What's Up With My Kid?

I know this might sound a little off, but how is it Bunny will eat huli huli chicken and rice and totally ignore chicken strips and fries?  I placed the order for both and she ate half of mine and didn't touch hers. UGH!!  Still I didn't have to share my mac salad.  There is still enough pickiness that I don't have to share everything.

The End of Another Long Day

Some days seem to just drift by without a second thought.  Today should have been that way.  It wasn't.  I felt cornered at every turn but  not by anything more than entropy.  

I pulled my grades off the web and I did well this term.  3.27.  Not bad for flying solo for most of the term.

I wondered about my brain this week.. maybe it was the stress of the weekend.  I feel slightly overloaded.   Maybe not overloaded, just tired.  Bone tired like I could sleep for a week without sleep enhancing medication.  I would like nothing more than to take a breather.  Maybe not be so rigid in our schedule.  Not worry about what's getting accomplished.  I know school just ended for the term, but I just wish that I had more than three weeks to breathe before jumping into it again.  I'm scheduled for another 15 credit hours and not really sure where I can pare it back without losing something really important.  Somehow I will be able to pull this off.  I just wonder where it will take me once again.  Stay with me for this ok?  I kind of like having you here to be a voyeur into my mind and life.  It helps me to get this out on virtual paper.

Coming Home

Yesterday when I woke up, Mr. Y had a bad cold.  I let him sleep in even though it was the last day he would get to spend with Bunny before we came home and he deployed out to Afghanistan.  I figured he needs to be well rested for the task in front of him.
Before he left for the pre-deployment training, I took the prayer cards out of his bullet-proof vest that he wears for the police bureau and placed them into his bullet-proof vest he will wear for the military.  Those of you who know me well, know that I'm not very religious.  Mr. Y is - to a point.  The prayer cards are traditional catholic ones. We also pinned the St. Michael to his vest, and now all of the little "charms" that I found some comfort in, are with him.
Before I left for Spokane, I ordered a survival bracelet for myself and for Mr. Y.  The cause is near and dear to my heart. it's the "Wounded Warrior Project" and part of the proceeds go to support the project.
I wanted Mr. Y to have one of these before he left. Just in case.  Of course right after he opened it he told me they advised him to change out his bootlaces for paracord (which is what the survival bracelet is made of).  He reminded me he can't wear this in uniform.  Where there is a will, there is a way!  He put it on and that made me smile.  I told him he needed to be safe.  He brought up the topic of what I am to do in case he is captured and how to handle things.  All of our affairs are in order, so that really isn't a problem.  Still, this topic gave me a very uneasy feeling.  He reminded me to have faith.  Like I said in my last post, I'm working on that.  It doesn't come easy for people like me.
He went back to bed for a couple of hours and I woke him up 2 hrs before our flight left and asked for a ride to the airport.  He got up and drove us to the airport.  And here we are, the three of us, standing in the airport in Spokane and Bunny is crying because she doesn't want to leave and I have a bad feeling about the whole situation.   I wonder (somewhere in my mind) is this the last time I will see him?  Is this the last time Sarah will hug her father?
Afghanistan is a different animal than it was when he was there in 2004.  Back then his job was more dangerous than this one, but he will be in a city where there are IED's going off daily.  Afghanistan is more deadly than ever for the American and Allied forces.  The death counts are posted in the weekly paper the Air Force prints.  The thought of this puts a lump in my throat that nearly chokes me.  Still, I say goodbye and turn before the tears cloud my vision.  I am supposed to be the strong one for Bunny to lean on.   A deep breath.  I can do this.  We enter the secure area and start taking off our shoes and placing our things into the bins to be x-rayed. then on to the plane to take us home.
When we come home, there is the traditional chaos that comes with walking into your home.  The animals want your attention, there is a stack of unopened mail - bills, reminders that life goes on no matter what stress you are currently under.  Now that I am composed since our last time together, I call Mr. Y to let him know we are home safe and say goodnight before I put bunny to bed.
I am strong.  I can do this.
Tomorrow will be a new day.  School will be starting in a couple of weeks for the kids and I.  We will still try to get together for meals a couple of times per week to reconnect.  Dad and Mom are here for us if we need help.  There is always something that will maintain our focus on the here and now.

