Hello Real World and Civilian Life!

Why hello there real world! 

I have been anxiously awaiting to lead the civilian life for quite some time now. Like since we made the decision to leave the Navy in January of 2014 but had to wait until the Spring of 2015. Those 18 months were a joy. But not really.

I am loving civilian life for several reasons. First, T works 9-5 8-6. He kisses us all goodbye in the morning, he's at Luke's football practices and is home for dinner. We even get to plan trips in advance.  I consider this a win, and a far cry from our “norm” in the Navy. Also, no deployments in the real world. Yeah, my husband doesn't leave for six months at a time while I try and “hold down the fort”. Although I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to some one week business trips... cereal for dinner, crappy t.v., reading in bed late into the night, less laundry... Lastly, him not climbing into a metal death trap (also known as a helicopter) on a regular basis is a plus. Especially one that seems prone to crashing.

But, um, let's talk about things I am not loving about the real world. Let's talk about medical insurance for just a sec. TriCare Prime was A-MA-ZING. Yes, I know, it has it's issues and can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, but um, hello, IT WAS (essentially)FREE. My hospital stay for having Savannah (with an emergency C-section) was $33.00. Luke's 6 ER visits (we are averaging one a year people!) and 2 ambulance rides, well, never saw those bills.  Prescriptions, if filled on base, were FREE. Although as Tyson likes to say, “nothing is ever free”. I mean there was this terrible numbering system where you drew a number, waited 20 minutes then went to a window and handed them the number. Then they would tell you they would have it filled in 45 minutes. So not especially convenient when you have sick children and an unreliable spouse and need the medicine like right now. So sometimes I'd get it filled “out in town”- ya know, with the locals, the civilians, the others. And then I'd have to pay $3.00 or something. Once when it was $10.00 I was like, “why is this so expensive?” So please imagine my SHOCK and HORROR when I was told that Luke's epi pen would be $90.00. For a brief moment I thought maybe he doesn't really need to have it.... But then I paid and I was so sad. Sad about not having TriCare Prime. Sad that my kid has stupid allergies.

And let's not forget about the commissary. For you lay people out there, that's the grocery store on base. And it is oh so special. And I miss it. And I miss their sushi! And my grocery bill is completely out of control and I am still trying to figure out how to get it back down to my pre-civilian days. sigh.

Thank you real world for mostly being pretty great.

Mom hacks: things that will help you as a mom and/or things I love and think you should love too!

I love reading and I especially love reading in the fall and winter as it actually gets cold here (in Maryland) and I don't go outside when its cold. I huddle by the fire and count down the days until Spring. And I read. The last book I read that I could.not.put.down was The Nightingale. Yes mom, I know its sad so you couldn't read it. If you are one of those people(like my mom) who can't read sad books or watch sad movies(for the love- it can't always be a happy ending) then fine, don't read this book. But you're missing out on a great book!

Having a bad day? Buy someone else a coffee. No seriously. Participating in altruistic behaviors makes us happy (a little tidbit that I picked up- and more importantly remembered- from PSYC 101). Making someone else happy in turn makes you happy. Go to Starbucks and get that Pumpkin Spice latte and while you're at it, buy the other exhausted, overworked, overlooked person in the car behind
you a coffee. It'll make their day, and yours too. Win win.  

We went apple picking yesterday. Here is the applesauce recipe I made last night. It's easy, delicious, and...delicious. 

And I'm still over here singing the praises of  the Skimm. If you haven't checked it out yet, well, you should. And then when there is grown up conversation you can chime in and talk about the Pope's visit to the US. And Donald Trumps orange skin tone. And you can make witty comments and people think you keep up on your current events, when really, you just skimmed.

An unposted post from last year: A change will do you good

 At the beginning of the year (2014) Tyson and I had to make a very serious and grown-up decision. Do you ever feel like you're not qualified to make some of the decisions you have to make? Like, I know I'm 30, but I don't feel like I'm equipped to be making decisions that impact my life and the life of our family.
  It can be daunting, but T and I work well together making decisions. I'm not bragging or anything, because there are some things we don't do well together (please don't ever invite us over to play Trivial Pursuit or any other trivia game. or any game. and do not put us on the same team), but making big decisions is something we do well together. We can talk a decision to death, play devil's advocate,  and then put the decision away. We can pull it out days, weeks, and months later to talk about it again, to reexamine what we have each been thinking and see where life has led us and put the decision in that new context. Because some decisions require months and years to make. Some decisions need more than a good night's sleep. And those decisions are the big ones. The ones you'll look back on and remember the day you made it.
  We had to decide if T (and our family) wanted to continue the military life or if we were ready to get out and become part of the real civilian world. Yeah, big decision. He wasn't being forced out. He had just come to the end of the time he owed, which was ten years. We also had to make the decision before he was written another set of orders and before he was up for the 04 promotion (Lieutenant Commander). So this decision had to be made 18 months before we would actually get out. So big stuff here. No waiting around to see what would happen; we had to be proactive about this decision. So after lots of deliberation and so.much.talking. we decided that getting out of the Navy is what would be best for our family.
  The Navy has been all we have ever known as a couple and as a family. We move when they say, go where they send us, and he deploys when he's told. We've celebrated birthdays and anniversaries apart. I've bought a car without him, taken my 13 month old to the ER without him, evacuated with a toddler and a puppy, and completed my Master's degree with a 2 year old while pregnant. All while he was gone. We have done so much of life apart. And we are just ready to do the rest of it together. We uproot our family, leaving behind new friends, schools, homes, and memories to begin again. and again. and again. Although this life is not easy, I wouldn't change a thing about it.
  But it is a new season for our family and the idea of being able to choose where we live, have a husband who doesn't leave 6 months out of the year, a home our family can grow up in, and making friends we don't have to say goodbye to two years later sounds pretty good right now. And yeah, I know the grass is always greener on the other side...but that grass looks pretty darn green right about now. And it's a risk we are willing to take, even if it turns out the grass is exactly the same on both sides of the fence.

Oh, how do I feel about all of this? Excited. Anxious. Hopeful. Scared. Ecstatic. And all of that at the same time. For New Years this year I wrote down one word that I wanted to own this year. The word was adventurous, and I feel like if anything else, this decision will give us one heck of an adventure.



Mom hacks:

-I absolutely love This coffee mug! I just think every mom should have one. Like, give me 10 minutes to drink my coffee in silence. and peace. shhh.

-If you don't feel like being addicted to cocaine, you should become addicted to this candy corn bark instead.

-I'm currently obsessed with this highlighter for my face. It makes me look shimmery and youthful and well rested. yes please.