Lily's ballet class (again passing all the Welcome Home signs), I was determined to have a chilled out evening. I dropped her off at class and drove over to the Class Six (a.k.a. the liquor store) and bought some wine and some gin and Sprite. And that is what I am drinking now, the gin. Not much of course, (still nursing) but just a little "boo hoo I miss my man" pity party. I am going to get PJ's on, pour one last drink and read till I fall asleep.

I miss my guy. This isn't our first or second deployment, but somehow it has more rough patches than I thought it would. This week sucks a little, I guess it will be better once the big group is home and I can forget about it again. But to be reminded so heavily of the homecoming still so far away has left me feeling a little more than blue. Maybe I feel navy.

-B

What a fun-filled, kid orientated weekend I just had. Wheeewwwww!!!! Lily has dance class each Friday. We usually go home and have a late dinner and I let the kids stay up late since it is the weekend. But there is a "Family Fun Night" here on post at a arcade-kind of place called Tropics. There are quick junky foods available, (chili cheese fries, hot dogs, soda, beers...) and they also have a Starbucks there, so I am all set. I took the kids there, let them burn 5 bucks in quarters, we can play ping pong, air hockey, foosball, the old school 2 player Packman (where you sit on either side of a gaming table... remember? They were in all the pizza places in the 80's). Each time there is a family fun night, they have nonsense activities, like a banana relay race, or a donut-on-a-string eating contest. This time FORD was there holding a drawing for prizes and I won a hat for Joe. I got him one with flames, that is sure to please him. He loves all things with racing-style flames. That was Friday night, we all had fun and the best part of course was getting to sleep in the next day!

Saturday was the Cub-O-Napolis race at a local field. The kids had finished decorating their cars the night before and they were all pumped to race. The line up with all the kids cars was so cool, some kids really went all out with their designs! Lots of creativity on the field. When Joseph was up to race I had a friend watch Leah while Lily was going to help be part of the Pit Crew. In the end, another dad who was on his own ended up being my partner, I helped him with his son and he with mine. After the kids completed one lap of the race they had to "pull in to the pit" and have their tires (shoes) changed. We had to take the shoes off, the socks also and turn them inside out. Then we had to put those sweaty socks back onto the sweaty feet and tie the shoes again. Not as easy as it sounds!! The second lap they pull in for gas (water), which the pit crew gives them, the kids cannot use their hands. The third lap they have to have their windshield cleaned, so we had to take off their goggles and put them back on. Cub scouts doesn't really focus too much on the winner, everyone was just there for fun. The "winners" did get ribbons, and Joe wasn't one of those. He usually gets bent out of shape when something like that happens, but I was pleasantly surprised to see him just having fun. He might have won the race, but the dad helping me with the shoes had a really hard time getting his sock back on his foot, and then a hard time getting the his shoe back on his foot. Then, Joe was running so fast he lost two tires AND one of his rockets! He overheard someone say "Oh, you lost a tire" and he stopped to look. Then he bopped back and forth trying to figure if he should run back and get his tire, or keep running. Once he started back running, he was already behind in the race, but he just kept going. He had a great attitude and even now his favorite part of that day was when his stuff flew off his car!


Lily ran next in the "sibling" heat. She looked cute at can be, and also just ran to have fun. The siblings didn't have to do the shoe part, so it was just water and goggles. When I changed her goggles, I accidentally put them on wrong, so she ran the last lap of her race almost blind!! Lily isn't graceful AND she is seriously accident prone, so it was a sheer miracle she didn't trip and fall her way into the finish line!

