Welcome Home

It is always a very happy moment to say welcome home to a soldier. A friend’s husband returned last week after serving a year in Iraq.

I have to say I was so, so happy to hear he had finally returned.

HOOAH!!! Another military family united! It doesn’t get any better then that!

Welcome home and Thank You to you and your family!

Back On Track!

Sorry I know it has been a while.I decided I wasn’t going to blog again until I had some good news. Seems like all my recent entrée’s are full of bad news. It was just too depressing.

Our luck didn’t change as far our loved ones. Rob lost a very dear cousin last week. I had the unfortunate task of informing him. He took the news hard. My heart hurts for his entire family they were very close to Rudy. He was a kind, loving man. Our prayers are with his wife, two daughters and their husbands.




I promised good news. I am officially hired. Yup the school board approved me on Thursday. Tomorrow is my orientation. I feel great about this. I love all the children I work with and they are so special. One of our students told us for the first time ever “ tummy hurts” If you knew how long we have waited to hear her talk to us you would understand how magical that moment was.

My day is now full of those little magical moments. When our students can say words or sign to us what they need. I am truly blessed to work with them.

The girls and I had a very nice, quiet weekend. The house is clean and I have made dinner almost every night. We are finally back on track as a family. I no longer feel like I am just barely pulling my self and the girls through days.

Rob and I are able to talk and play on the phone like we always have. Teasing each other has always been part of our relationship. It just makes me feel like we are finally also back on track.


7 months down and 436 days to go! Is that it? Piece of cake!

Prayers

I have sat down to write this blog several; unfortunately all I do is cry.

I need to ask for prayers for many people that we love.

My uncle has been diagnosed with a class 4 tumor. It was the worst possible scenario. They removed the tumor but the possibility of it returning it over 90% and the surgery he had is a one-time surgery. He is going to receive chemo. The doctor have said what he really needs is a miracle.

Also dear friend of mine’s son, has also just found out he has a tumor the size of a very large gum ball in his tibia. All test so far say it is cancer.

He is 15 years old and the most amazing kid. He has been here since the day dh left, cutting my grass and doing any chores around the yard I need. He watched Gunter for me when we went to see my parents and fixed my fence with out me asking. He just takes good care of us. Now he has to go through this.

Tuesday they will decide the course of action they are going to take with him. The doctor’s keep stressing there is no time to waste. Please say a prayer for his family and for him.

Alyssa has a bladder infection and the good news is that the medication is now working. The last time she had a bladder infection she went through hell with it.

I all honesty I don’t think I can take anymore bad news. I just sit and cry. I have reached my peak. I am really struggling with why such good people are going though such horrible trials right now. It just doesn’t seem right.

I do believe in the power of prayer so please keep them and their families in your prayers.

Out Of Sorts

I feel a bit out of sorts these days. My mind races 100mph all the time it seems. I have been extremely busy at school getting ready and all. But again at home I am just out of it.

I believe in all honesty it has to do with Rob not being here. I came through the door the other day and just had this overwhelming feeling that he needed to be here, home with us. I miss him. I miss having him here to just talk to.

Rob is not a great communicator on the phone. He facial and body expression tell you so much more about what he is thinking then his words. So I can’t read what is going on with him. I know he misses us and he hates being there. All we seem to talk about is his coming home. Which of course makes it harder when we hang up and he is not here.

It is kind of ironic in a way. The girls are in all honesty adjusted. I have been sleeping alone for the past week and a half. They are back to themselves. They talk more about when daddy comes home then how long he will be gone. I am so glad they are at this stage.

The ironic part is that Rob and I now seem so unadjusted. Does that make sense? He calls and says nothing. I can feel he is lonely and I tell him how much we love him…but I know it isn’t enough. I just want to reach through the phone and touch him, smell him, be near him.

Almost daily I read how much closer some are to having their spouse back, or see the pictures of others who’s loved one is now finally home. It’s a bitch let me tell you. On one hand I am so happy for them, they are once again a family and their loved one is safe. On the other I am so envious that it isn’t us being reunited.

I seem to be in this rut of constantly thinking about the things Rob will be missing.

• The girls first day of school.
  
• Our 17th and 18th Wedding Anniversary's
  
• His birthday
  
• All holidays
  
• Lindsey’s Trip to Williamsburg. It was his year to go with her.
  
• All of our birthdays
  
• Lindsey’s graduation from Elementary school
  
• Lindsey's frist day of Middle school
  

There is more but you get the picture. It is like this stuff is constantly running through my mind. I’m no different then any other military spouse. And I am certainly not alone. There are thousands of families who are going through the same separation that we are. I really have no right to complain, or feel sorry for myself.

I do thank God everyday that he is safe. He will come home to us. I just have days like these where I worry so much that he won’t.

I miss him that’s all.

Roughly 450 days till he is home and I miss him more each day.

Ready Or Not Here They Come.

Well the classroom is ready. I still have some covers to sew, but other then that we are as ready as we can be and they start Monday. I love the new teacher they hired and I really think I am going to love being an instructional assistant.

I won’t lie, I also think I am going to miss subbing. I love, love working in first grade. I still miss my old job teaching 1st grade reading. I would do that in a heartbeat if they asked.

Lindsey is very excited about going back to school. I am so glad because after last year I was worried I would have to fight to get her back in school. Alyssa is not so thrilled but she will be ok. We finally have her IEP set and her schedule looked good.

I am spending this weekend making my house SPARKLE! I want to come home from school Monday to a very clean house. It’s a new year for us and last year I let it go, I was so worn out by the end of the day. I think a lot of that had to do with the teacher we had and the students. This year will be better and the teacher will work and not act like a small child. We have already talked with our new teacher and told her “Hey if you start to dump the load on us like our last teacher, we have no problem letting you know we don’t appreciate it.” I doubt she will she is a worker from what we have seen.

Phew!

They found a teacher for the new autistics unit and she is the nicest lady. I will be totally honest when they told me I was very relieved but also a bit sad.

The first thing she said to me was “ Thank you”. It was nice to hear. Nice to know she understood and appreciated the 20 hours I had already put into the room. She loved all my ideas and asked if she could still use them, which of course I was happy to let her.

She also did something most new teachers (she just graduated) wouldn’t do she went downtown and raised a stink to get me hired in her room as an instructional assistant. Our principal also did the same thing. My name did show up on the list this time and it seems I am hired!

I can’t tell you how excited I am. Regular hours, better pay and benefits. I will miss subbing. I loved the challenge of it. The other teachers were all very happy for me but also upset…they had already been booking me in their rooms. I can tell you with hesitation that I was VERY good at my job as a sub. But I am also very good with autistic children and I love working with them.

I am in charge of the art projects for the year. Which I am tickled pink about. I am on line now looking for ideas to start the year off. Our theme is “Leaping Into Learning” so I need frog ideas. Age range is K-2. If you all have any I would love to hear them.