It’s Been a Good Day

I think that after 3 1/2 weeks of deployment that today was the day that I got into a good groove. One of the things I’ve wanted to do while Clay is gone is to get back to going to the Y. I felt challenged by the idea because Luke-Xavier hasn’t ever lasted there for more than 15 minutes. He throws himself on the floor and screams until they come get me. But today! Today he threw his fit and they just let him throw it until he was done and then he got up and went outside and played. Whoo Hoo! I’m glad that they finally took my approach to the whole fit-throwing thing. So, now it’s up to me go keep up a good routine of going so that he knows it’s just part of what we do. So, don’t tell anyone, but I haven’t actually worked-out there in about a year (maybe longer). Instead I’ve used it (all 15 minutes at a time) to think about show topics and get some writing done. But in the next few weeks if he keeps being good, I’m going to have to find a class and start working this on this body of mine!

After the Y, Luke-Xavier was beat and fell asleep in the car. When we got home I put him in bed and then was able to catch snails with Gabi. Let’s just focus on the “with Gabi” part of that sentence. Icky snails! It was a nice time with her. She’s definitely surrounded by brothers, because for all the wishing she does to become a princess, she LOVES bugs and snails!

Then it was onto a new show idea! Today I was able to record the first of a series of interviews that I’m doing about women and the military. I’m talking to different women who have been touched in some way by the military, whether they are spouses, have or have had a military career or maybe were children in a military family. Today’s interview was with Pilar Hari. She’s a Navy spouse of 19 years, the mother of 3 and the co-founder of the non-profit organization Focus Families. The show will be up in the next couple of weeks. I hope you find her story interesting!

So, after the excitement of trying something new for the show, I was back into the “M.O.M.” routine and picked kids up from school, took Mariah to an appointment (with time enough for a little bonding stop) and then back home to make dinner. I feel like it was the first night since Clay has left that I really embraced the whole nighttime routine as mine. Usually Clay brushes the kiddos’ teeth, reads the stories and tucks them in. It’s funny to say “usually” because his schedule varies so much, but it just seems like it was “his” thing. But tonight I didn’t drag my feet or assign tasks to the older girls. I gathered everyone around, read 2 stories, said prayers, led them to the bathroom, brushed teeth, clipped nails and tucked them each in. Go M.O.M! It’s just after 9 pm and I feel drastically different than I did last night.

Let’s hear it for the routine! Let’s hear it for the whole “deployment reality” finally sinking in! Let’s hear it for M.O.M getting in the groove!

Good night~