Day 50: Happy Valentine’s Day

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Divine providence that you finally got your box with your Valentine’s Day cards… three days after it was supposed to arrive.  However, maybe that made it sweeter, as you were able to actually enjoy them on Valentine’s Day!  Try not to OD on the sweets that arrived!

We miss you!

Love,

Me

Translation: Mmmmm… chocolate.  Now get in the car.

Tuesday is a rough day on a slow Tuesday, let alone a holiday. 

This morning started early, 5AM early, as the little guys were excited to see what Valentine’s goodies had been placed at their seats while they slept.  They were especially excited about the little stuffed animals that “Dad” had sent them (way cooler than the chocolates that Mom had gotten them).  In his haste to extricate his Valentine’s mouse, Illusive Middle Child managed to maim his mouse.  It was earth shattering, and required an ER- stat.

After that emergency, it was off to school.  Then it was back to school after Illusive Middle Child realized that he left his box of Valentines in the front room when he put them down to put on his shoes. (However, he did have his mouse).

After school let out at noon, I had three kids high on sugar buzzing about the house.  All that comes up, must come down.  So, by the time that dinner was ready, the little guys were ready to crash and burn.  However, the sight of heart shaped, banana chocolate chip pancakes with whip cream and sprinkles, bacon, and sparkling apple cider was more than enough to perk them up.  Which was good, because the evening was just starting!

First, we dropped Illusive Middle Child off early at his basketball practice (they were working on tip offs in the picture), then we picked up oldest child from wrestling practice and dropped him home for a solo Valentine’s dinner and shower.  Then we got Girl Friday to her Daisy Scout Valentines party…only 10 minutes late! (Woo Hoo! Almost on time!!!)  After getting a slot for sight sales for Girl Scout cookies (Girl Friday is definitely going to be selling less this year as we have only one slot right now), it was back to boys’ basketball.

Now it was time to reverse the process, and go from basketball to Daisy Scouts, to home (to pick up the now fed and sanitized Oldest Child), to Boy Scouts, to home to get the little guys ready for bed…then back to Boy Scouts.

I guess it is a good thing that you were not home and expecting to go out on a date! LOL!

Day 5: Auld lang syne

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

I love the new Army threads! I hope that your flight across country is quick ant turbulence free.  Sorry that there will be no drink service on board.  Hopefully, you will be able to get out to celebrate New Year’s Eve with the other IAs.  Will call when the ball drops!

We Miss You!

Love,

Me

Translation: Next year, I’m having a party

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

One of the unexpected but obvious side effects of any deployment is that your spouse is not at home. (I know, duh!).  Therefore, those holidays… and non-holidays alike… are bound to be different too.  There are times when this is a blessing, like the year that Girl Friday was 2 months old, Fabulous Spouse was deployed, and we ate turkey sandwiches in our pajamas in lieu of Christmas Dinner.

There are also times when you just for a minute wish that it weren’t so.

New Year’s Eve is a fun holiday in our home.  Traditionally, it has been movies and hors d'oeuvres and champagne (sparkling cider for the kids).  Some years we have had parties, some years we have been at home, but it was always the same.  We watched the ball drop at 9pm in Time Square, and it was New Years.  Then we’d wake the kids or stay up and watch the fireworks at the space needle.

I come from a family of alcoholics.  It is what it is.  Therefore, I do not drink if I am the only adult in the house. Period.  It is just a me thing, but it is part of my mental failsafe from going down that path. (Again, I probably have a reservation with a therapist in my future, but oh well.) So, my traditionally slightly fuzzy holiday is crystal clear.   This is a good thing, as we had kids at the house.

So, it is New Years Eve, we had a house full of kids playing Xbox upstairs, and Girl Friday was down the street for an evening play date.  At 8:45PM, I went to the refrigerator to find the sparkling cider which Girl Friday put in yesterday, and I could not find it.  I checked the fridge in the garage.  No dice.  No Girl Friday either… as she is down the street.  Three minutes to ball drop, and with a sinking feeling in my stomach, I open the freezer.  Yup.  There it is.

Fortunately, I had leftover strawberry cider from Thanksgiving. So, we had a tiny amount of that just as the ball dropped.  Then the boys grabbed some cream puffs and scattered back up to kill things with a quick happy New Year to dad.

There I was, alone on the couch. Cut on my thumb from trying to start to pick up the mess in the freezer, a MESS in the freezer, and a dawning realization that there was nobody to kiss at the New Year.

Therefore, I have come to the realization that I like having people around on New Year’s.  I like having a fun atmosphere and a drink or two.  The couch is a lonely place for one.  I am going to make sure that the down stairs is clean, and I am having a party next year to rock in my 2013.  I am probably having a party for St. Patrick’s Day too.