Sunday, July 18, 2010

Upsides to deployment?

My husband isn't the type to beg to deploy.  It's his job.  I'm trying to look for the positive side to it all.....

The 16 hours of free daycare is going to be nice and well used this time.

The tax break is nice.

Not charging leave for R&R is a great bonus as well.

Extra pay.

Letters that arrive with "Free Mail" in the upper right hand corner make my heart melt.

A 10 minute phone call when it has been weeks since I have heard from him.

The "buzz" of Yahoo IM.

Webcams.  

People that say thank you.

Seeing the flag and understanding what it signifies.

How he can make me laugh even when he is halfway around the world.

That we make time count each and every day when he is home.


Kids that will stop whining when I pull out a tape recorder while they are throwing a fit, promising to send it to their dad.


I don't have to do a whole load of Army "crap" to make sure that he has clean socks, PTs, and a uniform.


I get the bed to myself and can surround myself with dozens of pillows.


I can eat the same thing for dinner every single night and he won't be there to complain.


I can indulge in brussel sprouts, something he can't even stand to smell cooking.


No alarm clock going off in the middle of the night or late night alert phone calls.


I can watch all my reality tv shows without hearing how I am losing brain cells.  I can fill up the entire DVR.


No TA50 lying all over the living room and the bedroom.


No green socks tucked underneath the couch.


After about a week or so though, I might miss the load of Army crap and the green socks.  


What's your favorite positive side of deployment?

15 comments:

DB said...

Threatening the kids with recording their tantrums is great! Someone else will need to remind you that you're losing brain cells watching reality tv.

Mel said...

I enjoyed having the bed and remote to myself, for about a week.

I do enjoy being able to webcam with him semi-regularly and I like that we can still have great conversations across the world from each other.

Unknown said...

Awe its good you can find upsides!!

Ashleigh said...

I love this. I call them my silver linings. I like doing laundry for just one person. I like that I can order all the chick flicks I want from Netflix. I like that it reminds my husband and i how just much we mean to each other...and what it would be like without each other....

The Mrs. said...

i love to eat the same thing every night for dinner. a tuna sandwich with pickles, onions, tomatoes and relish with a side of cranberry applesauce and cottage cheese. he has no appreciation for my gourmet meals.

and getting the whole bed to myself.

and no 4:30 alarm clock.

and keeping the kids on my own schedule.

but i still miss em. sigh.

Wife of a Sailor said...

Having a lazy day and not feeling guilty that you weren't productive.

Watching a chick flick and not having to barter with watching one of "his" movies in return.

Jennie said...

I can't help but laugh at the load of Army "crap"! I use the same moniker in my house for all those green socks, undershirts, and stinky PT's!

Sara said...

The alarm clock NOT going off at 0430 is a big one!!

But I thought of another perk today. I made a big ol' bowl of guacamole. And I dont have to share with anyone. And I can even double dip!!! ;)

Veronika said...

My fav-up side is definitely webcam dates! I remember I use to get butterflies in my stomach before a webcam chat! It was so exciting seeing my husband when we hadn't seen one another in so long. Sleeping inn a little is nice as well :)
I liked your list by the way!

Meg said...

Cereal for every meal for days.

Not arguing over the radio station in the car.

Not washing PT's at 10:30pm.

Silver linings is right- we have to be able to find an upside!!

Unknown said...

I love being able to eat as much sushi as I want. The hubs hates it so I get it for every meal.

I'm glad you are focusing on the positive side of things.

~Aly

Amanda said...

I love this list. I try to look at the positive too, even if it's just for TDY trips. I too enjoy getting the bed to myself for awhile, watching what I want on TV, and cooking what I want for dinner. I also like being able to run errands in the afternoons if I want and I don't have to worry about working around DH's work schedule.

d.a.r. said...

Extra cash, less laundry, smaller grocery bills, no rush to get home after work to make dinner, not having to change out of my pjs on a weekend day if I don't want to, rediscovering our super awesome communication skills that we have honed from years of long distance dating/marriage, cheaper car insurance (we put his truck on storage insurance), no guilt about planning girls weekends....

You have to find the upsides or else you would go crazy. It is our life, if you can't see the positives it would suck pretty badly.

Lindsey said...

Love this!

McMGrad89 said...

You can always give Em a load stack of green socks and have her hide one occasionally just for a little surprise. :-) Good luck with the deployment...I hear from my husband that he will be leaving again for 5-6 months...I thought we were done with this separation stuff when he got out of the military.