First Week Without our Jimbo

After our whirlwind Thanksgiving trip we rushed home to get Jim packed and ready to leave for the first leg of his deployment. (When I say rushed I mean we tried but every 30 minutes Coop would yell, "Stop the truck I need to potty!") I think he loved the hub-bub. I'm still not sure how Jim packed his whole life in a rucksack and a bug-out aka backpack but he did. We did our normal night ritual and he put the boys down and said good bye. He's gone away for trips before and I'm not sure how to describe it but it just felt really different and really final.

Jim's normal work day before being deployed consisted of him leaving at 5:30 am and not getting home until 6ish. So the week days had a touch of normalcy to them. He could still text and call so there was still connection which made it quite bearable. It was hard in the evening but they adjusted very nicely to Jim reading them their books over the phone. Jim would tell them to get into bed and off they would go. I'm not sure I can explain the adorable factor when they hug the phone but it's one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

One day as we were getting home Cooper said, "Oh yeah, I get to see my Daddy!" Saturday morning both the boys woke up asking for Daddy and both said to me, "Momma you lost Daddy." I replied he wasn't lost he was just at work and they said, "Oh ok!" and that was that.

Between packing, wrangling with our loan processor, scanning over 100 documents, working at the daycare, and a surprise visit from Poppi it was a very hectic week. I almost adopted a puppy but ws able to talk myself out of it when the cute factor faded and I thought about having to walk the dog in the winter and not being sure if the boys could handle it yet. This next week promises to be even more nuts as we close on our house, paint, move, get our POD (after 2 years!!) and teach a class I don't think I'll get much more sleep this week. I do have to work on a bit of a balance for me. I can't function on this little sleep or the poor quality food I'm eating. I don't want to end up sick that's for sure.

So overall we survived our first week I think with flying colors. The boys are truly the most amazing little guys. Whenever I needed a hug they just seemed to know and I would find them giving me the most wonderful hugs and kisses. I can get through anything with hugs like that!