Shannon and the girls arrived this past Monday for their long awaited visit. It seems like we were waiting forever for the day to arrive and the visit is already over.
The kids spent the week attending VBS at our church. Hannah was the only actual attendee as the other kids got to help. Rachel and Lori knew they were going as volunteers, but Aaron and Noelle were tapped at the last minute. Aaron took his job very seriously and was excited to show Noelle the ropes.
Each morning after we dropped the kids, I took Shannon to Caribou Coffee. It is her favorite and they don't have one nearby. I still can't believe she left knowing Caribou is here.
We spent the majority of our time talking nonstop and laughing our heads off. We think we are very entertaining. Our big girls...not so much. It is especially fun watching those two grow up together. When they are going through the same preteen phases and Shannon and I see it, we know it isn't poor parenting on our parts.
Our friend Bobbie and her daughter were here the first part of the week. Olivia, Bobbie's daughter, had a competition here so they stayed with us. It was nice to see them. The week would have been perfect if Cynthia could have made it.
Bobbie and Olivia....they are holding the drinks Shannon brought them from Caribou.
We say Holly is Bad "with" a bone. Bobbie and Olivia found this at Build A Bear at the mall and couldn't resist getting it for Holly.
I spent days before all the company arrived figuring out sleeping arrangements in my head. I thought I would put Bobbie and Olivia in Rachel's room, but wasn't sure if Olivia would feel left out if she wasn't with Rachel and Lori. I finally decided it would be fine and it was. Lori and Rachel slept on an air mattress in the office until Bobbie and Olivia left and then they reclaimed Rachel's room. Noelle slept on an air mattress in Hannah's room. Since PK wasn't here Shannon slept with me.
That last part may have afforded us the best laugh of the week. Apparently women just think they are little girls and don't mind having a sleepover in the same bed, but guys are extremely creeped out by it. It just made sense to me. We were able to relax and talk until we fell asleep and no one had to sleep in the living room on the futon. The futon is comfortable, but the person who sleeps in the living room has to get up when anyone else does just because people can be heard walking around as they come downstairs. I was expecting the kids to walk in and tell us it was time to stop talking and go to sleep.
Of course, we played Nertz. We had some workman in the house one day switching our internet service. Finally one of the guys asked if we were going to play all night. That was the plan. We would of course have to stop to fix dinner for the kids. He thought we were playing cards because the cable was out. We told him that we always do this and he commented that that isn't heard of much any more. Silly man.
One morning we had taken the kids to VBS and I realized I hadn't put the breakfast food away.
Me: Oh, shoot. I left the yogurt and fruit out on the island. I wonder if it will still be good.
Shannon: I put it away.
Me: Thanks! I noticed you made the bed, too. Thanks for doing that.
Shannon: Isn't it good to have a wife?
Yes. Yes, it is. Our husbands are two lucky men!
Since the husbands were not here, the week would not have been complete without Shannon and me completing a blue job. The conversation went something like this. Of course, you really have to know how Shannon and I swap sarcasm and silliness.
Shannon: Jody. Do you know how to make this toilet work? I used the bathroom and of course now I can't get it to flush.
Me: Uhh...you push the little silver handle down?
Shannon: Yeah...I tried that.
I walk into the bathroom and Shannon already has the top off the back of the toilet.
Me: Let's let it fill up and try again.
Shannon: I did that, but I don't think it is filling up.
I take the very tip of my finger and poke the little flippy thing in the tank down. I know it isn't toilet water, but there is something very gross about reaching in there.
Me: There.
Shannon: I did that and it didn't work. Well, it does seem to be filling up.
We are both standing there for what seems like a very long time staring into the tank of the toilet.
Me: Oh. It looks like my little bleach thing has dissolved. Now I know how long those last. I'll need to replace it.
Shannon: (With much excitement) Ohhhh! Don't you just love those?
Me: Yes! They are so nice and keep the toilet looking so clean.
Shannon: Yeah. Me too.
Rachel walks in while we are still staring into the tank of the toilet.
Rachel: Can I use the bathroom?
Me: Upstairs.
Rachel leaves.
Me and Shannon: (Something like this is exchanged.) Yes. We are both standing here staring into the toilet tank like we do all day every day just waiting for one of the kids to come in to use the bathroom. You would think when a kid walks into the bathroom and sees us standing here looking like idiots staring into the toilet tank they would figure out they really need to go use one of the other bathrooms. Sheesh.
The tank fills up and we try to flush. The little flappy thing lifts and water disappears but there is no flushing sound.
Shannon: Oh! Look. The little bleach thing is stuck in there.
Me: Let me grab something.
Seriously not wanting to stick my hand in there. I grab a knife and poke it. The tank fills up. The toilet flushes. We are very proud of ourselves for fixing the potty.
