A couple of things…
January 26, 2009 at 11:59 pm (Army Wife)
This post has no point. I just felt like putting these things out there and none of them deserved a post of their own!
My FRG is having a key leaders meeting this week where I will have to present the ideas that I have come up with for social events. I found a couple of ideas online, took some ideas from things that were done at our old post, and every once in a while an idea just pops into my head. It’s really not as easy as one would think to come up with ideas that would interest a large group of women! I hope they like what I have come up with and I intend to tell the whole group that I am totally open to suggestions!
My father-in-law keeps calling me and feels the need to remind me that my husband is in a war zone. Really? Does he really think that I have forgotten where my husband is and what could (God forbid) happen to him? I was telling my husband about the latest conversation and had him in hysterics when I said “I think he means well. Really, I think it comes from a good place, it just comes out all kinds of wrong.” I try to see the good even when he tells me that my husband should get out of the military and we should pack up and move to Canada!
The thoughts in my head go about a hundred miles a minute, I never really relax because I’m always thinking. I bought a journal at the bookstore and decided that I would just write stuff down and see how that worked out. Now, I sit down to write all the craziness and nothing. I know that it’s just for my eyes, but it totally frustrates me that I can’t get the thoughts from my head to the paper the way I feel they should be. So my beautiful journal sits on the desk as empty as the day it was purchased.
Have you ever heard of this? Remember how Monkey had pink eye last week? Well, she broke out in this really nasty rash so I took her back to the doctor because I thought she might be having a reaction to the medicine they gave her. No, she was having a reaction to the pink eye virus itself. There was nothing they could do for her, the doctor said the rash would go away as she got over the virus. As if she wasn’t suffering enough, I mean how fun is it to have pink eye, have to have ointment squeezed into your eye lid, and then have an extremely annoying rash? She then developed a cough, runny nose, and sore throat. The pink eye is better, the rash is disappearing, and I think the cold is getting better too.
I’m so excited! My best friend is coming to visit in March. How awesome is it that she’s spending her whole tax refund to buy the plane ticket to come see me and my girls? She can’t get here fast enough!
Dinner with the Girls
January 25, 2009 at 5:38 pm (Army Wife)
My neighbor invited us to dinner with her and some of her friends last night. It was nice to be included, even nicer to get to have an adult conversation and get out of the house. Monkey had a good time playing with all the other children and watching movies. All the adults enjoyed a delicious dinner of steak, potatoes, salad, and of course dessert. Everyone brought something. I volunteered to bring dessert because I love to bake. I tried a new recipe, chocolate fudge brownies. I was a bit worried about how they would turn out, but they turned out alright. Everything we ate was fantastic! I learned a lesson though…I can feed the baby, chat on the computer, talk on the phone, and wipe a runny nose all at the same time, but I can not feed the baby and cut a steak! That’s the beauty of dinner with the ladies, there is always someone that will take over baby duty!
Broken
January 23, 2009 at 12:06 am (Army Wife, Faith, Kendal, Monkey)
I love being a mom, I truly believe I was put on this earth to be a mom. I love my little girls and I feel blessed to have them in my life and to have the opportunity to raise them. That being said, it’s hard to have a preschooler and a newborn with a deployed husband that left when the newborn was a week old. I know there are moms out there who do it everyday and I tip my hat to them! Anyway, I was reading my daily devotional yesterday, it was written by a woman who loved being a mom now, but had not always felt that way. She talked about being ready to give up and the day that everything changed. It made me stop and think about the night I was ready to give up and the moment that changed me.
I do not consider myself a strong person. I do not like to be in charge. So, being an Army wife is really hard for me. I’ll admit that it has changed me in some ways for the better. I have learned I can survive on three hours of sleep, I can take care of two sick children and still keep the house clean, I can navigate icy roads, I can handle the money.. But, it was one of those nights. Kendal and I were up for the fourth or fifth night in a row, she was screaming, I was walking, rocking, feeding, burping, bouncing…everything I could think of to calm her. Monkey was up every ten minutes missing her daddy, needing a drink, wanting to sleep in my bed. By three o’clock in the morning I was done. I couldn’t take it anymore. So, there in the middle of my bed I collapsed into a mess. As I held my precious child close to my body and rocked her, I began to cry, almost as loudly as my tiny, helpless infant. As the tears streamed down my face and the resentment toward my husband began to surface I looked up at the ceiling and said “I can’t do this. I am done. I can’t do this.” Almost immediately my baby stopped crying and closed her eyes, she was asleep! My tears stopped almost as quickly as they started and I felt the most beautiful sense of peace. At that moment, I knew I wasn’t alone, I wasn’t doing this by myself. The resentment I felt began to fade. I knew that God was with me and everything would be alright. I have always had faith in Him and have struggled and continue to struggle to be what He created me to be. I’m so thankful for that moment, the moment I was completely broken.
After that night I had a new peace, a new joy. I felt calmer and more relaxed. That feeling has stayed with me. That is not to say that we still don’t have some rough nights, but they are less frequent now. On those nights I say a prayer and do all I can to comfort this beautiful little person God has entrusted to me. I know it’s all going to be alright as long as I remember I’m not doing this on my own.
And, to ease the husbands mind, I don’t resent him, anymore. I know he’d rather be here with his family than where he is.
The Red Eye
January 20, 2009 at 8:51 pm (Monkey)
Had to throw this pic in, she’s just too cute!!
I took Monkey to the doctor today because she has a red eye with green goo. Yuck! I knew what it was before we saw the doctor, but since she was complaining with her throat, ears, and a stuffy nose I held on to a bit of hope that maybe, just maybe it was caused by a cold or allergy. No such luck, pink eye has reared its ugly head! As soon as the doctor walked in the door he announced the diagnosis! Now I have the lovely job of applying ointment to her eye three to four times a day. Do you know how difficult it is to keep a four year olds eye lid open, while pulling the lower lid down, while trying to apply ointment? Now my hope is that Kendal and I won’t get it although I’m sure one of us will end up with it and that it clears up soon!
The Things Kids Say
January 16, 2009 at 8:28 pm (Alaska, Monkey)
The temperature has been above freezing, well above freezing for the past couple of days, and it’s been so nice being able to leave the house without having to spend twenty minutes trying to get everybody in their winter wear and out the door. Today, we ventured to the post office to mail a box to my sweet husband (I’ve had the box since before he left and finally got it mailed…see honey I do love you!) and then to Old Navy. Inside the store Monkey struck up a conversation with a little girl who was wearing a lot of pink and carrying something pink. The little girls mom asked Monkey if she was a pink girl too and Monkey happily replied “No, I’m caucasian.” Laughter erupted from the little girls mom and you know I couldn’t help but laugh too!
Events Chairman
January 14, 2009 at 12:09 am (Army Wife)
I emailed my FRG leader today and asked her if she had found anyone else that wanted the events chairman position. Apparently not, because she called me tonight and told me that she looked forward to working with me. So, I guess this position has fallen into my lap. I was asked to brainstorm ideas for the upcoming leadership meeting, so I have been searching the web for ideas and have come up with some that I think will be a hit! This is going to be an interesting experience for me since it’s the first active FRG I’ve been a part of, not to mention the first time I’ve held a position. I’m kind of excited! Hopefully I won’t mess up big time!
First Day of Preschool
January 12, 2009 at 6:22 pm (Monkey)
Monkey started preschool today and she was super excited. I dropped her off, did she care that I was leaving her? Nope, she went off happily with her teacher. When I picked her up she cried because she didn’t want to leave!