Once again, life under construction!

Changes are coming.

On Thursday Bunny and I got on a plane and headed for Spokane to see the hubster for the last time before he heads to Afghanistan.

The grass and land fires had the sky so hazy here that you couldn't even see the sun.  So glad that only lasted for Thursday.

We had dinner together had the equivalent of a quiet evening at home.  We are staying in TLF (temp living facility) on the base.

On Friday we went to the waterfront in downtown Spokane and Bunny got to play on an inflatable slide.  We rode the tram up to the falls and then took a little train tour.  It was fun and Bunny was so happy to see her daddy. I became invisible again.

On Saturday we were invited by one of Chris' OSI coworkers home. In my life, I have never met a more generous family.

Mark has 7 kids and lives outside of Spokane by about 30 minutes.  

He took us out on his boat on the Coeur D' Alene Lake and the Spokane River.  It threatened rain, but turned out to be a beautiful day.  We spent about 5 hours on the boat.  During that time he took us into the marina at Coeur D' Alene for a burger at a famous burger joint called Hudson's.  It was one of the best burgers I have ever had.  The folks that work there are more friendly than any I have ever met.  They had a conversation with Bunny and seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say.

It was great and there were so many places to camp along the river.  I have lots of ideas on where to take the trailer next summer.  Beautiful parks that are close enough to walk down to the water and play in the shallow areas for the kids or swim out to deeper water for the swimmers.

When we came back Mark and his family fed us dinner.  Like I said, more than generous.  It was so nice of them to take us out on the boat and feed us lunch before we left and dinner when we came back.

Sadly, today we have to come home.  I have already had to wipe Bunny's tears away whens she said "I want to stay with Daddy!". and of course at this age she has no idea of linear time and that it will be months before she sees him again.

Of course Chris and I had to have "the talk".  If you are in the military or the spouse of military personnel, you know the talk I mean.  What to do in case I'm captured, who to call if you have questions, and most importantly to have faith.  

Faith - I'm working on that one.  I have to be the strong one because in the coming months, Bunny will look to me for the strength she needs to get through the holidays and her first year of school.

Thank you to the rest of my family for standing with me during the difficult times.

Once again, life under construction!

Gonna Hold Our Own Private Beer Fest!

This is the e-mail I sent out a yesterday that is for the party!


Hello to my friends!



We are gearing up for the second annual beer tasting even here at our
house. As many of you know, Mr. Y will be in Afghanistan and unable to
attend this year. We will begin the event with a toast in his honor.
Please mark your calendar for 10-23-2010 at 3:00pm. Food will also be
served.
The idea is not for everyone to get drunk, but to have a taste of the local
beers and some exotic ones from out of the country. The goal is for
everyone to have a sip of approximately 25 different beers.
We will feature some of the sweeter beers/adult beverages (that fall into
the beer and wine category) for those who doesn't like the traditional taste of beer.
There will be some desserts as wells as cheeses and crackers and pizza at
the end.
For those of you who weren't at the last one, an Excel graph depicting the
results will be e-mailed to those that are interested.

Please let me know if you and your S/O are interested in attending this
event. Evites will go out the first week of September (but before the
school year begins).
I hope you can attend this event! It will be a lot of fun and a chance to
get to know each other a little better.
If your lucky, you may discover your new favorite beverage!
I sure hope you can make it!

Forgot to Share This...

Have you just ever wondered what the government was thinking when they do some of the things they do?
I got this postcard in the mail the other day and even commented on it on FB.  How F'd up do you think it is?  I tried to upload it, but apparently Blogger.com doesn't support this media type.  I will try to figure out a way so you can see it for yourselves.  It is for Death Benefits for military personnel and their family members.  On the front of the card it says ""Veterans Funeral Care. On Behalf of a Grateful Nation"
Please - You know me right?  You know where my family is right now right?  Don't send this crap to me.  Don't you think we worry enough as it is? 
Personally, I'm saving this postcard to show him when he gets back.
Cheers my friends!

