7 Weeks Down...1 1/2 Days To Go

This will be a short one...

I am SOOO EXCITED!!!  This Friday I will be picking Jerry up at the airport and we get to spend 2 days together...without kids!  It will be very nice to have him back!

Thank you to everyone for your kind words during Jerry's time in Alabama.

Tree Hunt

Last Thursday the boys and I ventured out to pick out our Christmas tree.  We went to a tree farm about 40 minutes from our home.  When we got there Nathan had begun to doze and expressed a strong desire to go home.  He changed his attitude and got into the fun after we wandered through the trees for a bit though.

                

It was sweet to watch them look at how big the trees were and try to find the one that would look good in our home.  When we lived in Montana we would pay a $5 fee and go cut down our own tree.  This is obviously a different experience (and much warmer), but fun none the less.



6 Weeks Down

The end of this adventure is in sight!  In 1 1/5 weeks I will have my husband in my arms once again!  Hooray!! 

Jerry flies back to California on the 10th.  I feel a little bad though because the boys won't see him until the 12th.  My dad and step mom are going to watch the boys for us so that we can have a couple days to ourselves.  Nathan thinks that I am going on a girls weekend.  I feel like this little white lie is alright because obviously if he knew that I was with his daddy he would be quite upset.  I've never been away from the boys for longer than 1 day, and they were with Jerry then.

We've been doing some Christmas decorating in our home the past couple days.  Every time Griffin sees a picture of Santa he says, "Ho, Ho, Ho."  Nathan is really enjoying listening to Christmas music and learning the words.  With every new song he asks what it is called and who sings it.  He definitely has his favorites; Rudolph, Frosty, Jingle Bells, and The Little Drummer Boy at this point.  I think that we may go get a tree this Friday.  I would like to have the house all put together for Jerry's return.  I'm just a little nervous about putting the stand on it by myself.  Hopefully mommy doesn't end up under the tree!  I'm also wondering if this year we will need to have the ornaments starting about 3 feet up.  Griffin is so curious and loves to move things and take things apart.  We will probably hang the homemade ornaments down low.  

5 Weeks Down

It's 5am and I am getting ready to finish up my last 1/2 day of child care subbing for my neighbor.  I know one thing for sure....I do not want to have my own day care!  My neighbor has called me a couple times and I've told her that I don't think she makes enough money for the job she does.  I am really looking forward to noon when all of the kids are picked up and the boys and I can head to my dad's house!  The subbing probably wouldn't have been as trying on me if I also hadn't been without Jerry for over a month.  It was pretty tiring to take care of all of the kids all day and then come home and still be mommy for a few more hours.

I get to see my wonderful husband in 16 days!  Before this separation the longest that I had done solo-parenting was 11 days.  I have to say that I am proud of myself for "holding down the fort".  I truly admire spouses who have to go months and months without their partner!  The mental part of it can be difficult.  I can tell when I need adult time because I talk more to strangers in stores, or try to keep people on the phone longer to get a fix.

It's time for me to finish getting ready.  Thank you for taking a moment to read about my life :-)

4 Weeks Down...

The good news is that Jerry has now been gone more days than we have days left to see him.  Our "Daddy Chain" has greatly shortened, and Nathan can now pretty much count the links without my help.  It was a little more difficult for him when there were 40 or 50+ days.  It is down to 22 days.

I am now just about over my yucky cold.  A couple days were pretty funky with my sinuses and cough.  Griffin is too cute; every time I sneeze, cough, or clear my throat he says, "Bless you, mama."  It sounds a little more like, "Bess you mama," but it is very sweet!  Sometimes I am in the other room and I hear him across the house saying it to me.  The funny thing is when Nathan sneezes and he still says, "Bless you mama."  I think we have him saying Nathan now instead (or sometimes "brother").  I thought that Nathan was in the clear from getting the cold, but yesterday he started coughing.  I am just realy hoping that it doesn't progress because he has had to be on a nebulizer a couple times with his coughing...no fun!

Starting tomorrow I am subbing at my neighbor's child care for 4 1/2 days.  She will be travelling to WA with her family for Thanksgiving, so I am filling in.  Her husband is also deploying to Iraq in December for 6 months, so I wanted to help out.  I will have 4 kiddos as well as my 2 little guys, so please send me happy thoughts!!  On that note I am heading to bed so that I am well rested for the adventure ahead of me.

Oh yes, I am happy to report that Nathan's behavior has been improving lately.  We are now talking to Jerry with our webcams (not sure why we didn't do this sooner?) and he likes to interact with Jerry this way.  We've also sent a couple packages to Jerry, which Nathan likes to color pictures for.

3 Weeks Down

Jerry has now been in Alabama for 3 weeks.  He will be home with us one month from today; December 10th.  Now that stores are truly showing their "Christmasness" it is more difficult to have him far away.  We have always enjoyed this time of year as a couple, and as a family.  I think that Nathan is a little confused because we told him that Daddy would be home when we decorate for Christmas, but he is seeing decorations without daddy here.  Nathan's behavior has also been much more difficult lately.  He is testing me much more than usual.  Some mornings he actually tells me, "I am going to have bad behavior today."  I try to remain calm and firm, but wowsers, this kid can be good at his stubbornness!

I also have acquired a cold in the last couple days that is making breathing, sleeping, and patience a little more difficult.  I am not quite sure why colds are worse in the evening and morning, but I do not like it...one bit!!!  I seem to have shared this cold with Griffin, so he is even more clingy with me.  It really is endearing to hear him call me Mommeeee, and want me to hold him ever-so-close, but at 1am it is a little more.....frustrating.  I love my little guys so VERY MUCH though, and I know that I am truly blessed to call them "my" little pests.

2 Weeks Down

Today makes 2 weeks that Jerry has been in Alabama.  In some ways it feels like much longer, but in other ways it doesn't feel that long at all.  The last 2 weeks have been so busy, I really hope the next 5 go by just as fast!

My neighbor, who I help out with her daycare, has been battling some health issues recently.  So when she needs me, and I am available, I try to help out.  Sometimes it isn't planned when I need to help her, but I jump in and sub as needed.  Yesterday and today were 2 such moments.  The boys and I went over yesterday at about noon and stayed until 6 because she was very sick.  We also went today from 6:30am until 5pm.  There are moments when I feel crazy being "in charge" of my 2 boys, but next door I was caring for 7 kids!  I think the main goal that I have when I am there is to never let them see when I am doubting my position.  I want to always give the illusion that I have a plan.  There are of course difficult moments; such as when I have one child on the toilet calling for help, another child upset that he was hit by a bat, the hitter mad that the bat was taken away, and me trying to pry frozen hamburgers apart thus snapping my finger nail back and bleeding all over...  You know what though?  I am really happy that I can help out a friend/neighbor when she needs me.  I won't deny that I also look forward to a glass of wine in the evening after all of the chaos.

This weekend the boys and I will be getting away for a few days.  We are going to go to a friend's house in Orange County for a night and then onto my dad's for a couple days.  I look forward to being able to relax and enjoy some friend and family company!