It was bound to happen….. So often I make my plans b/c I never know what Adam's schedule will be like and most of the time it always works out. Here I am making all my summer plans this year, everyone involved in my plans are making their plans and then our summer plans came to a giant halt. Deployment. It wasn't a shock, we knew Adam was high up on the list, meaning he's due to go. It kept looking like the Fall was when he'd go; missing the holidays and the kids' birthdays. Then this email was sent saying someone from some group had to go and a day later that someone was Adam. I don't understand how the numbers work or how they divide up deployments between the different organizations within the AF. Adam saw the email on Tuesday and Wednesday he was the guy. Can you hear the screeching brakes?
Here is how his deployment breaks down: (1) 6/21 he goes to San Antonio for some training and returns on 7/2 (2) Then he's home until 7/20ish and then (3) leaves for Ft Dix in New Jersey for a month of training and from there he leaves to go to Afghanistan for 6 months, well 179 days, but who's counting? So, really he'll be gone for 7 months. Ugh. Of course, we had planned to be RVing with DPA during the time he'll be home before he leaves. RVing is off the calendar. The new plan is to go to CA on 6/24 with Adelle & the kids. Go to my g'ma's 90th birthday party, since Adam will be in TX there is no need to be here. We'll get to see Christine and Brielle in Yuba City for a sleepover. (Christine is already counting down the days until Yuba City – I think she is the 1st person in history to EVER countdown going to Yuba City) When C & B leave, the kids and I will head to Napa to wear out my mom, see as many Garlands & other friends as possible, go to Train Town and then head back to Yuba City in 7/4. Adam will fly up to Sac on 7/4 to help me drive back with the kids. Then he's home for a couple of weeks and he's off.
Adam will be deploying with the Army. He'll be an EWO, Electronics Warfare Officer, in a battalion at some army base in Afghanistan. Nope, don't know which one!! He's still not exactly sure what he'll be doing. We know he'll be maintaining equipment used to look for IEDs, training people how to use it and will probably go out with the army guys looking for IEDs, but that's about all we know. No clue about internet, phone access, even what his living arrangements will be. We think he'll have some internet access and we're getting him a cheapie laptop to take b/c I guess with all the sand & dirt, it isn't worth to get a good one. We are hoping to use Skype to chat via the internet with web cams. Not sure how that all works, but we'll figure it out. I think Adam hopes to have some opportunity to write in his blog about his experience.
Man, this sucks. The 7 months really sucks. Having to be in Las Vegas for most of the summer (alone with 3 kids) rather than part of the summer sucks too! And I can just say this sucks!?! Ha! It will all turn out fine and once school gets going, the time will fly. It's just that part from 7/20ish until 8/24. I flirt with the idea of going back to CA for a couple of weeks. But, then I have to drive and I don't think I can do it alone yet. Once Rowan is a little older. Russ and Rach are great with him, but once Rowan gets really upset, Russell is upset b/c he can't help and it stresses him out.
In the meantime, I have started getting together my single parent plans/mode; make lemonade out of this lemon of a summer!!! I think I get a free membership to the YMCA while Adam is gone. That will be cool. The kids love the pool there – we just finished swim lessons. I think their gym is all right. I am really thinking about joining the new Gold's Gym that just opened up instead. The grand opening specials are just too good to pass up. So, that will help. Then I can use nap time for some 'me' time instead of working out at home. I did get a cleaning lady and I love her! She's coming every other week to clean bathrooms, the kitchen and mop all the tile floors (we have a lot of them!). If I could afford to have her come more and stay longer I would and maybe while he's gone I will! Ha! But, that helps knowing I don't have to do it 'all'. I did find a teenage babysitter in our neighborhood. I used her once; she's smart, capable, military 'brat' and the kids liked her. So, that is a relief. We'll cut back on some activities so we are home more than one night during the week. It's all coming along, now that the shock is over, as it always does.
Wait, did I mention that this sucks?
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