Oh, yeah, reality...

We've gotten quite spoiled over the last months. I mean, sure, we've dealt with separations (like six months' worth in 2011...cake, comparatively), but his has been a very off year. So off I'm sure that if Big Navy found out I feel like we'd have to pay a penance or something. 

John's been around: a lot -enough so that the kids have gotten used to it and our first of three children actually like going to him (as a baby). 

We've known all along what a fluke year this was going to be so we've tried to do as much as possible as a family. Family Fun Night is every Friday, weekends are together, shopping is (sometimes) together, whatever we can do is as a family to really use this time to connect. Making the most of this year has been the most important goal. 

Daddy helping Turner with school work. 

John got a phone call with a rumor that we initially dismissed. Then, the source called to say what what true and hearsay...

Now we're on stand-by: waiting to hear weather John will take command of his ship in just days. 

It all might come to a screeching halt, but I can be comforted knowing that we really did soak it all in!

Le Sigh

Alright, let's just get it over with already. Three months, just three: half of a deployment, a quarter of year. No big. Let's just do it. 

Really, it sucks. The kids get all wonky and who wants to be without their right hand man? But, c'est la vie. I'll suck it up, for now, since I at least get to talk to him at night. 

In other news, Deacon finally had his nine month check up with the much hated Tri Care clinic. I was able to hold my tongue long enough for them to weigh and measure him. At 18 pounds, he's the smallest Baggett, ever. Apparently, he is in the 9th percentile for weight. He is much thinner than the other two beasts (90 percentile for height and weight during the baby year) but still a healthy boy. 

Don't let him fool you! He army crawls like a maniac but could care less about
being on all fours!

 Having John around all week was so nice. I was treated to shopping sprees (oh yeah! plural, baby!)  and treats. 

Turner and John ran in to the Twisted Sister Cupcake van on base today! 

Sweet chaos. 

 John promised the boys a campout but it's been a little cool outside. So, for our little people that hang on every promise... 

They watched Wall-E and "camped" with Daddy.

Let's hope the next few months fly by. I hate wishing time away, but solo parenting is no bueno. 

You Know You're a Navy Wife When

I saw this on a Navy Wife blog and loved it!

...you can unpack a house and have everything in place 48 hours after your belongings are delivered.
...you have something that resembles non-skid somewhere in your house.
...your husband's work and dress clothes cost more than yours do.
....you've changed more oil and mowed more lawns than your husband because he's never there to do it himself.
....your children say "aye aye" or "roger that" instead of "ok."
....you only write in pencil because EVERYTHING is subject to change.
....you need a translator to talk to your civilian friends, because they have no idea what DFAS, LSRB, NEX, OHA, PSD, PCS, and duty mean.
....you have a larger selection of curtains than Wal-Mart does.
....you can remember where you kept the Scotch tape in your last house, but unfortunately, not in this one.
....you mark time in duty stations, not years.
....you refer to friends not only by name but by the state that they live in.
....you know that "back home" doesn't mean at the house you live in now.
....you know that a 2 month separation IS short, no matter what your civilian friends say.
....you ALWAYS know when payday is and get ticked off if there are more than 2 weekends during that pay period.
....you've spent at least 3 years in Norfolk or San Diego.
....you know better than to go to the NEX or commissary between 11:30 and 1:30 unless it's a life or death emergency.
....you show your military ID to the greeter at Wal-Mart.
....you know that any reference to "sand" or a "box" has nothing to do with your kid's backyard toys.
....you find yourself explaining your husband's LES to him.
....you don't have to think about what time 21:30 is.
.... you know that a bosun's pipe isn't actually a pipe.
....no matter how hard you try, you still can't understand a word they say over the 1MC.
....you start ripping open MREs and looking for the M&Ms when you run out of Halloween candy.
....you know to respect his detailer... no matter how much you secretly hate him.
....you can't remember the last time you saw a doctor who wasn't wearing khaki.
....the local dry cleaner knows you by your first name.
....it only cost you $25 to have a child.
....you find that a large number of your clothes and household items are dark blue or light blue, even though you never planned it that way.
....you pick apart uniforms on TV and in the movies, even though you used to yell at your husband for doing the same thing.
....you know to leave Jodi well enough alone.
....you've learned to sleep through the sounds of planes, helicopters, foghorns and jets.
....you can hate military life but be terrified to leave it all in the same breath.
....you defend your lifestyle no matter how bad things get because you know there's no other life for you!

