Day 62: Girl Scout 100th Anniversary Songfest

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Spent the day at the Outlet Supermall to join hands and sing campfire songs with girls all around the country to celebrate the 100^th Anniversary of Girl Scouts.  Oldest Child also finally finished building his bed.

We miss you.

Love,

Me

Translation: So-so songs and bed build complete

Girl Friday was so excited for today.  She asked if she could wear my Girl Scout vest (that my mom had saved for me –Thank you Mom!)…because it is vintage…and vintage is a fancy word for old (thank you Fancy Nancy).

Again, I was a little underwhelmed by a scouting event.  However, it is not my impression that counts, it is that of Girl Friday, and she had a grand time.  We got bandanas and patches and got lost trying to find the speaker (we were directed to the activities area on the opposite side of the mall of the singing/ speaker event). 

When it was time to sing, there were not words to sing along, so all the Daisies and Brownies were lost.

Afterwards, at the activity area, Girl Friday got the chance to be recorded for the “Girl Scout time capsule”.  She was an interview natural.

They also had a faux campfire for campfire songs and camping tips…

…and of course, we had to ride the merry-go-round before we went home.

At home, Oldest Child had spent the day working on his bed build (when not playing Xbox).

It was a lot of work, but many confusing IKEA steps later, the last drawer was installed, and it was time to move out of the guest room and onto his new bed!

Day 58: Assembly Starts

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Today is Ash Wednesday.  This means that most activities have been cancelled…. It is time to begin building the bed!

We miss you.

Love,

Me

Translation: A chance to play

While the pieces of Oldest Child’s bed came out of their boxes, the biggest boon of the night was a Girl’s Night out at our good friend SM’s house.  As today is Ash Wednesday, all the evening activities were cancelled, giving me some free time!  And goodness, I found another friend from college, AW (now married with kids).  It was good to have some me time for a change!  …and to rekindle some old friendships to boot!

Day 56: Week 8 & Visiting IKEA…or Goodbye old bed

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Well, it has been on the promise list since the kids unbanked, but finally we had the money to make it happen.  Today was the big trip to IKEA, and the picking of Oldest Child’s new bed.  Next step…assembly.

We miss you!

Love,

Me

Translation: OMG! Never go to IKEA on a FREE Breakfast for all day!

Ok, so we finally have both money in the account, and time to go to the store to spend it.  So, as promised, we headed to IKEA with our rebate card from Black Friday to get Oldest Child a bed.

As it turned out, since it was Presidents Weekend, it was also FREE breakfast day.  So, needless to say, we were lucky to find parking.  That also meant that there was no chance of getting the little guys into kiddie land (although we think that Illusive Middle Child is too tall anyway) as they were at capacity with parents waiting in line for a chance to drop off. *sigh*

So it was an experience.  We looked at all the rooms and the storage (for future visits as budgets will allow).  Of course, leave it to the kids to find the 710 in the store and have me capture it for you.

Then we were off to the bed department.  Miraculously, Oldest Child ended up picking the same bed that we liked when we picked out the couches.  The little ones took a “nap” during the boring ordeal of mattress testing.  Of course, then we had to pick out the parts…and Illusive Middle Child dropped a palette on his hand.  But no broken bones, no lost children, IKEA delivered.  Overall, a good…albeit long…day.

Goodbye old bed… Now Oldest Child just needs to assemble the new one!

Day 4:Welcome to Oz

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Oldest Child’s room is almost done.

I hope that your last night in California went well.  Will forward the boxes you mailed home to South Carolina when I get them.  

We ate the last of the left over Chinese food for dinner.  Both the boys plan on having company spend the night to celebrate New Year’s Eve.  Do you think that that they will call the ball drop in Times Square good enough?

Girl Friday asked if you were coming home tonight, and I reminded her that you were deployed until next year.  Her response, “So he is coming home Monday?”

Have a good flight!

We Miss You,

Me

Translation: Toto, we are not in Kansas any more!

Wow. After three days working in Oldest Child’s room, I feel like I might as well adopt a horse of a different color and start looking out for winged monkeys.  Actually, Oldest Child picked the colors for the high school he will be attending in the fall.  They just happen to be Land of Oz green, black, and white.

It is always interesting to see how children deal with a deployment.  Sometimes they breeze through it, sometimes they rage against it, and sometimes it is a little of both.  Currently, my boys are in the stoic, situation normal mode (although I could see how much it touched Illusive Middle Child to see his first communion cross which he gave his dad in the picture of Fabulous Spouse’s dog tags).

