The Game Has Changed

I bundled my little family into the car and drove up north. I was on my way to support my husband, knowing full well that it could either be in celebration or commiseration. The drive was long, my children short of patience. It wasn't long before they wondered when they would get to see their dad. I anticipate answering that question frequently.


I missed the turnoff. A few minutes later, I rolled in and looked for a parking spot. I had been rushing, trying to get there "on time" without knowing exactly what "on time" really was.

They buzzed me in and scanned me for any dangerous substances. Audrey wanted to be scanned, too. When the lady obligingly did so, I knew the people in this place wouldn't be all that bad, after all. Henry folded in on himself, not at all interested in being scanned. This turned out to be okay with the lady, too.


She eased my worries with a few simple words as she showed me the lobby area. Everything with my husband was going smoothly and we would see him soon.


We got our visitor badges and sat down. The kids were handed gift baggies filled with things to keep a child entertained, for at least five minutes. Crayons, toy cars, stickers and paper-winged planes were scattered around in almost no time at all. At least they were happy...

Ben walked through, looking serious and busy, but had enough time to kiss his family hello before he had to run off again. Several minutes later, he came back and sat with us for a few minutes, cuddling the kids and whispering gentle words. It wasn't long before they called for him again.


I recalled the old adage: Hurry up and wait.


They finally called us visitors back and led us to the room where Ben was waiting with three others. They stood quiet and serious, facing the front of the room. The kids took what they felt was their place at their father's side.

I was most surprised by his refusal to even crack the smallest smile or allow the twinkle to reach his eyes. He can be serious after all.    (I wondered if he would get his uniform but, alas, he won't get that until Basic.)

I now wish I had paid closer attention while the officiator was speaking. I was too busy taking pictures and keeping my children quiet to listen carefully. He answered in unison with the other three the officiator's questions with a sharp barking reply. I was startled, awed and almost instantly felt a little silly.

He solemnly swears he is up to no good. ;)

I couldn't resist.

Will I ever get all the flags straight in my mind?

Proud Dad. Proud kids. Proud Mom.

On the way home, the tears leaked out of their own accord; sometimes brought on by a surge of emotion, sometimes by no apparent reason at all. If Ben noticed, he didn't say. Something clicked into place for me. A part of our lives belong to the faceless entity of our country, but the rest of our lives have suddenly started to make a lot more sense.

The game has changed.

Six Months from Now

So, for my first blog post of 2012, I thought I'd talk a little about my plans for the year. No, not my resolutions. I have written down a few resolutions for 2012, but I figure that they will be of little to no interest to anyone but myself. I thought it might be more interesting to talk about where I want to be six months from now. Not just for you, my dear readers, but for myself. What about the rest of the year? I can't make my brain think past June, honestly, so I'll worry about the second half of the year a little later on.

The Next Six Months

1. By the end of February, I'd like to have a completed rough draft of my current novel: TDC. (Abbreviated.) The title is still under review as it has been determined in the past year that it will be the first of a three novel series. I need to decide what the series title will be to tie it all together.

2. By the end of June, I hope to have my first wave of editing done on TDC. Shortly thereafter, the first few beta readers will receive a copy to read. I'm working on a short list... who'd like to be on it? (Just beyond the end of June, where my brain won't go, lies a publishing deal and in my dreamiest of dreams, a movie deal... Someday, I'll tell you which actors I've been squealing over to play my characters...)

3. Within six months, nearly all of our debt will be paid off (except for school loans), which will be a great weight off my mind.

4. By the end of the school year (first week of May), I will have a five-year-old, a three-year-old and a husband who has graduated from a university with a Bachelor's degree. I plan on being a grown-up by then, just to keep up with my family. (I don't have much hope for this personal goal in such an eventful time in my family's life.)

5. Once April has started, my gears will shift toward planning two brilliant birthday parties and a killer open-house style graduation party. Somewhere in there, I will convince Mother Nature to allow for the kids' first outdoor Easter Egg Hunt and not rain (or snow) on any of the planned parties.

6. By the end of June, I will have been married for thirteen years. Somewhere in there, feeling like a grown-up is sure to happen, right?

7. Before these six months are finished, my dear husband will hopefully have found a full-time career job within those doors that a college degree will open. In what city, state and country this will take place, I have no inkling whatsoever. I'm crossing my fingers for someplace green. Beyond that, a charming accent on the part of the natives would be fabulous.

8. As a result of #7, moving out of the Basement will become a reality and I will again be responsible for my own home, entirely. I have mixed feelings about this, but it will certainly have an impact on my goals of grown-up-hood.

9. As a result of #8, my children will be set loose to run around the home I am responsible for... I have mixed feelings about this.

10. By the end of the six months, I will have made a firm decision on how my five-year-old is to experience Kindergarten. I am fully capable of homeschooling and have a strong desire to do so. However, my sweet girl has been wanting to GO to school since she was three. It would also give my little boy some one-on-one time with his Mama.

11. Somewhere in the beginning, middle and end of all of this, I will find time to get healthy and fit back into my medium-fat jeans.

So there you have it... as much for me as anyone else, here is my projection of my short-future. Some of them are guaranteed to happen. Others are completely and utterly up to me to make happen. Whether I see the reality of all these things is not so much the point as that in six months I will be a different person, ever so slightly.

Who will you be in six months?