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Dual parenting while on hold



We moved to South Carolina at the end of August for my husband to go through the pipeline (again). The first class up date for power school, October, my hubby did not get picked up. This week they put out the list of who will be classing up this time and my husband's name was on the list.

This morning when he came home and told me he was classing up, I was very surprised by my disappointment. We've never been "on hold" like we have been here. He has had to muster twice a week while on hold, but he was home before 8 am every morning. By the time I got out of bed, he had already fed the boys breakfast and was cleaning up the kitchen, even on muster days. That was a definite bonus. By mid-November, I think we started grating on each other though. I really wanted him to class up soon. I told my mom, "If he doesn't class up this time, we are going to kill each other!" We don't have a busy calendar here and so we were all spending a lot of time at home together-- all.day.long. Wonderful for a month or so, but it is now December and we have been doing this since he graduated college in August (granted we did move from North Carolina to South Carolina during that time and he completed indoc, but, still, mostly just spent here at home). It is amazing how irritating little things can become when you spend all day, every day with someone.

Then we went on mini-vacation during Thanksgiving weekend. We spent four days at the beach with no plans, just hanging out as a family, away from our house and the day to day routine. We had so much fun. It was so refreshing coming home after that. And we talked about things we could do if he didn't class up this time... And I started thinking, "Oh, it would be nice if we could do this and that..."

So this morning I realized how much things will change around here. He fed the boys, as usual, this morning. While I got ready, he got the boys ready. While I was out of the house with the boys, he cleaned up the house and did the dishes. It really struck me just how much of a help he has been around here and how petty and silly the little things are. He would get irritated with me taking so long to get ready-- reading and talking on the phone to my sister while getting ready. I would get irritated with him for filling up the hamper after making a trip into his closet or not having the boys clean up their messes as they went. Today, that stuff all seemed silly. He gladly played with the boys while I chatted with my sister this morning, telling me to enjoy my last couple leisurely mornings. (Can I even emphasize how nice it is to have two parents home in the morning???) And when we got home, I noticed all the stuff he did do instead of all the stuff he didn't do and how much I appreciate him doing those things.

As for my feelings now that it has sunk in that he's classing up, I'm fine with it. We came here for him to go through the pipeline and now he's started. I'm surprised at how stressful it was to find out when he was classing up. For the October class he was told yes and no all the way up to the day school started. The next classes will probably be more of a roller coaster, SOBC and prototype. SOBC is unaccompanied in Connecticut. Prototype is either here or in upstate New York. I think I'll have a Navy wife heart attack if they tell him, "Oh yeah, you are classing up next week for prototype... in upstate New York." But I won't will do my best not to stress out about that until power school is over.
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Lindsey said…
You should let me know if you head up to Upstate NY, I'm only a 3 hour drive and we can let the kids play. Also, if you wind up visiting him in Connecticut we could do something. You'd basically be on my turf either way :)
December 10, 2013 8:09 AM
Kimber said…
Haha! Thanks! We are *hoping* we can stay here for prototype. We keep hearing rumors that if you have kids and request to stay here that the Navy will do that... But you never know! I'll definitely keep you posted though. :) Today he has a bunch of stuff to do before school starts. I feel like it has been a taste of what it will be like when he actually goes back to work! I've been so spoiled the past couple months!
December 10, 2013 11:04 AM
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