Working Girl

At least for this week...

...and part of next week...

...and a teensy part of the following week.

After a 2 1/2 month hiatus, Monday was my first day of doing any reserve work. My first workday since we moved to Nebraska. I'm working every day this week here in the local area, telecommuting with my Reserve Unit I'm still assigned to in South Carolina.

So I'm sitting in an unoccupied office right downstairs from Dave's cubicle.

Yes, I have an office...he has a cubicle.

No, not even. He has a desk in a large area. No walls. He's okay without them...

Anyway, while it's great to be back doing good stuff for the Air Force, this is Timmy's indoctrination into a full-time child care center. We're using one of Offutt Air Force Base's child development centers, which is a top notch center...the military's child care center standards are stricter than any of the 50 states, so you know it's good! We will be able to use the center full time when I take my trip to the desert in January.

In North Carolina, Dave took time off to watch the kids or else one of my friends would watch the boys while I worked. When I worked in Norfolk, my Mom would watch one or both of the boys. Definitely one of the things I miss about living in the east.

Dave dropped off Timmy on Monday and when we picked him up 9 1/2 hours later, he wasted no time telling us what a great time he had. He was even okay with going back again Tuesday.

WOW!

So I got a bit cocky and figured I could drop off Timmy today. I walked him to his classroom (the Purple Room) and he went right over to the circle area where a teacher was reading a story. I said goodbye and walked right out. But then I forgot to leave Timmy's backpack with his change of clothes. Without thinking I walked right back into the room -- Timmy saw me and proclaimed that I can't leave without him. And he ran over to my leg and made quite the scene.

Thankfully, the teachers were good about peeling him off me and diverting him so I could sneak out.

When I picked him up today, he again seemed okay. He showed me more artwork and talked about some friends he made.

As for Jacob, he's enrolled in a before/after school care program run by his school. So he goes to school early each morning, and we pick him up at the school once we get home. Jake enjoys going to Kid's Time with his classmates.

On top of the full time work this week and the full time child care, we still have soccer this week, and I'm still trying to keep the kids fed. Monday was absolutely nuts -- I feel like all of my interaction with my boys on Monday was drill sergeant style:

"WAKE UP! TIME TO GET DRESSED!"

"BREAKFAST! WE'RE LEAVING IN SEVEN MINUTES!"

"YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO GET ON YOUR SHOES AND GET IN THE CAR!"

"JACOB, READ ME THESE TWO BOOKS FOR HOMEWORK!"

"YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO WOLF DOWN YOUR PIZZA BEFORE WE LEAVE FOR SOCCER!"

"BATHTIME! BRUSH YOUR TEETH! PAJAMAS! GOOD NIGHT!"

I was exhausted beyond recognition last night -- I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow and didn't feel a thing until my alarm clock went off this morning.

Tonight wasn't quite like that -- no soccer, for starters. I was able to make a nice baked chicken dinner for the family. I did some light house cleaning and caught up on bills. And wrote this blog.

PS: Late next week Dave goes solo -- he has both kids and he's still working, while I hop on a plane and fly to SC for 4 more days of work. I'm playing major catch-up on the workdays, I shouldn't be required to work again until December after this stint...