Whew, dodged a bullet this year

My shopping was done about a week ago. Got it all done in a couple hours.

Now before you turn green with envy, let me say that I only had to buy for my kids this year. Hubby and I are not exchanging gifts, nor are we giving gifts to extended family. It's just a rough year financially, so we are keeping it simple.

And may I confess a guilty secret? I am relieved that I don't have to buy a gift for hubby. Okay, do you think I'm totally awful?

It just that the man is horrible to buy for. Horrible. The only things he would be thrilled with would be waaaaaay outta our price range - expensive man toys, you know. Like firearms. Seriously. Even my sisters and parents struggle with buying for him.

One year I just said straight out for him to tell me what he wanted for Christmas that we could actually afford. So he picked an electronic gadget that he said he would get lots of use out of. Perfect. Only he never used it. Not once. It has long-since disappeared.

I used to get super stressed over his gifts, planning even sometimes a few months ahead to find the gift he would surely like. Other years I procrastinated in dread of the whole thing. Either way, it has turned out the same. He is neither impressed nor depressed over his gifts. It's just something he opens and then simply says, "thank you." That's it. And then he never uses them. LOL

So the last year or two I gave up. I started just walking through a store and if I see something that seems decent and might get used, I get it. I think the most successful gift I've given him is an insulated coffee mug. LOL

So does this make me a horrible person? I hope not. Because we're still young, and I have lot of Christmases and birthdays to shop for!

Hello... Goodbye... Hello

Life until we close on the house looks like this: hubby gone during weekdays 4 hours away at his new post, home with us on the weekends. He's staying in the barracks there while we are still here with my parents.

Knowing we are saying goodbye for only a few days at a time is so much better! It is a bit confusing to our 3 yr old, especially, but hubby and I are much happier. He called me last night and said, "This is our first night of just two nights apart." What a wonderful realization! He was teasing me that it was all for the best, easing back into seeing each other regularly. Because, afterall, there's all those socks of his to pick up now. :)

Me these days

I'm having so much trouble being motivated with hubby here. Do the rest of you experience that, too? Even when life was "normal" and he had a day off, it felt like I did, too, and housework almost always went out the window. And now? Multiply that feeling by about 3000%. I'm getting the absolutely bare minimum done around here. Which I feel guilty about. I'm the only one cleaning and cooking for this household of now 8 people. (Well, the girls help, but they depend on me for the prodding, and when you are having trouble prodding yourself, how much prodding of others do you get done? Exactly.)

I've even been slack on exercising. I just would much rather lie in bed with him in the mornings, instead of rising at 5:30 to exercise. Hmmm, cuddle with my man or get up and sweat alone before the sun is up? Cuddle? Sweat? Cuddle? Sweat? Yeah. It took me about 1.3 seconds to decide that one.

Emotionally, I'm a whole mess of weird. Excited about the new house, happy he's home, preoccupied with thoughts of what-color-will-I-paint-that-room, and then, outta nowhere, I'll feel like bursting into tears. I just want to sit down and bawl, but I can't do that. Then hubby would want to know what's wrong. And I just don't wanna have that conversation.

I dunno, maybe I'm just having a reaction to fi-nuh-lee having him home and the emotional stress it was to have him gone, especially under the circumstances. Or maybe its the stuff that I know isn't fixed between us yet. Or maybe its the stress (though exciting) of a new house and moving again... who knows. I just wish it would go away.

Speaking of an exciting move - I am SO eager to get going! That house is so big, and after being cramped up in our old place for so long, and now more than a year in my parents' home (too small for both families), I'm ready to breathe. I'm eager to unpack our things and rediscover all my own stuff again. I am so giddy at the thought of arranging the rooms as I like it and living in clutter-free spaces!!!!!!!!!

Wonderful message from dh for Mother's Day

My hubby sent me an ecard for Mother's Day. (Ecards are really awesome for us... he is horrible with a capital "H" at getting and giving cards. Plus, we are hundreds of miles apart!)

And inside the card, the message read:

"I love you, Babe. You are everything I could ever wish for in a Mom for my babies."

I think that's the best thing a man can ever say. Don't you?

Hello, again!

Ahhhh, dh's trip visit is over, and he is back to school. We are trying to get back into the old routine, trying to find our groove again.

Dh's visit was quite nice! It was quite busy, full of fun and giggles. He and I laughed so much this time. It's been awhile... so it was nice.

I must say, the end of this visit went much differently than we planned, though. The day after I turned 30, my back gave out on me. Well, kind of. I was having muscle spasms. Never had them before, and wow, can they put a person out of commission. I was standing up, handing the baby to my hubby, and as I turned to hand her off, I just felt this horrible pain in my back and I went down. Dropped the poor little gal, but since he was reaching for her anyway, he caught her easily. I tried to stand up, but nope. We finally managed to get me somewhat comfy on the couch, but I could nothing without help. Wound up in the ER the next day. Dh looked at me at one point and said, "I know you just turned 30, but you don't have to start falling apart already!" We had a good laugh over that one. Anyway, I'm on muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatory meds, and pain meds. Under the usual orders on no lifting, etc.

Then dh came down with some nasty vomiting/diarrhea bug. I think it was the same sort of thing we all had around Thanksgiving, as none of us have come down with it. I suspect he picked it up at the hospital when he took me to the ER.

So we took turns at the end, tending to each other's needs. Now, isn't that nice? He was such a great help this time. He hates to change diapers and that sort of thing, but this time he just jumped right in and helped with no grimaces or groans.

Well, I need to take off and finish a few things around here, though I would love to sit and just type my fingers off! Happy 2007!