Monday, August 4, 2008

Life in the Military

Sorry I don't have the camera with me to post today... This a.m.'s "get ready" routine was a circus, as Jake left on Sat early morning for a three week stint at Ft. McCoy for "training" (I put that in quotes because it's easier than trying to explain that the Army's idea of summer training is dropping those poor guys into a field and leaving them for dead while they agonize over what they're families are doing at home without them for three weeks. F'in Army. Don't get me started and that broken ass system. You don't want to hear it, trust me).

Needless to say, the morning routine is much more difficult to manage without a helping hand. Layla is not much for just hanging out in one place anymore and is most certainly a morning baby. She is happy as pie in the mornings and just wants to play and MOVE. Hudson just about has a flippin' heart attack every morning because he's so excited to go outside to see if Rocky is up and at 'em yet. But he always changes his mind shortly after being let out and I'm notified of this with a massive "thunk" that ensues after he body slams himself into the glass patio door. I let him in, he rushes the house and about pummels Layla every time he does this, shoots to the garage door and I then let him out to eat. I get Layla put back in her "safe" spot (because she now follows me wherever I go) and not seconds later Old Rocket Dog is barking so loud you'd think he found a dead body in the garage. No, he's just done eating and wants to come back inside. This is just 2 minutes of the 1 - 1.5 hour minimum it takes to get Layla ready and fed, her diaper bag packed and get myself presentable for an office as well as all my gear packed and into the car. I will not be surprised if over the next three weeks, I forget Hudson outside and just leave. He'd probably love it if I did that.

Sat a.m.'s drop off at the Watertown Armory sucked. I went into this with a "I'm tough as nails" attitude, thinking "3 weeks!? Puuleeeease. That's nothin' compared to 15 months," but the drop off served as a massive flashback to 8/17/05. The day Jake left for his deployment. The stupid "pickle suit", the armory, the other soldiers, crying wives. Ugh. I almost made it thru w/out a tear but then Jake said good-bye to Layla and I lost it. Thank the good livin' lord this is only for 3 weeks, but what a reminder of what we went through with the deployment and how great it is to have Jake HOME.

I promise, I'll post pics as often as I can while I'm solo over the next few weeks. It'll just be a matter of remembering the camera everyday!

Oh, and thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Sherman for babysitting for Layla on Sat while I went to my annual girl's weekend!! She had a wonderful time and so did I!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You'll be a pro at getting Layla and yourself ready in the morning by the end of these three weeks. I have it down to a science, takes me exactly 35 min to get up showered, ready, Teagan ready/fed and out the door:) If I tried to wake Matt up to help me it would take me 35 min just to do that!!

The Sherman's said...

it would take a miricle to get layla and I ready in that amount of time. it takes almost that long to straighten my hair (i know, that's why you don't do it, but trust me, you don't want me walking around w/this short cut and curly hair).

Anonymous said...

Hang in there babe! I remember flying solo with Riley for a while there. It is tough, and you'll look forward to Layla's bedtime everynight just so you can relax a bit, but Jake will be back - and you'll do just fine. Heck, you're a woman. Of course you'll be fine. We women rock!