June 28, 2009

 

Greetings from Destin, Florida! The kiddos and I are here for the weekend.  This place is a little piece of heaven on Earth! Everything is here: gorgeous beaches, great shopping, tons of restaurants, and about 50 members of my husband’s family.  Did I forget to mention that we’re here for my husband’s annual family reunion? We are. But where’s my husband? He’s at Ft. Jackson, of course!

 

A special place exists in the Army. It’s a place in between a deployable unit and an overseas assignment and that place is called Training and Doctrine (TRADOC).  TRADOC is a magical place where your husband comes home every night, but he’s not really home because he just eats dinner and then passes out in a coma.  TRADOC is the type of place where federal holidays disappear into thin air because someone always has to be with the soldiers.  So, even though we planned for my hubby to attend the reunion for the first time in 4 years, at the last minute a tasking came up and he couldn’t take leave.  However, we already told the family that we would be there.  No one had laid eyes on our precious new baby boy yet and they were itching for some baby time.  Being the outstanding Army wife that I am, I put my Superwoman cape on and decided to take the kids to Florida.  But, I wasn’t going alone, I had to bring in reinforcements.

 

What do you do when the hubby is tied up in Army business but your life is racing on at the speed of light? You call your sista friend, and that’s exactly what I did.  You know that friend you call in the middle of the night to vent about the injustices of your life? The friend that you could never call if you got arrested because she would be sitting in the jail cell with you? I hope that God has blessed you with that friend! In the Army, those friends become our family.  These special people help you through life because they often know you better than you know yourself.  My sista Brande and I have known each other since we were 12.  We’ve been through boyfriends, babies, and bad times together.  When I called her, she was excited to join us in Florida and brought her kids along for a great beach trip.   Given the realities of life, we don’t get to see each other that often anymore so the trip has been a reunion for us also.  We’re getting quality time with the kids, we’re reminiscing about the old days, and talking about dreams for the future.  Yes, she is a new face to the other members of the Lunderman family, but she’s been an unwavering fixture in my life for decades. When I was deployed in Afghanistan, she was the one who sent funny emails that kept a smile on my face. When my toddler took a bad tumble, she calmed me down and assured me that her child had survived much worse without any lasting damage.  If you are talking about family, it doesn’t get much closer than we are.  I honestly can’t imagine a family reunion without her.  So, everyone is where they should be, well, minus my husband who is stuck in TRADOC land.  We’ll keep having a great time this weekend for him anyways. Now, I’ve got to run because my kid is trying to hijack somebody’s sand castle! 

 

 

June 18, 2009

 

There’s no secret that times are tough. We’re in a recession, jobs are scarce and people are being required to do more for less pay.  Once upon a time, long ago, I was an Army officer. In my current position I’m required to wear a few hats: cook, chauffeur, maid, educator, accountant, evangelist, nanny, and counselor, just to name a few. I’m on call 24 hours a day and I don’t get paid a dime.  Don’t call the labor union just yet, I’m a stay at home mom. I’m relatively new to the job, I’ve been at it for three years. I have a precious 3 year old and 6 month old. My husband is in command now, which means that he works every waking hour of the day and night, leaving me to wrestle our two angels alone on a regular basis.  A few months ago, I began to get that itch that many homemakers get these days.  I had daydreams of living a different life. A life far away from whiny toddlers, dirty baby diapers, and endless mounds of laundry.  That amazing life where I am the one who gets to wake up in the morning and leave home for a workplace filled with other adults and mature conversation.  As a result, I decided to join the Army Reserves.  Yes, one weekend a month and two weeks a year, I will dust off my uniform and go play Army.  

 

I was so excited the week before my first Battle Assembly with my new unit.  My husband was supportive, he even got 1SG to cover for him so he could stay home and watch the kids on Sunday.  However, on Saturday I had to drop the kids at the CDC and that was a tall order at 0630, but we made it.  My day at work on Saturday went flawlessly.  I met new people, I engaged in intelligent conversation, I ate my lunch uninterrupted, and was even saluted a few times!   I was making my own money and being recognized as an individual, not just “Sydnee’s Mom.”  I was living my dream life.   So, why wasn’t I overjoyed? Something was missing and it was my babies.    All day long amidst the stimulating adult conservation, I had wondered: Is my baby screaming or playing? Is my toddler taking a nap or just laying on the mat running her mouth? When the end of the day came, I could not get to that CDC fast enough. I was greeted with smiles, hugs, and kisses saved just for mommy and my heart was full.

 

I was right about the luxuries of working away from home.  A whole day passed and I had not washed one dish, had not wiped a dirty bum, nor had I screamed “stop doing that to your brother” numerous times.  On the down side, a whole day passed and I also had not rocked my baby to sleep.  I had not giggled with my toddler for no particular reason at all and I had not received any spontaneous little kisses on the hand followed by, “Mommy, I love you!”  So, I’m going to stop looking enviously over on my hubby’s side of the fence. He can keep his day job and I’ll keep mine.  The pay is nonexistent, but the benefits are priceless.