Pbbbbbbbbthwwwt

What a week this has been!  Every day there has been something: Sunday my computer crashed; Monday Andrew found out we're not leaving Moncton this year, and we also had to take Abbey to the vet 'cause she's peeing on the floor again in the basement.  They confirmed nothing but I still had to fork out $140; Tuesday Andrew was informed his trip overseas was moved up 10 days, but his return dates remain the same; Wednesday we found out it's a major issue with my computer, not fixable; Thursday we took the computer to another place and found out it's the motherboard of my Mac that's kaput and it IS actually fixable, albeit for a price ... a very BIG price -- almost the cost of a new computer!  I'm seriously afraid to hear what tomorrow will bring.

I feel overwhelmed.  Most people think we're excited to be staying in Moncton another year, whereas we are quite disappointed.  We were actually all psyched up to leave.  I am anxious to get back out into the work force and prepare for Maaike going to school full-time.  We had our hopes set on Ontario, back in the area of family support.  Guess that's what happens when you don't remember to expect the unexpected.

Money is always a stressor for me.  It is worse now that I'm not bringing any into the household, but in general money is "tight" ... or, let's say, it's all accounted for each month.  *wink*  Abbey, my geriatric feline who has recently been taking pleasure in NOT using the litter box, is also a bone of contention.  Given that I brought her into the relationship, I feel personally responsible for everything she does.  Ridiculous, but true.  And my Mac ... while the price to fix it is crazy out-of-this-world, I find myself actually considering it given that Andrew will be away and the computer is my connection to friends and family, him included, during those times.  It also gives me a bit of quiet leisure time while our girl is asleep.

And through it all, I'm trying ... trying REALLY hard to stay positive.  Especially because a lot of good things happened this week.  Monday the weather was amazing and we had such a fun playdate in the snow, tobogganing and having a wee picnic with friends; Monday we also had another meeting with the Speech & Hearing Clinic and they told me Maaike actually has a very large vocabulary which may be contributing to her having trouble finding words.  She's trying to find words that are "better" than the normal.  Tuesday my Dad had an "ablation" to correct his heart rhythm and this, too, went very well.  Andrew is not going anywhere dangerous.  We have a lovely little warm house, and we are all healthy.  And I have the best, most supportive husband in the world, as well as the smartest, most adorable daughter (who is growing up way too fast) in my life.  We had a blast playing in the snow yesterday.  Andrew got off work early and quickly jumped into his snow gear to join us in the yard, then we went out again after supper.  Lots of laughter and giggles were had.

Perspective.  It's all part of getting to the point where you "get it".  And then, and only then, can you say "pbbbbbtttwwwwt" to the crappy things and set out with a new focus.  Would it be wrong if that focus includes fixing my computer???  : P

Four

Family Pics - As Promised

Glad I Didn't Miss That - Dress-Up Edition

Changes

Life with a spouse in the military certainly gears you up for a lot of challenges.  There are the absences while your spouse is in training which prepare you for life as a single parent during the longer absences called "deployment".  There is the constant moving around from city to city, province to province, sometimes country to country, essentially with what appears to be no rhyme or reason.  And rarely do you get the posting you have indicated in your top three.  I think they read your preferred postings and ensure you don't go to these places.  There is also the continuing worry as to the safety of your spouse when he or she is deployed to a country where there is unrest.  I could go on ...

However, there are also benefits.  You get to meet so many people along the way.  Hey, I get a new house at no real cost to me every few years!  We get to experience life in new locales, adapting and changing, making new friends.  The Military Family Resource Centres offer assistance in the form of affordable childcare, fun activities and general support.

Last Saturday night we enjoyed an Evening with Santa where we had turkey dinner and all the trimmings, family photos, crafts, a live children's band, and gifts for the kids from the Big Guy.  It was so enjoyable, and not just because Maaike finally had an encounter with Mr. Kringle that did not include screaming, flailing and crocodile tears!  The food and company were great.  The staff did an awesome job organizing it all and making each of us feel special.  Last month we had a pizza dinner prior to heading out to the Christmas parade.  All at little cost to the families.  Yup, there are bonuses.

The only constant in our lives is change and saying goodbye becomes something we, sadly, become quite good at.  If your friends aren't being posted, then you are.  You learn to shut down a bit, keep a distance, not get too attached so as not to get gravely injured in the process.  However, as any military personnel can tell you, they also have friends they can call on in every province, sometimes every major city, across the country, and some around the world.

Its an eventful life, not for the faint of heart.  And don't get me wrong, I'm anxious to settle down soon, keep Maaike in one place, take up roots and hunker down.  But, until then, I guess the best we can do is go with the flow and remember what will be, will be.

The O'Connells Rockin' 'Round the Tree

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