Prep Time

As L's departure looms even closer, we have been working on preparing ourselves for the separation. Never mind the state of the house--I'll be in need of something to keep me busy during the first week or so anyway.

The countdown M&M jars for each child was a hit last time around. We fill a jar with a number of M&M's to equal the number of days L will be gone. Each day, each child will eat one from his or her jar as a countdown to his return. Since we only have a ballpark figure of when L will be back, I adjust the numbers accordingly following more concrete news.

The base provides free DVD's produced by Sesame Street in which Elmo must deal with his father's long business trips. This really helped Sophie come to terms with her dad's absence the first time around, and she was really excited to receive the new edition with an extra DVD explaining about changes in the family. This is such a terrific tool for the children. It deals with their emotions and does a great deal to reassure them it is OK to have mixed feelings about dad being gone.

The base volunteers make mommy/daddy deployment dolls also. They are good sized stuffed dolls with their dad's picture in uniform on it. They're great for hugging and kissing goodnight, giving the kids something material to hold to remind them of daddy.

Dylan received a kid journal to fill in while dad is away. We're also getting a calendar to mark off each day that has passed.

As for husband and wife matters, we're planning a bit better this time around. During the previous deployment, we wrote individual letters to each other, and when he came home, we had a motherload of loose letters, all of which the girls treated like confetti or frisbees or secret treats to hide in any random spot in the house. This time, we purchased a journal that we will take turns keeping and writing in for a week, and then mailing it off to the other to keep and write in for another week. This way, we'll have a record of our correspondence neatly tucked in one book. In addition to that, we each have a copy of the two inspiration journals Book of Me and What I Love About You. Sometimes, we find it difficult to decide what to write about; these are perfect tools for that dilemma since they are filled with numerous prompts that have blanks to fill in your responses. We've also armed ourselves with a stack of to-read books for those sleepless nights.

Fam Och is armed to the ears with every resource the base can offer. We have a great support system in the form of family, friends, and neighbors. I was absolutely terrified the first time around. This time, as much as it hurts to have a missing puzzle piece of the family, it seems more doable.