Our Crestfallen Balloon

Well, in case you were waiting with bated breath, it finally happened. The freebie, shiny heart-shaped balloon taken home from a birthday party in January finally took a turn for the worse just before Easter. Shortly after this photo was taken, it deflated completely and sank to the table like the head of a person with a heavy heart.

But no worries, I don't know what that's like. At least not completely. Though, I do have my moments with Brian gone. But when Sydney shares her own moments of missing Daddy, after the initial pang of empathy passes, I am at least able to appreciate what sensitive, bright girls we share and that--plus knowing this separation is relatively temporary--helps me deal.

Of course Sydney often says, "I miss Daddy," or calls him on her play phone. But there have been several times when she's said things that make me skip a beat. They've been increasing in frequency--probably not a coincidence since lately it has been feeling like a lifetime's passed. Yet we are at least approaching the half-way point of the deployment this week!

There's the time early on when she was roughhousing with her friend Ella's daddy, and she said she really missed her Daddy, because he always plays with her after dinner and flips her upside down.

Then on the plane coming home from visiting Sydney and Julia this past Saturday, she was actually wondering if Daddy would be at home waiting for us. And even when I told her he wouldn't be, she wanted to wait and see...her faith nearly broke my heart. Then when he wasn't there, she sounded sad and said, "Well, I just wish he would come home soon."

Even Sunday, when we had scrambled eggs she said, "Daddy thinks I don't like eggs. But I like them now. I can't wait till Daddy's home so we can have eggs for 'breastfast' (what she's always called breakfast and we can't bring ourselves to correct her) with him again."

And just today after explaining the difference between summer camp and camping, as much as she liked the idea of swimming every day at camp, she was more excited about the idea of camping on the beach when Daddy comes home at the end of summer. Roasted marshmallows would only sweeten the deal.

So, during this deployment if my head sinks to the table, it'd be because my head, not my heart, is heavy (and full of things to do/remember). And my heart? I'd say it's light, yet full.

I'm Finished With My Labor of Love!

Lately, it feels like I've done all I can for Sydney--she's been very defiant lately, especially when out in public. But I realize I'm not anywhere near finished with her. Just the bedspread she's laying on.

It only took me 3 months to finish it, but as of late last night, I am done!

I started thinking it through just after Brian left. Took a couple weeks to pick out the fabric online, except the cherry blossoms print, which I bought in Japan. Nearly a month of research and online window shopping to figure out how I wanted the bedspread to look (and to abandon the quilt idea and opt for a duvet cover instead). Then another month, little by little, to figure out how to get it that way without a pattern (remember, I only bought a sewing machine a year ago.)

Then of course, I didn't find time to work on it every day. And when I did, it was between 8 and 10pm--time usually spent with Brian. It's been a small consolation while he's away to do something new I enjoy that happens to be productive and creative to fill the the time we usually spend together.

So, next, I need to make a pillow cover and valences and maybe buy/spruce up a bedskirt to finish the girls' room, hopefully before it's time to move again!

And yes, of course Miranda will be getting a matching bedspread, but she won't even be getting the big girl bed till she's potty trained (her incentive)...I'm hoping I have another three months, but I think I better get started just in case 1) she's a quick learner, or 2) Sydney kicks her out of their shared room, thereby eliminating the need for matching bedspreads...

Easter

The girls and I had a great time at Nana and Grandpa's house in NC for Easter. First time in three years we've spent it with family! Second time in two years we've spent it without Brian!

And we got to stay most of the week since it was spring break from preschool, too.

We colored Easter eggs just after we arrived.

We were glad the Easter bunny found us in NC (although Miranda wouldn't pose with her basket or wear her bunny ears from last year!) And they wore Easter dresses and we went to church (although Miranda wouldn't wear her Easter bonnet! Are you seeing a tend here?)

The girls enjoyed pretending to be musicians--first the piano (singing "Hosannah in the Highest" over and over because they forgot the rest of the words)...

Then playing their new "guitar" also brought much entertainment during spring break!

We had a few outtings, like to the park for a picnic and the awesome Children's Museum, where the girls really had fun playing tea party on a train. And Sydney enjoyed playing post office, uniform and all!

Then, it was time to come home. And as always after several days of having fun, company, and help with the kids, it took me a down day to pout and get back into our usual routine. Which will be thrown out the window when we leave for "Sydney Watts and Julia's house" in four days, which is definitely a good thing!

Our Cup of Tea

Our neighbor Deane invited us to be her guests to an annual Tea Party fundraiser at her church, which is three blocks from our house. Even though we frequently bust out the good china for "real tea parties" at home, the girls were ecstatic to get dressed up and leave the house for a real tea party.



So, thanks to Nana, they had their Easter dresses and matching hats for such a party--pity Miranda wouldn't wear her hat! Or her necklace. But Sydney was proud to sport both her hat AND the 300-yen pearls I bought for her at the Yamato shrine sale in Japan last year.




