This past week I think I could have been committed to a mental institution. I really do! On Wednesday I had a Pampered Chef party. It was a total flop. But, my house got cleaned, just for the party. By Thursday, it was a disaster… an absolute disaster! I wish I could tell you what happened! But, honestly, I have no idea. I realized long ago that my mental well-being is directly connected to the state of my house. If it is a mess then I am a mess. It is really sad how that works. I wish it were different. Am I the only one that feels this way? There are things that I am working on while Derick is away. Keeping my house clean is one of them. After Thursday, I felt like a total failure. So much so, that over the weekend I hardly made an attempt to clean it up. And the kids didn’t care, they just kept making it worse and worse… and worse. I would look at it in despair and think, “What has happened here??” I couldn’t even cry because I was too busy wondering how my children could have so little regard for their personal belongings and then realizing that it was I who, inadvertantly, taught them that. When I don’t clean up after myself, I teach them that it is ok not to clean up after themselves. (Although, I don’t think I taught them to throw food around the room. Not sure where they picked that one up.)
Anyway, Monday night, Christian wanted money to take to school the next day. Peoria Christian School has a little Christmas store in which the students can shop for their families. His class took their turn to shop on Tuesday. So, I told him that if he cleaned my living room for me (it was really bad), I would give him the money he needed to shop. I helped him some, but for the most part, he did it himself. When it got close to the end and there were just little things left, I got the broom and swept everything to the middle of the room so that he could see what was left. I think it actually took him a lot longer than it should have, even for a 7-year-old kid, but he worked hard and he got it done. Even my sister was impressed. That has made me feel so much better. My house isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination but the clean living room helps. So, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, I had all of the kids clean up the living room again. Its the warmest room in the house, so I like to drink my morning coffee in there. The job still takes loner than it should, but they get it done, and having something to do keeps them from having free time to destroy another room. A win-win situation, I think. My goal is to get their rooms clean and make a nightly pick-up part of the bedtime routine, as well. Our nightly routine is taking longer and longer, but the upshot is there is less free time with which to get themselves into trouble, and I am spending quality time with my children. (Instructing them in cleaning is considered quality time, right?!)
So, about Derick… I talked to him last night. (He calls me almost every night, even if it is just for a few minutes, so he can at least pray with me.) He told me he is moving soon. I don’t know the exact date. And he told me last night that I can’t talk about where, for security reasons. I’m not even sure if I’m supposed to know. I have a new address for his new location. But unless you are really familiar with military addresses, you’ll never know by looking at it, where he is. And his return date has changed. It’s not definite yet. Probably longer, but only the Navy knows how much longer. So, for now it is safe to say he is in South America (meaning somewhere south of America) and I will continue to count the days he is gone, hoping that he is not gone too much longer than the originally anticipated return date.
If you are interested in dropping him a note or a Christmas card, here is his address:
BU3 DERICK A UHLER, SEABEES
C/O US MAAG
UNIT 3470
DPO AA 34041
A Day in the Life of a Navy Wife 