Day 50: Daddy dolls

Last week I received an excited voicemail message from our Fleet & Family Support rep that she had been able to find us a few "Daddy dolls" and had dropped them into the mail. Immediately I was asking myself the exact same question you're asking - what the hell is a Daddy doll? So, of course, I looked it up on Google and this is what I found -

Now. I am all for supporting our troops and helping my children cope but seeing this picture literally sent me into fits of hysterical laughter. Sue and I were joking that since we hadn't ordered these Daddy dolls ourselves, would they show up with the face of some other Daddy? Would that cause a lot of confusion when Dan comes home?!? Fortunately, our dolls arrived today and look like this -

Total truth, I still think they're kind of creepy. BUT - anything at all that makes M&P feel comforted is a blessing so we will now insert a funny picture of Dan and see what happens. Look for updated Daddy doll pictures soon! 

Day 49: The Disney dilemma

Pretty much from the moment we found out Dan was being deployed we decided we wanted to take the kids to Disney when he comes home. Originally we thought Disney World so we could go see Sue and Mario at the same time. Now we're talking about Disneyland because it's so close and honestly a lot more budget-friendly (not that Disney is really budget-friendly at all but you get the point.)

I went to the website last night, took a look and....total freakout. I mean...even trying to think about what we want to do is driving me into shutdown mode. I want to, of course, make sure everything is perfect but I'm so out of my element and am sure I'm going to mess up and not book all the cool things I was supposed to book. If anyone has any advice whatsoever please share. I am a Disneyland virgin with a whole lot to learn!

Day 48: A new 'do

Sue took both M&P to get their hair cut today, which is such a huge help to me. Especially for Miss P - she was in desperate need of a trim. M was so excited to show his Daddy his new haircut. He keeps telling me that now "it's short just like Daddy's hair!"

Day 47: The brick wall

 

It's only 9:30pm but I have officially hit a wall. Lately I've been bouncing between wanting to curl up and go to bed at 6:00 and not being able to sleep and staying up until 1am watching "Downton Abby." I think a lot of it has to do with my workout schedule (or lack thereof) as of late. Getting myself up to be on the treadmill before 6am or staying awake to go running after I get the kids in bed/ lay out clothes/pack lunches/clean up after dinner/check work emails/make something for myself is quite frankly just one more "to do." But I really, really miss running so am hoping to try and eek out a little time here and there to get back into a routine. And I'm definitely planning on getting back into running and the gym when Dan comes home. I even think we're going to do another 1/2 marathon together this fall. For now, I'm trying not to beat myself up too much and am just focusing on one day at a time!

Day 45 & 46: The gift of family

I truly am blessed to have such an amazing family. Sue and I went to dinner on Saturday to celebrate her birthday and had a wonderful time laughing, talking and sitting by the ocean. Sunday we were treated to a surprise visit by our favorite cousins and Aunt Caroline. As it so happens their Dad is on an extended military training assignment right now and is also not at home. Getting all the kids together is such fun and gives everyone a few hours of smiles and laughs without having to miss their Daddies so much.

Day 44: Friday night fun

We don't watch much TV in our house but we are definitely movie-lovers. Friday evening has turned into movie night at Chez Summa. Every week the kids get to pick what we're going to watch and eat a big batch of popcorn sprinkled with M&M's. Tonight's screening was "Brave" and we even had Merida there for a guest appearance! Such a simple new tradition but we love it!

Day 43: Decorating madness

One of the greatest things about having Sue in town is that she's a crazy-talented decorator. I've been telling her for years to open her own consulting business. Anyway, I came home today and she had gone out and bought tons of fun things for us to look at to decorate the house. I'm terribly indecisive so getting to look at so many options was not only fun but really helpful! I'm hoping to get a lot done before Dan comes home as a big "welcome home" surprise!

Day 42: Sue Sue is here!

Our beloved Sue Sue is here to visit for the next two weeks and we're so happy! I think the only good thing about Dan's deployment is that we've had a steady stream of visitors, which is really nice. We love company!

Day 41: Long distance love letters

Today I checked the mailbox and was surprised to find sweet Valentine's Day cards for me and the kids from Dan. It's such a nice surprise to hear from him and a personal note is even better. P actually took her Valentine to bed with her tonight so she could be close to her Daddy.

I was also able to talk with Dan today for the first time in about a week. I won't lie - it's tough. I'm always so thankful to see his face and hear his voice but it also brings this huge rush of emotions that make me want to cry and scream all at the same time. I think we both do a good job of faking like we're tough but seeing each other always makes it so much more real. Because the truth is that I want to shout, "I MISS YOU! My life is not the same without you! Heck, I don't even HAVE much of a life! Please, please, come home soon and be safe! We need you!" But doing that every day would be impossibly difficult for both of us. Therefore, I will resign myself to reading long distance love letters, smiling and acting like it's just another day when on the inside my heart is aching for my husband to just come back home.

Day 37 - Day 40

What a fantastic weekend. We just returned from a mini-ski vacation to Colorado with my parents. I don't think I realized how much we were in need of a little getaway until I stepped off the plane and felt the cold mountain air hit my face. We've been in such a constant state of go-go-go lately that I'd forgotten how nice it is to just sit back and enjoy the simple things - a great ski run, a warm cup of soup after a cold day, playing in the snow with the kids. The best part about our vacation is that it really made this month fly by. February is almost over, which means we'll have another month under our belts. That's definitely something to smile about!

Day 36: Happy V-Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to the best Dad and husband in the who wide world! 

We love you so much and miss you every day!

