Life As We Know It

Life has been pretty crazy here for the past few months and it is about to get even crazier! Ben has been gone for training for 12 weeks out of the past four months. The kids and I stayed here for the first set of five weeks, and my parents came out to help for one week. Then Ben was back for a bit, and when he left again, I took the kids to my parents for three weeks. Then we came back here and it's been about four weeks of being a single parent here in Oklahoma. Ben should be home September 10th. My mom flies in the day before. Lucas has a birthday party on the 12th. Then we are scheduled to be packed and moved on the 16th. Should be fun. 

The first chunk of ben's training (five weeks for SOS) weren't too hard. Everything was the same except Daddy was gone. Lucas was still going to school two days a week, we still had lots of friends here to make plans with, and the kids were their normal selves. 

The second chunk of training (nine weeks at IFF) has been more chaotic. Ben drove me and the kids and Kayce to the airport the day before he left. So we said goodbye to him and flew to Mimi and Poppy's house. 

The kids knew he wasn't going to be going with us. They were excited about the trip and didn't expect Daddy to be there. So their behavior  on the trip was really normal. Then we came home. They knew daddy wasn't going to be there, but it was still weird for them to be home and not have daddy. 

My friends from WVU came to visit the day after we got back. The kids loved seeing them, but it was not their normal and they were a little off, behavior wise. Then the friends went home. Kids were ok for a few days and then things got ugly. They were whining. Fighting. Arguing with me and each other. Crying. Disrepectful. It was insane. I work really hard to keep my kids happy and healthy. I love that I can be a stay at home mom. But for about a week I just wanted to get away from the crazy munchkins!

 I knew why they were acting out. Everything was different. They had had pretty constant stimulation and attention from lots of people for weeks and all of the sudden it was just mom. Boring. And there wasn't as much to do here. My parents basically live in a resort. This is their community swimming pool

Seriously, I'm not kidding that is it. The kids never wanted to leave the neighborhood. But we dragged them to the beach, bowling, and some other torturous activities, too. 

So being back in Enid with just Mom was a definite step down. Also, daddy wasn't home. Also, lots of our friends aren't here anymore. Also, they (mostly Lucas) know we are moving soon(ish). So I knew why they were being crazy. I just had to ride the crazy out and I did. Thank God. They have been markedly better for the past week. We settled into the new Normal. We still have had a few bad days, but they both have a little summer cold so they aren't feeling their best and even though I try my best, enid just isn't as much fun as Mimi and Poppy's! So we are just hanging out here until the middle of September. Then a new level of crazy will be reached as we attempt to drive across the US and stay with my parents until we a. Get a house and b. Get our things delivered to it! 

But overall, I can't complain too much. This has been the first time in the five years that Ben has been in the air force that we have had to spend any long amount of time away from him. That's pretty unheard of. And the unusual bad behavior of my kids does make me grateful for their usual good behavior. Although, as I told a friend earlier this week, it's not an accident that I have well behaved children. I have very high expectations of what their behavior should and can be. I know that they can act a certain way, so that is what I expect. And I don't tolerate anything less. We work constantly on good manners, thinking of others, respect, and consequences. My kids are my top priority. If I can't wrangle them into their best behavior now, what is going to happen when they are teenagers?? Sorry for the tangent!

Anyways, life as we now it has changed dramatically over the past few months, and will be changing again soon. So I'm just trying to stay as consistent and on top of things as I can be. And buying some wine for when it just gets to be crazier than I can handle! 😜 

Here are some pictures from the chaos! :)

Splash pad at mom and dad's pool

What are we going to do without Kayce?? 😢

Beach babies

Sitting on the screened in porch during a thunder storm

Aunt Jenn Jenn came to visit too 

And so did Gaga

And grandpa 

We went on boat rides through the lakes in my parents' neighborhood 

We love the beach!!

Bowling night!

First time flying by myself with two kiddos. They did amazing. 

Pseudo grandma reading stories with the kids

Lucas being a cheese burrito. 

Tickles with Tristan! 

Sweet friends.