So the first week...

...it's been dragging. Big V started his new school and I've been making daily trips into town for random things at Walmart (sorry Husband) in order to fill time a little better. Once I start working and classes, and summer kicks in, hopefully it'll go a little faster - but in the meantime going to the store for toothpaste and pasta one day and Sprite and baby wipes the next will have to do.

Meanwhile Husband is still in the states, finishing up the usual tasks and paperwork before he has to leave. It's a little harder right now knowing he's a quick plane ride away, and thinking that maybe we should have left a little later so we'd have had this time together - but goodbye has to happen at some point.

Best part of today (so far): Vlad coming home from school with a note from his teacher saying "Great behavior today; he worked really hard!" (school is an ongoing battle lately)
Worst part of today: running into my old creepy Walmart stalker (white hair in nose and ears, buck teeth, stands waaaaaay too close when he talks and wants to photograph me. Yerk.)
Song of the day:

So, meh. And stuff.

Oh, today was fun - Not. At. All. Yep, took my other/taller/balder/lover half to the airport. It sucks.

Yes, "we signed up for it." Yes, "we knew what we were getting into." Yes, "we should be used to this by now" (actually, no; if we ever "got used" to splitting up our family I think we'd have worse problems). Does any of that make it easier? It does not.

But, the Vs and I are closer to family, which helps. I'm so thankful I have a shit ton to keep me busy during the next couple weeks; with renewing my RN license to deal with (Illinois is sooooo slow), CEUs to complete, jobs to search, and Vlad to start at a new kindergarten, I think I'll have enough mind-numbing chores to get through to keep my hands and (hopefully!) my mind occupied, because as any military-affiliated family will tell you, it's the mind that'll get you into trouble.

Oh, the places my mind can go. As I've mentioned before, I can go a little nuts with the over-thinking.  At best (so goes in my head); he's a little culture-shocked after being away for so long; middle of that he comes back and decides he needs a fast car and a twenty-year old girlfriend. Worst... no, I haven't been able to go down those roads just yet.  I just can't.

So for now I'll leave you with these -
Best part of today: watching him watch the boys all morning, memorizing their smiles, their smells.
Worst part of today: feeling my chest seize a little as the family sitting next to us at the security checkpoint was reunited, and knowing we have so far to go.

Song of the day:

And now, chocolate. Peace, ya'll.

So, I've been busy...

But I'd like to leave you with a blog post I read a little while back that touches on the current climate for women in the U.S. This blogger has been a favorite of mine for over a year now; she's ballsy, she's honest, she's funny - and she pulls no punches on the subjects she feels passionately about. So go visit Kimberly Wright Knowles at It's A Beautiful Wreck; I guarantee after you read it, you'll be using "DICKtator" at the earliest opportunity ;). Cheers, Kim!