Rachel, Hannah, Lori and Noelle at the pool.
The youth volunteers were invited to a pool party on Friday after VBS. Since Shannon and I skipped out on volunteering for VBS, we volunteered to drive. We picked up the pizzas on the way which also lessened my VBS ditching guilt. The kids played and played and played. Shannon and I taught one of the ladies from my church to play Nertz. Another convert!
Shannon and I were exhausted when we got home from just sitting in the heat. Apparently it didn't bother the kids because they wanted to go jump on the trampoline. Where do they get that energy?
That was ammunition for the last big laugh. Shannon and I sat and watched the clock to reach 8:00 p.m. so we could go to sleep and not feel guilty for letting the kids wind down in front of the t.v. We reminisced about the days when we could stay up until 2 a.m. and still get up with the kids. We were so tired we probably would have paid the kids to go to bed earlier.
In our home, we have pink jobs and blue jobs. The pink jobs are the jobs I do and the blue jobs are the jobs PK does. Most of our roles are fairly traditional. Since I stay home, I do most of the housework. That would be a pink job in this house. PK takes care of anything technology related. That would be a blue job in this house. Those types of jobs just fall into a category naturally because of time, schedules or talents.
Most people would probably categorize yard work as a blue job. On PK's days off from his civilian job, he is usually tied up with Navy stuff, so yard work has fallen into the pink category. Killing spiders is a blue job. That falls under a blue job not because I can't kill spiders but because I choose not to. I don't like spiders. Therefore, I declare it a blue job. So I guess we could say the definition of a blue job is anything that naturally falls in PK's areas of expertise or anything I refuse to do.
This morning I decided to wear my white capris to church instead of a skirt or dress. I was on the nursery list for today and it is just too hard to crawl on the floor playing trains with four year olds in a skirt. Ironing would be one of the chores that most people would probably think is a pink job. Not me. I loathe ironing. In this house, it is a blue job. PK does a great job at it. If I have to iron, I will try the ol' throw the garment in the dryer with a wet washcloth first. When I looked at my capris, I could tell they were beyond dryer and wet washcloth help. I had to do my first blue job of the deployment and iron my own pants.
In my defense, I did replace the toilet seat in the master bathroom and hang an additional towel holder in the guest bathroom the day PK was packing to leave. The week prior I fixed the garbage disposal. Those are all blue jobs, but in this house a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.
The phone is ringing. I am trying to wake up. The clock says 5:30 a.m. I don't recognize the number. It may say 800 something or other. Is it PK calling?
Me: Hello?
Caller: This is Michael (with just that much out of his mouth I know it isn't my husband calling and I am getting ready to seriously go off at the telemarketer who would dare call my house at 5:30 IN THE MORNING and ON A SATURDAY!!) with xxxx (I probably shouldn't advertise the name of my home security system on the internet) home security. You have a zone alarm on the garage door. Do you need the police?
Me: On the garage door (simultaneously jumping out of bed heading downstairs...thinking the alarm isn't going off)?
Caller: Yes. A zone alarm on the garage door. (pause) Joe Smith (I can't remember what name he said, but it wasn't one I recognized)?
Me: (After hearing an unfamiliar name and taking the stairs in a single bound to check my alarm panel start to have clarity of mind). Who?
Caller: Joe Smith?
Me: No.
Caller: (Rattles off my phone number)
Me: Yes. That is my number. Wait...I don't have xxxx (name of alarm company). I have a different alarm company (the guy must think I'm nuts...I don't even know which alarm company I have...trying not to laugh out loud...reviewing the conversation in my head later, glad I didn't give the name of my company.)
Caller: (Rattles off an address)
Me: No. That is not my address (again glad I didn't rattle off my correct address in the still half asleep confusion). I just checked my control panel and I don't have a zone disturbance.
Caller: I am sorry. They must not have changed their number. I'll remove it from the information.
Me: Thanks. Bye.
So this is how the first morning of PK being gone started.
Today is the day. PK leaves for Bahrain for two months. The day has crept up on us and come in a hurry all at once.
He hasn't packed. He will be going from ship to ship so he needs to keep the packing light, his uniforms and a few civvies.
We decided to work through a devotional book together while he is gone. I was thinking we would do the same book, but PK wants to do Power of a Praying Husband. I have read, studied and devoured Power of a Praying Wife, but I am going to do it again.
Last night it hit me that he was leaving. I rolled over in bed and put my hand on his chest and realized tonight and for the next two months that spot will be empty. I began to feel overwhelmed and panicked. Where did those feelings come from? We have been apart for longer than two months before. This could be worse. We've had friends deploy for six, twelve or even fifteen months. I began to pray and run scripture through my head and fell asleep. I awoke in peace. That comes from the LORD.
It was called Mizpah because he said, "May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other." Genesis 31:49