So I went home after the box races to relax and chill out. The first thing I did was check my messages. I was surprised (and a little confused) to hear an urgent message from Kay Jewelers about our account, something to do with our rings. I called back right away and I provided my name, asking what was the matter. I was told I needed to come in right away since there was a problem with our rings. The woman I spoke to didn't have anymore info, (she said) just that it was important for me to drive in. I gathered the kids back into the car and drove all they way to the mall, with our warranty papers in my bag. I walked into the store and told them who I was, asked what was the matter... That is when the manager walked out with a HUGE flower arrangement, card attached and a little golden gift bag. She told me my husband wanted to give me an early Valentines Day gift! She said "Your husband is a really wonderful person!!", and I was thinking, 'Of COURSE he is!!!!!!' When I opened the present I found an opal and diamond bracelet. ~Sigh~ I've always admired bracelets like this one, so of course I loved it! But honestly, if it had just been the flowers and a card, I would have been just as happy! It was the thought, the surprise and the fact that he went to all that trouble for me that made it so special!! The gorgeous bracelet is just icing on the cake! I told Joseph and Lily to pay attention. For Joseph to learn how to be with women, how to be romantic and thoughtful. For Lily to find a man who will treat her the same way. It was so neat, the people in the store were all whispering "Oh wow, her husband just gave her flowers and jewelry all the way from Iraq!!" I felt really special! It was something I'll always remember.

~Sigh~ He's a keeper.

So I had to stop gushing about Erick, because my kids were getting bored! Lily asked my why I kept saying how great her daddy is. (Lily hasn't learned how to be tactful yet). Anyhow, that same night was another Parents Night Out, and it was Lily's turn. We went to Burger King for dinner since we had only a little time before our movie. Burger King has these new "Six-Pack" burgers, tiny little things perfect for sharing. They remind me of the sliders I grew up eating at White Castle. Short story, I was walking the kids home after school when Joe if I knew what sliders were. I said, "Do you mean the little burgers" and he said yeah. I said "Joe I grew up in Chicago and the midwest -- I certainly know what they are!!" That is when the woman in front of me started laughing and she turned around. She said "I miss White Castle too! Those little burgers are so greasy but delicous!!" We had a little moment, her and I, reminicing about sliders. Mmmmmmm, steamed bun, little onions, burger patty with holes for quick cooking....grease.....little ketchup, little mustard.....Ahhh. Crap, now I am thinking about food from Chicago like Superdawg hot dogs, Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza, and all the Italian Beef sandwiches, served wet (when you dunk the whole sandwich in the meat juice)...


-------------------please wait a sec, have to wipe my drool up off the floor----------------------



Ahhh, where was I? Yes, my night out with Lily. We finished our dinner, talked about girly stuff, and we walked to the theaters. We saw Coraline, the new Tim Burton movie. It was really good, it freaked her out in a few parts (after all it is Tim Burton), but she just hid behing my hand and all was okay. After the movie we had an ice cream and, since we still had a lot of time left, we decided to go home and watch anoter movie and cuddle with the dog. Between my warm little girl cuddling me and the dog snuggled in between, I wound up falling asleep, and Lily started to nod off as well. I somehow managed to wake us up in time get Joe and Leah before 11, which is when you are offically late and the daycare people start charging $1 a minute per kid.



In the morning (Sunday) I gathered everyone in the car and we drove down to Waikiki. I have wanted to hike up Diamond Head for a while, just because it is so famous. The kids were psyched to hike inside an ancient volcano, and Joe loved the old cannons and the tunnel. Lily brought a little spiral notebook and pencil so she could record the things she saw that day. Leah stayed awake the whole time it took to get to the top. She ate some pears for lunch up there, posed for a few pictures and then fell asleep on the way down. I have to give Joe and Lily some major credit for climbing these stairs without stopping: Honestly, I could have used a break but I was too proud to admit how much it kicking my butt! That is 99 stairs, and it is really steep! The view on top of Diamond Head really is spectactular and well worth the hike. It isn't a bad hike at all, just a lot of stairs, 282 all together.

And that was the weekend with the kids, the rest of Sunday we hung out at home, did homework and laundry. I am hoping for a slower weekend this next time, but it also helps to make the deployment go much faster.

And now that I've put all that into words, I am going to sign off.

G'nite!

-B