My Life Under Construction

When I think about it, nearly every form of my life is under construction of some type:
I'm in school and that's educational construction.
Building a garage - CONSTRUCTION
Raising a family - yep, you guessed it - MAJOR construction.
My spine trying to fuse with this cage in it - again construction.
Home repairs - construction again. - Maybe not in the major sense, but there is always something that needs repairing. Be it minor (the sensor light went out in the back yard again) or there is a pipe rusted out in the kitchen. (Thanks to my Dad for fixing that one!)
Today I was hoping for the end to one of the construction projects in my living room. About 2 years ago there was an accidental flood in the upstairs bathroom (when is it ever on purpose?). I tried getting it repaired under the insurance policy but our deductible was more than the cost of the actual repair AND that would have gone against my status as having "0" homeowner claims since 1997. I would hate to ruin a streak! ANYWAY -
I had Neil Kelly come out and take a look and give me an estimate and they were "johnny-on-the-spot" in getting it started. I had a drywall guy out there the same week and it the repair portion was completed before I could blink my eyes. The drywall mud needed to dry overnight before it could be painted. Well the next day before they were going to come out and paint, Sarah came down with a horrible infection and a fever. (She is the fouth of my little group and has never been a conventional kid. Right down to the fact that she is an IVF baby.) I had to call the painter that morning and explain that she was too sick and I couldn't have anyone in the house. He said he was going to be on vacation the next week and asked if the following week would be OK to paint. Fine, just let me go take care of my sick kid!!! I ended up taking Sarah to the ER that day because she was so feverish she was delirious - and not in a good way! She couldn't even hold down the tylenol I used to get her fever down. We went to the ER and they took good care of us and we were out within 3 hours with meds prescribed. YAY!
Well, I've been looking at the repair wondering when (if ever) it would be completed. Today it was about 8:30 in the morning and the doorbell rang and can you believe I had forgotten this was the day? So, here I am at the computer trying to complete my BA131 homework and this guy is knocking at my door!HHRRMMPHH! I'm still in my jammies with no bra on or anything to cover myself for company. "Can you excuse me for a minute?" I ran down and changed and came back up and poured myself a cup of coffee and was making small-talk with the painter because there is no way on this earth that I could manage to concentrate on the access homework and get it completed.
He takes the paint that I have provided and starts to paint the living room wall and then, with a different color and a new roller, on to the ceiling. He's just going to blend it at this point. The paint looks OK going on, but something just isn't right... Mind you - This is the paint that I have provided and I thought that it was the right paint because it looks close (which only count in horse shoes and hand grenades!) Well - Now I need to buy more of the same paint that doesn't match so the painter can paint the whole ceiling.
Do you think the construction in my life will ever be complete? I doubt it. Construction = change, and change is good!

Ordinary Day

There is a reason for this. It is to document where I will be and what I will be doing for the next 10 months.  Pretty much the entire time Mr. Y is in Afghanistan.

Sometimes it seems as though I have been walking through a haze. Have you ever had the dream you were trying to run but your legs were moving as though they were in mud to the thighs? You are trying really hard, but can't move more than a couple of inches, and it took so much effort.

Today I found myself saying I wanted a job. I have learned so much and really feel the need to put it to good use. The problem is that I'm not done learning yet. I still have more to learn and need to do it before I hang up the towel at school.
There is also the part of me that wants a job so I don't have to do homework while my five-year old watches TV (I refuse to leave her outside by herself and am terrified that she will fall into a hole in the backyard.)
Some of my friends (more my acquaintances than anything) have asked why don't your kids watch them? My kids work and they don't have very much free time to themselves, much less for babysitting the Bunny. My Dad spends enough time helping me out and doesn't need the additional time. He's currently the one building the garage. In case you missed it on the main page, my entire back yard is under construction. UGH!

Since this is an ordinary day, there really isn't anything new to say. I did spend 4.5 hours on the chat line with the BA131 instructor trying to learn how to correctly write a mathematical expression in Access and have the query come up correct. There are so many places to make errors that its really easy to make a mistake and not know why your query was not successful. I was able to get what I needed, but I was in tears before it was over and I'm not sure why I was so overwhelmed by it. Does anyone know it? no. I don't usually come right out and say anything like that, but I really felt like I was at my wits end.
Now I'm going to submit the homework I spent so much time on and put the Bunny to bed. I have an interesting story for you for another day. Maybe it will be my post for tomorrow.

For now - Sweet Dreams!