Transition

  As a child I never fully apprehended or, for that matter, never really noticed all that my mother was burdened with during my father's deployments.
     
              Until now......

  Although my significant other has only been away for a little over a week, I can already feel my load piling high.  Its Sunday (laundry day), and already I'm starting out this morning defrosting my damn washing machine.  Yes, It is frozen in my garage, and I was told to just place the space heater infront of it for a couple of hours.  We woke up way to late to attend Church, and as I type, I'm listening to what was suppose to be pitter-patter of little feet, but instead, it sounds like bombs over Baghdad upstairs!  To put it plainly, for the first time ever, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.

   But I refuse to let this deployment get to me.  How much could this actually affect us.  The kids, although this is they're first deployment, are pretty much use to dad being away.  His job requires him to work a lot, come home late, and be in and out of port often.  But why is it that the actual word DEPLOYMENT makes everything turn haywire?!

   Already I've received notice that my son is not my son when he is in school.  He has an alter-ego.  And I do believe that he is having fun with his partner in crime.  He is lying, TALKING, and is being disrespectful to all authority in school.  I haven't met this alter-ego in person, but I think that Gavin is smart enough not to introduce me to him.  Luckily, the principal made me aware of a group that meets during lunch on Mondays.  The group is for children of deployed parents, and I do hope that this will help my son express his feelings more.
   My youngest, is not anymore of a diva than she was already born to be.  She is my little sidekick.  However, I do wish she would stop asking if we are going to pick up daddy everytime we get in the car.

   The only outlet to all this stress is excercise!!  It not only makes my day go by faster, but it makes me feel good, and somewhat euphoric after a long run. I'm in my own world when I blast them ipod tunes in my ear, and just go. 

   So as a recommendation to those going through this deployment with me, just take everything day by day.  Get out of the house and run free for a couple of hours of the day.  And remember that as you may feel slightly overwhelmed at times, it only makes for a more glorious homecoming. The day when you can finally run and hold him.....
   Then quickly hand over the kids and say welcome home as you drive to your nearest extravagant spa! <3