Day 35: The countdown begins

I talked to Dan tonight and he confirmed that he'll definitely be coming home for 2 weeks at the end of May!!! We knew from the time he received his orders that there was a strong possibility this was going to happen but now that it's official I'm overjoyed! Dare I even begin to get excited...in a little less than 3 months we get to be a family again!!!

Day 34: A little R&R

We're headed off to Colorado in a few days for a much-needed vacation with my parents. I'm really looking forward to getting in some quality ski time with my Dad and getting M&P up on the bunny hill. It won't be the same without Dan to keep me company but I know he's not going to miss the cold weather!

Day 33: TMI

I was talking to Dan last week and made the horrible mistake of asking if he ever has to go off base. Big mistake. Huge. It turns out that, yes, he will have to go off base to follow up on some of the cases he's handling. He immediately launched into an explanation of how it's so much safer to be driving around now than it was a few years ago. To quote my husband, "During the Gulf War they just had Hummers and those things got absolutely annihilated. Now we basically have mini-tanks (AKA - MRAPs - Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles) that are practically indestructible." Cue me telling Dan I had just about all the information I needed, thank you very much. Please do not ever, ever, ever tell me if you have to go off base. I am sincerely enjoying my bubble of obliviousness!

Day 31 & 32: A little happiness

 Cupcake R1 of 3 this weekend!

Having my sister here visiting has been such an amazing change in our routine. We had an incredible weekend on so many fronts. We had a birthday party on Saturday for the kids followed by a night out for myself and Laura with some friends. Today we had a jam-packed morning of activities followed by another great dinner with old friends from Dan's days at the Naval Academy. It's such a wonderful testament to our friends and family that people go out of their way to include us and be supportive.

We also got to talk to Dan several times this weekend, which is so nice. Overall he's doing okay - just focused on counting down the days. The good news is that he put in this week for his 2-weeks of leave this summer. We won't know the exact dates for a bit but just the idea of having him back at home is enough to get us through the next few months!

Day 31: Exhaustion

I had grandiose ideas of staying up late tonight and watching a movie with my sister. Fast forward 10 minutes into the film and I'm passed out slumped over on the couch. All this at 9:30 none-the-less! I don't think I realize how much we're in go-go-go mode during the week but apparently it's catching up with me! G'night!

Day 30: Chopsticks and sticky rice smiles

When Dan is home we always go out for sushi at this great little spot near the ocean. The best part is that it's kid friendly so we're able to have dinner as a family. We went out to eat one night right before Dan left on deployment and I remember thinking that I wouldn't come back again until he came home. I thought it would be entirely too sad to go there without him in tow.

Fast forward to this evening - I picked my sister up from work and noticed that her office is right near our sushi restaurant. We decided on a whim to go for dinner and had the best time. The kids were really well behaved and we even convinced them to eat a roll (well, Mac wasn't having it but Paige gobbled it up!) Instead of being sad, I felt comforted to sit and think about all the happy memories we have there as a family. I don't know if we'll be going back again any time soon but for tonight it felt so nice to do something familiar and fun even if we did miss Dan.

Day 28: Auntie Laura

My sister came into town Monday night and is staying with us for two weeks. We are all over the moon to have her here. It's such a tremendous help and comfort just to have another adult in the house! Not that talking to Mac and Paige all day isn't entertaining (it definitely has it's moments!) but at least now I have someone to have a glass of wine with at the end of the day!

Day 27: Groundhog Day

I talked to Dan the other day and he told me that right now he's incredibly bored because every day is exactly the same. Since the military is in the midst of drawing down troops, a lot of time is spent waiting around to see what needs to happen next. I imagine it's also tough because it's not like he really gets to drive around and go see the sites. All that being said, I'd rather have him bored out of his mind than running around worrying about things. I'll take care of the worrying for both of us, thank you very much. Dan can just focus on being safe!

Day 26: Patriotic

I know I said I didn't watch the Super Bowl yesterday but of course I watched the ads. It is technically my job after all. Anyway, I'm not sure this made me want to trade in my Prius but the Chrysler ad supporting our troops obviously hit tremendously close to home. The nicest part of this spot to me was the acknowledgement that there is a hole - a huge, gaping hole - that is left when your loved one goes overseas. If you haven't seen the spot you can watch it here. Thank you, Chrysler, for making thousands of fans take 120 seconds out of their day to remember the very reason we're all able to watch the Super Bowl at all.

Day 24 & 25: Super [simple] Saturday and Sunday

 Happy faces at brunch this morning
(may have been the chocolate chip pancakes!)

I know everyone else was glued to the big game today but we elected not to watch this year. Aside from not caring about the teams it just doesn't feel fun to watch football and eat chicken wins without Dan around (although he caught the last few minutes of the game!) Instead, we elected to have a relaxing day just sticking to our new routine - church followed by brunch and some errands. We even managed to do some gardening work, which was great since it's finally back to our normal 75-degrees and sunny.

Saturday was similar - ballet for Paige in the morning and an evening play date with some family friends. I'm just trying to focus on really spending quality time with the kids. I know it's easy to say I'm physically with them 24/7 but I'm working on making sure I'm mentally present as well. That means eating our meals together, reading more stories, asking more questions and above all listening. It's not always easy but I definitely think we're making progress!

Day 23: Adventures in babysitting

Well. Apparently we need a little more drama in our lives just to keep everyone on their toes. Last night I had to go to dinner with my boss as he was in town for some meetings. I was running late (shocking, I know) and backed out of the garage without even looking...right into my babysitter's car. Thankfully my sitter is amazing and she wasn't even remotely phased by the accident. Unfortunately the repair man at the garage today was phased to the tune of $2100. Good for me that we have some great auto insurance. Chock this one up to silly Mommy striking again!