Cafe Living Room

Hubby stayed home for eight days after his three-month stint. It was just in time for Kuya's school vacation. Being the November holidays, family schedules were jammed. We tried to fit everything we could in a few days day to spend more time at home and with each other. It was really mission: impossible.

I wanted him to stay home to do a couple of home maintenance projects with me. But more than that, I just missed having him home and being with the kids. I gladly took a back seat for a couple of days and let him be in charge of everything.

Night times are my favorite. I think we may have even developed a ritual. We'll put the kids to sleep before 9 pm. I'll make a cup of coffee for him and a cup of tea for me. We'll sit in the living room with only the Tiffany lamp as light. And we'll talk about the kids, the house, our plans or reminisce about the past. He jokingly refers to this as, "Cafe Living Room." It sure beats Starbucks even if he's just having instant coffee.

Now, he's back at work. And we're back to the original routine which is seeing him one night a week and on the weekends he's off duty. I suddenly realize that eight days is short. I had hoped to do more home projects with him or just to do more stuff with the kids. It ended too soon.

Three days a week isn't too bad. I think it makes us appreciate our family even more. The kids are excited when they know he's coming home. "Yay, Dad's coming!" Kuya will bring out stuff he made in school. Kowi will show off the new nursery rhyme she learned.

But I especially look forward to the opening of the Cafe Living Room. When he has plans to come home, he calls to ask if there's coffee. Instant coffee or not, Cafe Living Room will be brewing--something. Somehow having only the Tiffany lamp for company is not the same.

Yes, I'll gladly take those couple of days a week that he's home any day.

Do It Myself

Every time Hubby goes away on his eight-week trips, the kids and I stay in the house. We don’t get to travel with him as much as we would like. But when he returns, we get to back to our routine, which is seeing him on the three weekends a month and one night on weeknights plus special occasions if applicable.

There are a few disadvantages to Hubby being away. Aside from me and the kids missing him, there are jobs around the house that a stay-at-home mom’s touch can’t cure. There are just things that he can do better just because he can. One prime example is opening of jars and bottles. He has the firmer grip so he can open them easily. I miss him when I can’t do it myself, like opening a jar of peanut butter.

Busted light bulbs have to wait for Hubby’s return before replacement. Although we have a four-step ladder on hand for purposes like this, I can never get around to changing them. I just put that on Hubby’s to-do list when he comes home.

I know that some things I just have to do myself and can’t wait eight weeks. Information like unclogging drains and toilets, I am finding out, is a must for stay-at-home moms like me. I am getting to know Mr. Plunger quite well these days.

Stay-at-home moms really need to be DIY experts. With two curious kids and a military Hubby that takes eight-week trips two to three times a year, I can’t afford to hold off important house maintainance until he returns. So it’s either I become adept at DIY or know of a really good handyperson to call for emergencies.

For now, I’m learning to do it myself…
and storing an important phone number on my cell phone just in case. You never know.

Starting To Simplify

Since becoming a stay-at-home mom, I have experienced the difficulty of managing the house and the kids alone and all on a budget of a military wife. And I will not trade it for anything else. However, I must admit that I am still finding the groove.

I read in an article somewhere online that one thing a stay-at-home mom should know is how to get organized and start to simplify. In other words, get rid of stuff. With almost eight years of marriage, accumulations of life pile up and I find that we own a lot of things that we no longer need or use.

Yes, I confess, we still have a VHS, a laser disc and VCD player in the attic somewhere. I'm pretty sure there are other obsolete gadgets like my college beeper in there, too. Not to mention Betamax, VHS tapes and sets of encyclopedia just waiting to be rediscovered.

Now, I'm making a deal with myself to get rid of stuff before new stuff comes via gifts this Christmas. I'm starting to make a mental list of things give away like the encyclopedia set and a couple of books to the local elementary school, old clothes and shoes to the church. The rest I'm selling on EBay. And most will end up my planned yard sale that is a year overdue. (Yes, Hubby, it will take place his month!)

My watch tells me that it's 12:27 in the morning. Hopefully I'll remember this deal when I wake up later.

Hubby's Shirt

I noticed an interesting behavior recently. When Hubby is not around, which is quite often, I use his shirt for sleeping.

It’s not just any shirt, but a specific shirt. It’s Hubby’s college “Barrio Fiesta” shirt from 1997.

Yes, Hubby’s shirt is officially 11 years old. You can tell that it’s old by the way it hangs. The neckline is losing its scoop, the body is a little too loose -- okay -- it’s a little worse for wear.

But I like it.

Although the fabric maybe a little thin, it still keeps me warm, especially on chilly nights.

He’s been away for 19 days. You can guess what I’ll be wearing to bed tonight--again.