Girl Friday is in that first grade land where time drags on forever and passes in a flash.  Fabulous Spouse regularly leaves on Monday and returns home on Friday. So, this afternoon, she asked what time Daddy was coming home.  I had to explain… again… that Daddy was not coming home until next year.  Poor choice of words, I guess, as 2012 begins on Sunday.

“So, Dad is coming home on Monday, then,” her smart little mind deduces. No. I had to again explain that he was going away for 12 months, but we would see him for two weeks during the summer after the 4^th of July.  “But, we already had that.”   She is still well adjusted though. Still happy to talk to Fabulous Spouse on the cell phone and quickly pass him back.  Afterall, we are no longer in Kansas anymore.  Welcome to the world of Technicolor!  I guess that it is better than black and white and the Twilight Zone!

...and just remember: There is no place like Home!

Day 3: Conspiracy Theory #1: Postal Solvency

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Oldest Child’s room is getting greener.

How cool that you get to skip those cumbersome TSA lines at a commercial airport now that the Navy is sending you to South Carolina via a Nalo flight! Makes you feel kind of important, like a rock star!

The kids are doing well. We went to Target and cashed in all of our birthday and holiday gift cards.  Stopped at McD’s for dinner.  Had leftover quesadillas for lunch, but there seems to be no dent in the fridge.

Miss you much!

Love,

Me

Translation: The Federal government is using IA’s to funnel money to the Post Office to keep it afloat.

In this time of economic uncertainty, we know that every effort is being made to be fiscally responsible.  That is why the navy is sending an airplane from the East Coast to California to ferry Fabulous Spouse and his 14 other IA’s across country rather than using commercial airlines and their free checked baggage for service members on active duty orders.  Oh, what is that? There is a maximum 80 pound limit per IA Sailor? …and that includes carry on? …and there are no stewardesses…er airline personnel to provide snacks or drinks?...and any food or drink that these IA sailors (who are deploying for a year and are only in California to be issued uniforms…that incur weight) count in their 80 pounds allowable? Seriously?!

Ah. Since these are Reservists, they can mail their gear home, and then mail it to South Carolina once they have a mailing address and the Navy will reimburse them. It will probably cost at least $40 each.  No, do not look behind the curtain.  Yes, we realize that it was nowhere in your deployment packets, and very few people would pack for a year with less than 20 pounds. No, you cannot mail your 8 pound medical record, and your heavy weight winter boots will not be issued until an hour before the post office closes.  However, the Navy will reimburse you… eventually.

No, it is a good use of Federal funds. Really.

...and the beatings will continue until morale improves...or the post office is solvent again.

Day 2: Reality

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

I love you, I miss you, and I am unsure on how the leftovers in the fridge have taken over.

Love,

Me

Translation: Today is  ”Day 1: Demolition”

Yes, I have not adapted to cooking for four, but that is not the real story.  Also, sorry that ANY of our leftovers would be better than what the Navy is not serving you as they are still on stand down, you are in BFE LA, and really, left over Christmas cookies does not constitute a meal.

Every time that Fabulous Spouse has left on deployment, we have redecorated.  It is not just a me thing, plenty of other spouses have done the same. As a matter of fact, one of the wives I once knew would get new furniture every time that her husband deployed.  However, due to a bunch of things, deployment kept getting shifted left, and finally she had to tell her spouse or forfeit her purchase which was awaiting delivery.

In the past, Fabulous Spouse would leave for anything over 48 hours, and the living room (at a minimum) would be rearranged. Back then we had one child, two cats, and neither were much for stimulating conversation.

Now, a one year deployment warrants a shakeup.  Ok, it was in the works anyways.  In any case, Girl Friday has moved to the guest room (recently vacated by her Awesome Auntie who stayed for eight months while Fabulous Spouse’s brother was in Iraq), and the boys unbunked for the first time since Dec 2003.  This put Oldest Child in the newly vacant…and very Pepto-Bismol pink room formally occupied by his sister.

Since, in the Pacific Northwest, flat walls and ceilings are apparently illegal or immoral or something! All walls and ceilings have an “orange peel texture” and are bumpy,   and therefore a pain to paint.  So, today we have primed the ceiling and walls (or “de-pinkified” them as Oldest Child would say).  Now that we have killed the pink, it will ferment, and in the next two days or so, turn green.

Wish us luck!