The Toy Box Years: The Funny Side of Deployment......

The Creators of the Toy Box Years

The creators of the Toy Box Years are my two beautiful daughters and wonderful, handsome soldier husband.

"Nani" (our oldest) is a 11 year old 6th grader who loves Taylor Swift, ballet, books, fashion designing and sewing. Ask her what she wants to be when she grows up and it changes daily to anything from "an artist" to "a teacher" to "a singer/dancer". Nani is also currently fighting a battle against brain cancer -- recently diagnosed in June 2016.

"Nudgie" (our youngest) is a very smiley, very happy, very giggly, very spirited 8 year old 3rd Grader who's favorite toys are anything that gives mommy an anxiety attack - ladders, stepstools, the climbing wall at the playground. Like her sister, she has a love of reading and coloring, loves gymnastics and still provides mommy lots of snuggle time!

"My Marine" is my high school sweetheart. We've been married over 20 years and met when we were 17. (You do the math....) His favorite toys are Blackhawk helicopters, the lawnmower, our steam cleaner, and microbrew beer bottles. My husband is also my hero in that he proudly serves his country as a Blackhawk crew chief (hence his favorite toy!). And need I say that there is nothing hotter than my man in uniform!

All About Me......

Once upon a time I had a career and worked in the corporate world. Once upon a time, I dreamed about leaving that all behind to follow my true calling -- being a wife and mommy.

The first part of my calling was fulfilled in 1995 when I married my Marine (now soldier) and my love. Little did I know that being a military wife would change me in so many ways and that because of that, I would have an extended family all over the world from Japan, to California, to North Carolina.

The second part of my calling took a little doing, but I finally achieved that dream in 2004 with the birth of our first child, followed 4 years later by her baby sister.

So now, when someone asks me what I do for a living - I simply smile and say proudly that I'm following my calling - I'm a mommy and a wife -- and I couldn't be HAPPIER -- I'm living in the Toy Box Years!!

You know, I've had more than my share of gloomies since My Marine left. But I've also had my share of positives and funny moments.

Positives:

Complete control over the remote -- no ESPN, anything Military/History channel related, no Kate Beckinsale-related movies in anyway shape or form.
Hello Johnny Depp!
No wet towels left on the bed.
While I do miss the smell of his flight suits, there are no stinky socks.
The toilet seat is ALWAYS down!
Less beer, more wine!
Cereal for dinner any one?
No shaving!
No snoring!
Toilet paper lasts twice as long!
Banana bread and cookies don't disappear within minutes of coming out of the oven.
Breathing fart-free air
Going braless when I'm home
Half the laundry loads
No tripping over boots, backpacks, laptop cases
Multiple PJ & movie days

Funny Moments:

Having to help Nani create an airport soley out of of pop bottles, cardboard boxes and mini Disney princess dolls. And then a month later having to come up with a science experiment that won't get my daughter expelled (because the school administration would frown on home brewing or wine fermenting)
When using your husband's Shop-Vac, make sure that the nozzle is on the sucking end so that you avoid blowing year old pine needles and dead bugs back into your face.
Get locked out of my house because of the girls thought it would be "helpful" to mommy to lock the screen door before we left for the garage in morning. The handles on the gates to the backyard were frozen shut, so I had to CLIMB over the fence, fall into the trash can, get covered in snow and various other trash can substances I don't even want to think about in order to get into the house from the deck.
Fighting off rabid squirrels who insisted on eating my pumpkins
Dealing with an ADHD dog who is having separation anxiety from My Marine and is self-soothing by digging through the trash for pre- and post-dinnertime treats.

While it's ok to have some gloomy, bummer days....I encourage you to look for the funny side too. What are some of YOUR funny moments/positives about deployment?