Rebekah Sweet Tea's Practical Mom's Dictionary, Installment #3 and Status Report

Whiny: The unintended general tone of every post I’ve tried to write this week. I haven’t felt whiny, but every time I tried to write the promised post explaining our weird family schedule for the next few months it was too long and too whiny.

Attempted summary: Suffice it to say, Drew is serving at the pleasure of the Army Reserve for the next few months. He’s spending most of the work week an hour away at his unit headquarters getting things ship shape and squared away, personnel wise. He would normally commute, but, gas prices shooting through the stratosphere as they are and the Army paying for his lodging means that staying over is a no-brainer.

Thankful: He is not in Iraq or Bosnia or Guatemala or anywhere else outside the country. Been there, done that, brought home several t-shirts (really, he did) and I’m just very glad he’s able to be home for this duty.

Challenging: Being single mom all week and then remembering to step back and let Drew be dad when he’s home. Sometimes it’s hard to shut my mouth and let him lead when I’ve gotten into my little routine and had all the responsibility for the kids all week long and really want to butt in and do things ‘my way’ when he is home and needs to discipline or teach them something. But they need Dad to be the dad, and I’m so incredibly grateful he is. And that’s all I’ll say about the unique challenges of being married to a Major in the Army Reserve. He faces unique challenges, too, and his civilian job is forced to be very patient when he’s called away, and I really respect how well he does both jobs and how much those he works with in both of his careers think of him. Every time I tried to write a post on the topic of those challenges it came out whiny, even though I wasn’t trying to whine, so I stopped trying and let the blog be quiet this week. I decided quiet was better than whiny.

Another thankful: My husband really loves his family, and it shows. He is the kind of man who honors the biblical command to love his wife, and he makes it very easy to honor my task to submit to his leadership. At least, any reluctance I have in that area is due to my own pride and failings, not due to his lack of kindness and love for me. I am grateful. And I’m grateful he loves his boys enough and understands their need for his influence in their lives so much and takes that responsibility so seriously that he is taking them for a special father and sons weekend, just the guys, tonight and tomorrow. Though his Army commitment is keeping him away from us more than we like these days, I’m so thankful for the way he wants to make the most of the time he does have.

Update: On M’s status. ENT says he needs his adenoids out and tubes put in his ears. M failed the big hearing test by the audiologist, but using bone conduction (which bypasses the fluid in the ears issue) his hearing is A-OK normal, so we know it’s the fluid in his ears and chronic sinus infections causing the problem. You know, the intellectual side of me knows that’s a routine, not terribly invasive procedure, and the doctor spent a lot of time reassuring me how routine it is, too, but anytime you hear the words, “General anesthesia,” and it’s your child they’re talking about, it doesn’t feel routine, no matter how many of these they do each week. I’m not really worried, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t like the idea of him having to be put under, either. Thankfully it’s a short procedure and done on an outpatient basis, and, Lord willing, M will be hearing and feeling much better when we get the root problem addressed.

Writer’s block: What I’m currently suffering and the reason I can’t seem to get many posts written these days. The new schedule probably has something to do with it, I’m sure.

Guilty: Of letting Boo watch TV (or Tee-Bee as she calls it when pitching a fit because I don’t usually let her watch nearly as much as she’d like) so I can have a rare uninterrupted moment to write this post.

Mistake: Not paying close enough attention to Boo while she ate her ravioli in her high chair while I typed this post. She has it in her hair, ya’ll. Lots of it in her hair. And she just threw her plate in the floor (at least we’re in the kitchen). I guess she’s done.

Behind: What I am in The Excellent Wife reading group. I haven’t even finished reading this week’s chapter. I may have to combine with next week's and try to catch up then.

Confused but Still Intrigued/Addicted and Just About Cannot Stand the Suspense: Anyone else watch LOST? Lots of answers, tons more questions, and so it goes....