Well, I finally got a call from my husband on Saturday.  I’ll be honest, he was a little on the cranky side; however, I suppose he has a good reason.  I’m excited because the weeks are just flying by; thankfully this will all be done and over with before I can blink an eye.  I’m already excited and nervous about homecoming.  It will be nice to have an adult helper.  I can’t imagine how much easier my life will be.  Between training up for the deployment and actually deploying, it’s really been close to or over a year since he was home on a routine basis.  We haven’t gotten any official word as of yet as it pertains to his return, but that’s pretty typical.

 Everyone made it through school this week, yet another miracle and I’m finally starting to feel human again now that there’s actually some daylight and sunshine!!  The girls were pretty upset after they got to talk to daddy, but I’m just glad that they received the opportunity hear his voice and know that he loves and cares about them.  They’ve been pretty good about it all; sometimes the subject of daddy being gone comes up at night as they’re getting tucked in.  They tell me they miss him and we talk about it.  I don’t want them to feel as though it’s not okay to be sad or miss him.  It’s perfectly fine; however, sometimes I think they use it as a crutch.  It’s kind of difficult to strike that balance. 

Uneventful is the best way to describe this week; I say that with a sigh of relief because there’s no telling what the next few days hold!

Alright, so Jon’s still deployed … and … fingers crossed … everything has been pretty smooth.  The girls had a touch of the stomach bug on Thursday/Friday, but hey, we made it through four days of school, which at this point, seems to be a miracle.  Jon called last week, late in the week, which made me feel a whole lot better.  He said that everyone was okay which in itself was a relief. 

Meantime, here at home, I just can’t get ahead.  I got behind from the kids being nonstop sick for the past month and a half and can’t seem to make any progress.  It’s getting frustrating!!!!  I live off of Red Bull some days. 

However, hiring the cleaning lady has been immeasurably helpful and taken some of the weight off my shoulders, however I still can’t remember to pay the sewer bill (had it in my purse for three days now), and can’t seem to put an end to our laundry crisis.  This month the dogs need to be taken to the vet as does the cat.  I’m hoping that nobody gets sick, myself included.  The toilet is broken (you know the plastic piece that attaches to the handle) and has been for roughly a week and a half.  After I’m done writing, I’m on my way to Lowe’s so that I can get the part to fix it.   

Other than that, I’m just praying that everyone over there is okay.  Quite honestly, in Jon’s previous deployments, the media wasn’t as precise and “in your face.”  People are sending me tons of articles and pictures about what they’re doing over there and quite honestly, I’d just as soon pretend that he was on a vacation to the Bahamas for a few months.  I’m growing increasingly tired of the politics behind it all; don’t even get me started.

If you’re a military spouse, stop by our Military Mattersgroup on MomTalk to share and connect with other parents facing simliar issues.

Here is a picture of my husband that someone sent me! I couldn't be more excited that he's doing well!!

This has been a tough week for our family as far as deployment goes.  It’s been one of the longer ones; time is dragging by!  Unfortunately I can’t escape the news this week. Jon and his unit are assaulting Marjah.  Every time I flip through the channels I hear something about it.  He called very early in the week and we got to speak for a few minutes, which made us all feel better! 

Concerned friends and family are also asking if I’ve heard from him.  Not yet … but hopefully soon.  No news is good news, so it is what it is.  He was worried about getting me a Valentine’s Day present when he called but I told him, no worries on that.  I took things into my own hands and did some retail stress therapy.  

I love the new furniture!! 

I’m really having to work like a dog to censor what the girls see on television.  They of course know what the Marine uniform looks like, so when I’m flipping through channels I have to be very careful about what flashes onto the screen.  I’m halfway tempted to use the parental blocking features and make certain channels inaccessible, as they’ve been asking questions that little girls their age are too young to ask.  Questions that I don’t really want to answer, as we all know that nothing can be said with 100% certainty. 

Other than that, things have been otherwise calm.  No emergency room trips, no allergic reactions, norovirus, etc.  I’m happy with that.  I’m kind of basking in the fact that we’ve had a rather uneventful week.  It was nice for a change. We’ll see what the next few days hold.

 I’ll admit it: I was more excited than a 6-year-old because of the snow this past weekend! 

Since I was born in the north, this weekend’s weather was a welcome taste of home!  We had a blast being outside.  There are really no hills around the neighborhood, so it’s not like we could sled, but we did have other great fun.

First came the snow angels.  The girls thought this was the best thing since sliced bread.  I think my whole backyard is covered in them.  Mal and Vannah also had some serious snowball fighting fun.  Vannah ended up with some hurt feelings because she got snow down her coat and shirt.  Nonetheless, all three of us had a great time.  We also had fun building out snowman, Frosty, who has already melted.  There was some sadness surrounding the whole melting of Frosty, but everyone is cool with it - at the moment. 

Next, my favorite part came; the snow fort.  Well, there wasn’t really enough for a full fledged fortress but we still had a blast!!  Even in the winter, it’s great to be outdoors.  Now that I’m thinking about it, there are some great winter activities around here that I’d love to try.  The western part of the state has skiing, which I haven’t done in years.  I think the girls would absolutely adore it, so that’s on the list for next year.  In addition, camping in the winter would be great … and just think … no bugs!!!!!  I’d also like to take our family farther north and try snow tubing.  I don’t know if you’ve ever done it, but it is an absolute blast!! 

Just because it’s the dead of winter doesn’t mean we have to be trapped inside.  It’s still a great time to get out and get some fresh air.  Might I add that the girls slept like babies!!!

What kind of fun did you and your family have this weekend? Please share in the comment box below.

I think just about everyone has read the article in the Jacksonville Daily News about the father who allegedly caused severe injuries to his 7-week-old infant son. 

This has really disturbed me and I think it merits some type of civilized discussion.  I don’t know what would cause somebody to be physical with a 7-week-old.  Let’s be honest: Children, even infants, can cause frustration.  Seemingly endless crying can deplete the patience of the most even tempered parents.  It’s not easy being a parent, and anybody who tells you they’ve never gotten frustrated with their child is a liar.  However, the ways in which you act when confronted with these situations is critical. 

There are a ton of resources out there that can help parents deal with the stress caused by parenthood.  They can help you govern the ways in which you act when confronted with difficult situations.  

If you are a military dependent, the New Parent Support Program is excellent.  There’s a whole team of people ready, willing, and able to help you meet the demands of raising a baby!  When I had the girls, they also had a  home visitation program.  I had a registered nurse come out to my house a few times and it was great.  She would help me feed the girls and I could ask her questions about the kids.  It was nice to have some help! 

You can also get parenting classes, which teach different ways of constructively disciplining your children.  Violence is not necessary.  Play groups, church groups, support groups, hospitals, and social services have a plethora of resources designed to help parents gains a support system and deal with the stress of raising a child.  If you need help, there is plenty here, you just have to reach out and let someone know.