Week of Repeats ~ Another Deployment Diary Entry

Thanks for hanging in there with my Week of Repeats, the packing is going well. I have two young ladies from church coming over tomorrow, so I should be able to get a lot accomplished with the extra hands! This post was originally published on my personal blog July 18, 2006. If I remember correctly we were about one month in to the deployment at that time and I had settled into my role as Mom to Conqueror.

Today was a wonderful peaceful morning and as I sat in my chair feeding the baby a wasp flew in. Okay… well the first half of that statement is a complete lie… but I would love to have a peaceful morning!

Actually, my neighbor woke me up to let me know that we didn’t have any water, then the kids woke up one by one, and begin the morning cereal ritual. Basically it involves me pouring immense amounts of Honey Nut Cheerios into bowls and then watching the starved children devour an entire box of cereal in one morning. I can’t wait until they are teens!

I then played patty cake with my two year old for about 15 minutes. That is about 7 minutes longer than anyone should have to repeat this rhyme. But she was happy.

Kids ran in and out the front door as I yelled to remind some of them that they didn’t have pants on and that they still needed to get dressed. Finally I settled into my chair to feed the baby. All was well.

Then began the -in and out of the back door- routine that occurs for most of the day. My almost 10 year forgot to shut the door and within a minute a huge wasp flew in.

Chaos begins…

I start screaming for a fly swatter. No one can find it. Cupboards are turned upside down in hopes of finding it. More running in and out, which provokes more yelling from me to shut the door, lest we allow the entire family of wasps in the living room.

Finally, my 12 year old daughter rolls up a magazine and starts hunting the wasp in the living room. My son and I are shouting directions at her. At this point I am in full combat mentality. I want that wasp dead. I am not going to allow it to terrorize my family, and heaven forbid come anywhere near the baby!

I finally trade baby for rolled up magazine. (of course the baby is completely asleep for all of this!). This wasp is tricky. It flies in my pottery (it knows I wouldn’t dare take a swat at that). It flies under a giant paper whale hung on our wall (another story…), it flies behind the computer, on the ceiling, finally it makes it’s fatal mistake and lands on the ground. I begin to beat this wasp with all my might. Kids are shouting and cheering. I signal for my son to get a paper towel so we can flush the remains. I have saved the day.

Mom 1    Wasp 0