My favorite is the line about Jodi! He used to tease me when we were dating and I really got offended about this Jodi person. Oh, to be that naive again...

I can't even understand my own husband over the 1MC and I have presented my military ID at completely inappropriate times! Come to think of it, aside from the San Diego/Norfolk comment, I can relate to everything! Turner has even referred to his bed as "the rack."

My Daddy's on 'a-poyment'

I might not seem like much to you

Because, you see, I'm three

But I can do a lot of things

That are quite beyond me

I like to do the usual deeds

all boys like to do

I crash my cars, I pick up sticks,

And play with my brother, too

Not only can I ride my bike

And run and scream and shout

But I can do a lot of things

Not all kids think about

I can stand up for my brother

When he doesn't understand

I can tell him Daddy loves him

Though he's in a foreign land

I tell my mom she's beautiful

I love her dress and hair

I even talk to her tummy;

There's another boy in there

Mostly I can help my mom

She tries to stand so firm

I tell her that I miss him too

And can't wait for his return

My Daddy's on deployment,

He is out to sea

I can count the days with numbers

Even though I'm just three

I live without my dad

And learn new things alone

So you can sleep in peace at night

In the comfort of your home

I learned to send an email

And how to cross off days

I learned that I can talk to Dad

In many different ways

I understand that this takes time

And that he'll miss a lot

I even save things just for him

In a very special spot

Please don't feel so sad for me

This freedom, it's not free

My Daddy loves his family

But it's Duty, Honor, Country

My Daddy's on deployment,

he is out to sea

My Daddy is an officer

In the United States Navy

A Boast Post

We're on pins and needles over here!

John successfully passed his boards and completed his package for early command. For all my non-Navy readers (all two of you!) that means that he's in the running to take command of his first ship! It's a huge privilege to be selected and to have the opportunity. This has been John's dream since he was a toddler and to realize it so early makes me so proud -and I'm not even his mamma!

Everything has been signed by the proper channels, COs, Admirals, etc. Now we're waiting on BUPERS (the big people that tell us where to go) to see if a ship and our timing work out.

If not, keep 'em crossed we get Hawaii!!

aaaand I've finally figured out how to make my own background and topper AND edit the HTML to stick it all up on the ol' blog. Go me! I don't have all my cool fonts and I'm still trying to learn to navigate a mac so everything might take me a while.

Family Readiness Group

By default, I am the FRG's Treasurer. Interesting. I have no idea what I'm doing and just figured out what the acronym meant about a month ago!

Tonight was the Boone's second FRG meeting under our new presidency. The Family Readiness Group is a command sponsored group of volunteer spouses who try to provide morale building activities for all family members and service members. We plan parties on the ship for the kids, try to have a Mom's Night Out, fundraise, build relationships so the family and service members of the Boone can meet the challenges of Navy life.

I never been involved in this sort of thing before kids. I was on my own and didn't really feel the need to be a part of something like an FRG. Now, though, I think it's an important way to not only to show support for the ship and your husband but to just get out there and do something. Why not do one more positive thing to make deployment smooth? As the boys get older, I want them to see that I didn't sit around and grumble about underway time and deployments (even if I do!). It's so important to me to show them that they're not "entitled" to anything just because we uprooted them every 18 months.

This was the last (it better be) underway before deployment so the FRG is gearing up for all sorts of fun stuff. I'm hoping that we can make this a great experience for everyone involved.