Deployment
It was a Saturday night and I was alone. Scratch that. I was sad and alone. I was a military girlfriend with a deployed service member and I struggled to balance waiting by the phone with getting out of the house and enjoying life. I mean… Do you stay or do you go? I laid down on my couch getting ready to watch a movie, wondering what [...]
Archives for June 2016
Raising KidsThe Road Safety Exercise That Could Save Your Child’s Life
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to have their child runaway into a parking lot or busy street. You’re carrying three bags of groceries and a baby, and your oldest decides to make a mad dash across the highway. You are scared to death. Teaching listening skills that will keep your kids safe is harder than you thought. post [...]
MilSpouse Life5 Times Military Spouses Made All the Difference
A friend and I were eating a quick lunch at quaint coffee shop in coastal North Carolina. Our table overlooked the Atlantic Ocean, and for a moment, I thought I was in heaven as I kicked my feet back and sipped on my caramel macchiato. I looked over to my friend, half-smiled and said, “You know, even though they’re gone, it’s not so bad. [...]
The MilSpouse’s Guide to Keeping Your Cool During Deployment
The big D is happening, all of the things have imploded, and Murphy's Law is in full effect. The car has broken down, the dishwasher exploded, and the kids are running wild. If you are like me, all of these things happen even during short TAD trips or long weekends of 24 hour duty. Once, when my spouse was away for literally four days, [...]
What Kids Secretly Want to Tell You About Roughhousing – Girls Included!
As I child, I remember roughhousing with my dad in the living room, playing Buck the Bronco. I would jump all over him, giggling incessantly. Then we would play Wake the Sleeping Bear, where he would pretend to be a sleeping bear and I would sit on his head, stand on his back and tickle his feet until he "woke up" and scared the [...]
21 Long Distance Friendship Truths Only a Military Spouse Will Understand
I stood in my living room looking out the window when I saw her. She was walking her golden retriever around the neighborhood, and I vividly remember—as if it happened this morning—seeing her bubbly brown-haired self and the dog walk past the front of my house in slow motion. I was dealing with some major PCS anxiety because all I kept [...]
Military ResourcesMilitary Base Gate Etiquette: 10 Small Ways to Avoid a Giant SNAFU
Ah, the military police at the gates. They’re the ones who stand in the intense heat, bitter cold and torrential downpours as they check ID cards. They stand for hours and skip meals. If they have a moment, it’s a quick one to swallow a few bites. My husband was military police—or rather, since he is in the Air Force, he’s known as [...]
How to Get a Breast Pump Through TRICARE for $0
At 7 months pregnant it was time to finalize the baby stuff. I still needed a breast pump and I thought I discovered a money-saving solution. After three kids, my friend announced she was officially hopping off the baby-making train, and she was ready to sell all her baby stuff. Lucky for me, this included a breast pump and I was ready [...]
How to Make Time for Yourself as a Military Spouse
This military life is crazy. It's full of uncertainty, hurry up and waiting, and lots of packing or unpacking. As military spouses, we move, we take care of the house, we work, we raise kiddos, and then we repeat. All day, every day. It can be easy to lose yourself in all that chaos. Putting yourself last because of your spouse, [...]
10 Things Strong Military Spouses Do Differently
It wasn’t good news. “My husband’s leaving tomorrow,” she said. She just got word from her husband that he would be deploying within the next 24 hours. There was no notice. There was no quality family time with the kids at the park. It was simply pack your bags and leave. Gulp. [...]
