Quick Update

 It's 10:30pm on the dot and I'm breaking my get-to-bed-on-time streak, but I just feel like writing. It's probably part excitement over setting up my new iMac computer and part bottled up writing energy.

Jayce has been gone since February 15th for his deployment in western Africa so that puts me at 2 months and 5 days since I was crying in the car on the way home from the airport. It wasn't all bad, we definitely stopped by Dunkin' Donuts on the way home and the boys had a teacher work day so we played away the rest of the first day. 

A couple of experienced military wives had told me, "Just know that when they're gone, everything breaks." We laughed about it and I knew that surely something annoying would probably happen while he was gone, but I wasn't ready for a whole list of grievances within the first week and half of him being gone. 

Grievances of the First Week-and-a-Half:

There was a drop in water pressure in the kitchen sink. (Troubleshooted, had the city check our water, still a mystery)

Discovered a small amount of water damage on the ceiling in the boys bathroom. (A roofer had to fix the old rings around the PVC pipes that do who-knows-what that stick out of the roof)

Benson needed stitches on his upper left ear.

I had been treating what my doctor thought was a fungal skin infection on my neck and arm with a fungal cream and instead of getting better it was getting super mean and angry. (Turns out it was eczema)

And finally, the straw that broke the camel's back: I got a cold.

I stayed pretty mellow about stuff until that cold. That was my first road block, my first "I want my mummy" moment. But once I got through the first rough patch I went into a Rosie the Riveter phase and decided that no closet would be safe while Jayce was gone. I came across two organizational Instagrammers that spoke directly to my psyche and since then I have re-organized my refrigerator, my pantry, the game/craft closet downstairs and my sewing/wrappings closet in the guest room. The toy closet is on my list, but will likely be my last stop. I can't decide if I want to get new containers or not and I'm waiting for inspiration to strike.

I'm winding down mentally and I really do want to get into bed soon here, but wanted to document a couple of sweet things in the last couple of months:

1. A conversation with Spencer about a month after Jayce left...

Spencer: "I miss Dad."

Me: "Me too. You should tell him that next time he's on the phone! It's nice to know he's missed. What do you miss about him?"

Spencer: "Just everything."

2. A conversation with Aiden, snuggling in the chair at bedtime he suddenly sat up and said...

"Where's Dad??"

Me: "In Africa."

Aiden: "Oh, he's in Africa?" -Pause- "Is he gon come back?"

Me: "Yes, he's going to come back."

Aiden: "He's gon come back in Daddy's car?" (He loves all things with a motor)

Me: "Yes"

Aiden: "Oh, he's gon come back in Daddy's car."

And then the next day at bedtime again...

Aiden: "Where's Dad?"

Me: "He's still in Africa." 

Aiden: "Yeah, he's gon come back in Daddy's car."

Goodnight. :-)