Time Lapse

Boy time flies when you're having fun. That is no joke. These past 2 weeks has been insane!! I've had a Pampered Chef party and have been recruited as a consultant. Joey was able to come home and visit a couple times. Once for 3 days the other for a few hours. It was nice to have him home. It was interesting to see how the girls are reacting so differently to Joe's absence. Jenna, Daddy's girl and our resident Drama Queen, seems to understand what is happening. I thought for sure she would be the one having paigns of despair. Jenna and I have conversations in the car, to and from daycare. She is super inquisitive and asks endless questions about Daddy being gone. It's like she's trying to get a grasp on it. She asks where he is (repeatedly) and she receives my standard answer "at the Army". She wants to know why and I try once again to explain the bad people in the world. However, the other day I came to the conclusion I try to explain things way to in depth. We were going through the Army Talk Ritual in the car and when the Why question came up, I paused to take in as much air as I could for the answer I was about to give, and she blurted out, "Because the Army needs him?" I said yes and that settled it. No more questions in the car. She has even taken to make her little sister feel better about it. Jenna has surprised me these past two weeks with just how nurturing she can be.

Jordan, our baby, seems to be suffering through some kind of seperation anxiety. She cries for her Daddy and wants kisses. She misses being tucked in by him. Joey has long tucked in the girls. Not that I didn't want to do it...they insisted on Daddy doing it. Jordy (nickname bestowed on her by the kids at daycare) comes in the bedroom in the AM looking for her morning kisses and cuddles and finds me instead. She turns around (I'm trying not to take it personal), leaves and heads towards the TV. I wake up to cries of frustration because she has yet to master the TV and DVD player. With Jordy only being 2 it's hard for her to grasp why Daddy is not here. She seems to adjust after a few days and it gets easier for her. Jenna is helping the best a 4 year old can. She tells her little sister "It's OK baby, Daddy will be home soon, he's at the Army". My heart sinks.

SO what's new? I have come to the realization I do not have the stamina I used to. When Justin was 2 and 3 years old, I was in my early 20's. We would go and visit and do stuff. I don't remember being this tired all the time. I am having to learn to do stuff all by myself. I found a new blog about slow cooker dinners. I've posted it in the sites I follow. I figure if I can master the slow cooker like the sites author, Stephanie, has then that may satisfy my need for a personal chef. In order to maintain some similance of sanity, I am toying with the idea of getting help around the house. I figure with the slow cooker and help with housekeeping maybe I can divert my energies toward the kids.

Joey will be home again mid Feburary for about 6 weeks, give or take, then he jumps the pond for a year. I need to get organized.