Deployment Day #95

I love Saturdays because it is my “sleep in” day. Now if I’m being honest, almost every day could be my sleep in day because my kids rarely wake up before 8am on their own. Actually they rarely wake up before 9am on their own.

I like waking up before them during the week so I can get things done. On Saturdays I give up and sleep until they wake me up, or I wake up on my own. Usually I wake up before 8, but always go to bed with the hope that tomorrow is the Saturday I am going to sleep really, really late.

This morning I woke up before seven! What?!?!?!

We cleaned most of the day, which stinks because that is not how I want to spend Saturdays. I’d like to do fun stuff, but it seems like we spend every weekend playing catch-up from the week. Laundry, cleaning, rooms, schoolwork, it just doesn’t end.

Deployment hasn’t changed this, anyone who has children knows it goes on and on and on… But when you are the only one keeping it together there really isn’t a break.

Today the vacuum broke. We are very hard on our vacuums, which is why we bought one with a ten year warranty. But, usually when it breaks it is when the house really, really needs to be vacuumed.

I consider fixing the vacuum, not my job. Because if I’m vacuuming, that means I already am doing a job, cleaning.

Today when it broke I realized I was the only person who could try to fix it, so I took it apart and put it back together three times before I decided it needed to go to the shop.

I feel like taking a vacuum apart is risky business. First, I never really know if I’m going to be able to put it back together again. Second when you take the vacuum apart all the dust and dirt goes everywhere! So your floor is even dirtier than before. And if you can’t fix the vacuum, you can’t clean it up.

Even better is when your handheld vacuum breaks on the same day. So I had my kids use the Dyson Hard to vacuum up the really dirty areas. Not really the best use of that machine, but it did a good enough job.

I remember once when I was younger my mom’s vacuum broke and she started sweeping her carpet. I’m not sure that would work around here, but I considered it for a second.

I’m really bummed about the vacuum because I cleaned out my bedroom and office today and would LOVE to finish the job. But I guess it will get finished in 3-5 days.

Long day today. Very long.

My husband has been deployed to the Middle East for 274 days.  These are my real thoughts expressing my heart during his absence.  I appreciate your prayers and kind words as we cope, adapt, and carry on without him until August 2014.  To read from the beginning, click here.