And they both brought their best manners to the party, which is always nice. But this is likely a result of their favorite foods and entertainment: fancy sweets and crafts. They drank "real" black tea (after maneuvering the tongs to plunk two lumps of sugar into their cups), ate cucumber sandwiches and mini cakes, and created an Easter basket craft. It was fun for my girly girls!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

March 20th was our sixth wedding anniversary. I say it like that, because this one wasn't exactly "celebrated" in the usual sense, what with Brian on a ship and so much distance between us. But, we each had what I'd call exceptional days.

Brian's was special because the ship was celebrating her first 45 days--the period after which each person is allowed to drink 2 beers in a roped off area on the flight deck (the "beer garden"). Only this celebration actually took place on the 65th day, so, it was long overdue. As luck would have it, Brian was overseeing an emergency surgery, so he joined the "steel beach party" a tad late. But even then, he managed to score a couple of Yuenglings, while everyone else in his department seemed to be relegated to Bud Light or Coors Light. So, all in all, not a bad day--as far as days go on a ship. I like to think he drank (at least one of those beers) to our great marriage.

But even though I know he didn't, he did call, and even sent a very cute and delicious cookie bouquet for me and the girls to celebrate (eat) together. It said "To my honey" on one flower and "Happy anniversary" on the heart in the middle. Very sweet.

And my mom happened to be here helping me for a week, so we girls had a great day outside at the zoo with a picnic lunch. And then we all went out for dinner at A.W. Shucks along with my neighbors for some great seafood. So, all in all, a fairly good day--as far as days go without Brian around.

The fact that our wedding anniversary is always on the first day of spring has never brought me as much comfort as it did this year. The memories of our warm, sunny wedding day flooding my mind, the sunshine warming our days this March, the flowers coloring our world around us, two girls budding into beautiful people before my eyes...and maybe it's these things that are improving my mood. Or more likely, it's also that we are one season closer to summer, or Brian's return, when we can get back to sharing our normal way of life.

A Care Package from Daddy

We were walking out the door to go over to my friend Beth's house (another family missing their Daddy on the USS Nassau), when we spotted a box addressed to Sydney and Miranda. We grabbed it and immediately made a U-turn back inside. Nothing is more important than hearing from Daddy!

Sydney made sure to point out, "Mommy, your name is not on there, just Miranda and me." So, she insisted on opening it herself, with her purple scissors (with a tiny bit of help for safety's sake).

Tucked inside right on top, was this initial note from Daddy:

Of course, I later teased Brian about his "brutally honest gift tag"...was it really necessary to tell the recipients of the gifts, let alone a 4-yr old and 2-yr old, they were free? To which he replied, laughing, "Yeah, I guess everything is free to them!" Not exactly my point, but definitely true!

But, I digress...both girls were seriously excited to get mail from Daddy! Sydney took charge of opening their letters, while Miranda tried to figure out what these small, round camouflage things were.

Miranda lost interest as quickly as they popped open into one-man tents! But Sydney hopped right into hers, zipped it up, laid down and asked for her sleeping bag!

Then, since there are two of course, I popped open the second one right away--which came with a bonus gift of Deet bug repellent cream! But wouldn't you know, Miranda wouldn't get in hers. Not to mention, one is plenty big enough for both girls anyway, and eventually after Sydney's urgings, she inched her way in next to Sydney, all the while guarding the zipper to make sure it stayed open.

So...now I just have to figure out how to fold the second one back up. It looks the first one has become a permanent fixture in our house for the next five months. Thanks, Daddy!

Cruising to Nassau

While Brian's on his Nassau cruise, I somewhat ironically cruised to Nassau. Kathleen said, "Let's go on a cruise to the Bahamas; I need to go somewhere warm, we need to have a reunion, AND we'll call it a deployment distraction for you." To which I said, "Sounds good to me," of course, without realizing until it was booked that the one port we'd be stopping in was NASSAU, of all places. So, the cruise with girlfriends to take my mind off of the deployment forced me to realize it is not physically possible to take my mind off the deployment. Isn't it ironic? But it was indeed something to look forward to, and Kathleen, Darlene, Kim and I had a great time catching up and relaxing together, even if it wasn't all that warm!

We all made it to the ship as planned by Friday afternoon--two out of four of us later than planned (not me, seen relaxing with a "Bahama Mama" in photo above), with melodrama that rivals any Lifetime movie. But one "Loving Cup" shot later (compliments of Darlene), we were well on our way to sharing a relaxing time together. So, it's no surprise that we drank a bit.




And we ate a ton (but here Kim just poses, we were too full to eat one bite from this midnight buffet!)

















We shopped (and window shopped) a little.



We relaxed on a beautiful beach (Atlantis, Paradise Island), after lathering on the sunblock, of course. After all, two of us arrived with our tans in tact!









While the other two accidentally seared in the sun!








One of us took her chances at blackjack and doubled her money, winning herself an all-onboard-expense-paid trip...while another doubled her onboard expenses by opting for a guaranteed win: a fabulous "aroma stone therapy" massage!



I'll stop there, before I feel too guilty. Because no doubt, my Nassau cruise was way more fun than Brian's. And was over way quicker.