Alright, so far all three of us are chugging along just fine. Well, for the most part … LOL. I can’t walk in the garage because of all the clutter. I couldn’t get the Christmas tree back into the attic so that is also sitting in the garage along with all of the ornaments and other holiday decorations (you should have seen me taking 7 ft. pre-lit tree down … what a fiasco!) I’m having a small trash crisis because I can’t remember to wheel the trash to the road on Sunday nights (problem solved … the trash bin is going to STAY at the road so I don’t forget, sorry neighbors.) My eyebrows are reminiscent of Bert and Ernie and are in desperate need of waxing. Other than that though, we’re straight.
We’re going through the “good” phase of the deployment, if there is such a thing. The phase when you have everything down to a fine science and you can just manage the house like a well oiled machine (well, for the most part.) The girls have been exceptionally helpful lately; every night Mal loads the dishwasher and Vannah runs the sweeper in the living room. This frees me up to do other things like scrub floors or take care of the laundry. They also clean their bathroom once a week. All of this helps out quite a bit and takes a little bit of the weight off of my shoulders.
I’ve also resorted to writing everything down. My memory used to be so sharp, not so much anymore. There’s just too much to remember. I usually tape a note to the front door, at eye level, in an obnoxiously colored pen so there’s no way I can miss it. Cooking ahead has been immeasurably helpful as well. In addition, my friends are wonderful. My friend Sarah’s husband is also out of the area so we work together to deal with childcare issues and help each other out when we can. I don’t know what I’d do without her … well … I’d probably be in the wacky ward.
What helps you keep everything in order when you spouse is gone? Any tips, tricks, or ideas? Share with us and leave your comment below!!
