January 3, 2010

Happy New Year, everybody! I’m happy to say that I’ve returned from the land of delirium and I’m still sane, though completely spent!  We had the bright idea of taking advantage of the wonderful deal Disney World offered to military families.  Getting a 5-day ticket for $99 and a completely free ticket for my hubby was just too sweet for us to pass up.  Being Miami-born, Disney World always brings a smile to my face. I remember running through the different countries at Epcot Center, tasting all of the amazing food.  I had a blast on the water slides and floating down lazy rivers until the sun set only to enjoy amazing fireworks shows with spirited Disney music.

I don’t have to tell you that going to Disney as the parent of a princess-crazed preschooler and an infant was a completely different experience.  Since I had such a rude awakening during my holidays at Disney I figured that I should share it with you to soften the blow for your trip.  Or make you giggle a little bit reminiscing on the time when you endured the land of delirium.  I’ve come back with a few kernels of truth for you.

1)  Never take a princess-crazed preschooler and an infant to Disney World.  It was truly my daughter’s dream come true.  She was surrounded by all of her favorite princesses, got primped, prettied and fussed over in the castle, and was never pestered about nap time. The child was sure that she had died and gone to Heaven every single day of our trip.  My baby boy, on the other hand, wondered when the crazy form of torture would end.  I think he finally concluded that the trip was pay back for the turmoil he inflicted on our lives during his first two months of life and decided to grin and bear it.  Seriously, the baby was miserable after about an hour in the park. So if the kiddo is still in a diaper, just leave them at the house.

2)  Old rules still apply.  For some strange reason, parents believe that just because they have paid a few hundred dollars for tickets and made a road trip, their children will miraculously act like angels once in the theme park. Not so! The same kid who is a terror at home, will undoubtedly throw a tantrum right in the middle of Main Street U.S.A.  Countless parents were seen dragging their tired, crazed kid through the park shouting, “You better get up now! We’re not going home yet!” I felt bad for those parents, because we’ve all had those days, and quickly gave my daughter the evil-eye to make sure she didn’t try the same stunt.

3)  Last and most importantly is the truth that people are nuts.  I saw so many examples of the extent to which people are nuts, it’s hard to provide you with just a few concrete examples. People literally collided with full-on parades or immovable objects because they were just completely oblivious of their surroundings.  Families stood in line for nearly an hour to pay $30 a piece for matching Disney neck lanyards.  Please know that the economy is alive and well at Disney World.  That whole recession nonsense is a sham.  People have plenty of money to spend, they just save it for a blow-out trip to Disney! Maybe the delirium of Disney makes everyone forget that they are broke, which brings us right back to the truth that people are nuts.

All of the craziness and humor of Disney World made for an amazing trip, one that we will never forget. Thanks to Disney for remembering military families, it was a great time to make new memories that will come in handy down the road.  It’s a good thing too, because we won’t be going back again until 2015. I’m broke and exhausted, have fun at Disney for us!

November 3, 2009

We’re back from California and I’ve never been so happy to see Fort Jackson.  I went to Stanford for a reunion weekend with some of my girlfriends that I haven’t seen since my wedding.  I’m the only one married with kiddos out of our group, the others are still living the single life and no where near a military base.  I was talking to one of my girlfriends about events my hubby had missed due to work/deployment and about times back home when I was holding down the fort.  She jokingly said, “Girl, you know you can tell us the truth if things didn’t work out between you two. We love you regardless!”  I laughed because, to her, it did seem like my hubby and I were on the outs.  Years had gone by and she had never seen his face.  If they had not met him in college and also stood next to us at the wedding, my college buddies probably would’ve thought that I made the whole thing up!

Such is life as the Army wife.  We get used to holding down the fort as if it’s no big deal, but to our civilian sisters it is a major feat.  We become accustomed to going places solo when some civilian spouses stage protests and stir up arguments.  It’s just a part of the life when you love a soldier.  Every bit of sunshine casts a shadow somewhere. Every relationship has its ups and downs.   The truth about life as an Army spouse is that your partner is not your own.  You share your loved one with the Army consistently and you just hope to find great friends to keep you company during the lonely times. For me, it just makes coming back to Fort Jackson that much sweeter.  I know you ladies understand me.  You girls know why it’s just me and kiddos out on the town.  You know what it means to be married to the Army.  Best of all, you know exactly where my hubby is.  He’s breaking in those soldiers, just like yours is!

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.

This is honestly a dream come true! Ever since I was a little girl I've wanted to write a book, I just never knew what it would be about. It's crazy how God puts desires in your heart and then brings everything in order.  I just pray that this book will be a blessing to the military kids and families out there who need an extra bit of encouragement to get through these tough deployments. Lord knows they need the help.  Now if I could only get the devotional done...