Life is Good

You know how you come back from a really fun day and you have few (or zero) photos to prove that day ever existed? That's how the last week and a half feels; we've had such a good time that we've somehow forgotten that we even own a camera.

Scout immediately went to work on hanging the swing that Grandma Seattle bought in, what? November? Obviously, I never got around to it. But it was well worth the wait; Tucker loves it.


And I actually cooked breakfast for the first time in about nine years (it feels that long) - the boys loved sweet potato pancakes, and ate them together while I finished cooking the rest of the batch.


And Tucker had bath time with Daddy after his first hair cut (which he needed terribly!).


Papers are graded, Tucker is napping, and the roast for dinner is cooking. I'm off to play Guitar Hero with my oh-so wonderful (non-deployed) husband.

Life is good.

Two Weeks

I found out about four weeks ago that Scout would be coming home a few weeks earlier than planned. This was in addition to the three month reduction from 15 months to 12 months that was ordered after he had deployed. We won't be joining the We Survived 15 Month Deployment Club. Hell, we haven't even joined the We Survived the 12 Month Deployment Club (he was gone for nine months the first time, and it will be 11 months this time). And you know what? I'm ok with that.

Now that his homecoming is so close (amazing how it still feels so far away), I've started counting down in ways that I'm sure many military spouses can relate to:

• I only have to watch two more episodes of The Bachelor alone (then Scout will be forced to sit and watch with me).
• I only have two more trash days to lug out our huge-ass garbage can to the street, around the four million cars we have parked in our driveway. Don't ask.
• I will only spend one more weekend cleaning feverishly by myself (Scout is the King of Cleaning. Not only does he rock at it, but he likes it. Sorry, ladies).
• Ten more days of school. About the time I start tryouts for seventh/eighth grade tennis, he will be here.
• Ten more days of dealing with my stupid-ass daycare by myself. I really should have blogged about all the bullshit I've had to deal with because of them (quickly: one time recently, they called me in a panic saying Tucker was "gushing" blood internally from his ear and that I should rush over and take him to the emergency room. When I arrived at the ER and had a chance to inspect his ear, it was a self-inflicted scratch - and he was not "gushing" blood. Oh, and there's the time that they called me because he had a rash and needed to be picked up. I got a substitute, headed to daycare, and they called me while I was still driving over there to say, "Oh, never mind. The rash is going away." Two examples in a bag full of why I really should find someone else to watch him. You know, because I have so much time to locate, inspect, interview, and background check someone else).
• I should have two more chemo caps finished for my Aunt.
• My bottle of Herbal Essences 2 in 1 Shampoo/Conditioner should be gone. This one is weird, but true. Every time I get in the shower and use some of it, I think, "We're one dollop closer to the end of the deployment!"

We're on the home stretch.