Birthday Party Prep

These two monkeys are so VERY excited about their birthday party.  We ususally have two seperate birthdays for the boys, but this year with payton's birthday falling on Easter Sunday we decided to do one party between the boys' actual birthdays.

They (thankfully) agreed on a Toy Story theme.  I have the cake idea in my head.  And I've picked out the color scheme.  And the menu has been planned.  That's it.  I am lacking the creativity and pizzazz that most of their birthday parties seem to have.  Almost 40 people coming to celebrate the births of the two most wonderful beings in my life and I can't seem to get in the mood.  :/

I hope it comes to me soon.  Really soon.  Like before Saturday at 3pm would be nice!

Payton's Letter to Daddy

I just got home from my first meeting with my new support group; Heroes on the Homefront.  It was nice to sit and talk with people who have been there and get it.  I have a lot of great friends in cyber-land who have offered me a lot of support, but being in the same room with other ladies was really nice.

When I got home, I was doing the "mom thing" and packing lunches and snacks, organizing shoes, and going through paperwork in Payton's backpack.  As I was sorting papers, I came across this.  I love my kiddo.  His grown up word choices, his lack of spelling corrections, the way he wrote a message for Max because Max can't do it himself.  He's such an amazing little man. 

Emotional

In the last 24 hours I have had a TON of emotions. I started the afternoon doing the picture frames with the boys for Matt and it all went crazy from there out. Sad, confused, worried, lonely...at one point I was even excited about the adventures we might have in our travels to Maryland this summer. I ended up with a pretty bad headache around 4am. I love when I do that to myself.

I feel like I should wear a sign so people know my emotions are out of whack. I hope they stabilize sometime. Hopefully soon. Probably not tonight. Army Wives is on.

Picture Frames for Daddy

I got two items off my checklist today! The Blue Star Banner (see previous post) was ordered and I convinced the boys to decorate picture frames for Matt. We went to Michael's craft store and purchased plain black frames and I let each of them choose a few favorite decorative "thingies".

When we got time this evening, I plugged in my glue gun and we went to work. The boys each set up their picture frame as they wanted it and I would glue things on. It's interesting to watch them work independently. I didn't make any decisions for them and Maxwell spelled all his words right! I was pretty impressed!

Sometime in the next week, I'll put together a collage of photos for each picture frame for Matt to take with him. I hope it will be a nice reminder of home. And every few months I send him a new collage so that he can update the pictures.

Blue Star Banner Ordered

Another item has been checked off my list. I wanted one of those "blue star banners" that I see in people's windows, serving as a proud reminder of someone in the home who is serving in the military.

I didn't think it'd be a big deal; just hop online and order the thing. But there was something emotional about doing it. It made me proud and sad at the same time. I'm so proud of Matt giving of himself for six months to help injured soldiers. He's proud of his assignment and I know he'll do amazingly well at it. But the pride was accompanied by sadness. Just another step closer to his leave date...

Preparing the Boys for Deployment

It's becoming real now. We have dates. We have ideas. We have shopping to do. We have plans to make. It's so very real...and I'm sure it will only become "more real" (if that's possible) as we get closer and then finally pass the deployment day.

To help ease the pain and hurt of being without Daddy, we have a few things planned for the boys. I'm working on creating a book of memories and photos of each boy with Matt. When they are missing their daddy, we'll get our their "Daddy Books" and they'll have pictures and memories to remember him. This weekend, I will be decorating picture frames with each boy. Then I'll make a collage photo for each of them to give in the frame to Matt before he leaves.

Before Matt leaves, we're also going to go to Build-A-Bear to create a "Daddy Bear". Matt will help each boy stuff them and then he'll record a saying to put inside. Each night when the boys go to sleep, they will be able to hug their bear and say "Good Night" to their father.

The last thing we're doing before Matt leaves is spending time, just the four of us, at a waterpark. Had we known Matt was deploying, we wouldn't have gone a few weeks ago to Castaway Bay. This time we're going to Great Wolf Lodge. We got a special room (at a great military rate) so the two days/night should be very special for them.

While their gone, I have a few things planned to help mark each "one-more-month-down day". The 28th of each month, we'll be sending Matt a package. It will be filled with his magazines and mail that comes, cards and notes from me and the boys, his favorite snacks or treats, and photos. Then we'll go do something special to mark that day; a special dinner out or a trip to the bowling alley or Chuck E' Cheese. I can already see the awkwardness as the hostess asks "Are we celebrating anything special today?" and Payton replies "YES! My Daddy's been gone 3 months!" Hmm...I may have to talk to him about that.

I've been blessed enough with so much support and a few great ideas on how to ease this transition for them. Now if anyone has any ideas for on how to make it easier on me, just let me know...