Household 6
Household 6
26 Life Lessons On My 26th Birthday
My 26th year is shaping up to be a big one as we prepare to welcome twins into our family halfway through it! With the thought of becoming a first-time mom to two babies at one time, I’ve been reflecting on the 26 life lessons I’ve learned in my short life that I’d happily pass along to them as they grow older in our home.
They’re Saying Aspergers
Ten years. It had been 10 years since I delivered my last baby boy, and I was telling the nurse that if she didn’t grab a doctor immediately, she or my husband would have to try to play catch.
Everything since that moment has been a ruck I was not equipped for.
I look back through photos and I see it more clearly now. Isaiah always had this almost constant anxiety/intensity about him, this more focused look in his eyes. I remember bringing it up to a doctor once, but she didn’t think too much of it.
Baby Showers and Birthday Parties
This month we celebrated my son’s second birthday, as well as the soon-to-be new addition to our family.
We took advantage of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend and celebrated both occasions the same day. Though they were both early celebrations, it’s tiring being eight months pregnant and traveling, along with planning a birthday party, while also getting ready for another newborn.
Don’t Overlook Your Renters Insurance—Ever
February always reminds me of the most challenging experience my family has had as serial military renters.
Since arriving at my husband’s first duty station in 2010, we’ve always chosen to live in on-post housing or rent a home off post, and before that, we rented apartments. We aren’t yet sure where we’ll settle in the end, so we hesitate to purchase a home.
One of the most important things you can do as a renting military family is purchase renters insurance. With a military bank like USAA, it’s a very inexpensive monthly fee, but it protects you much more than you might imagine.
I found this out the hard way.
4 Ways to Make Solo Parenting Easier
As you probably hear quite often, military life usually has no shortage of separations. It’s hard enough being separated from your service member because Murphy’s Law often comes to light. It can get more trying when you have other engagements, but especially if you have children.
I’ve come to call the time I parent alone “solo-parenting.” I know some people consider it “single parenting,” but I think that misses the mark. Milspouses are fortunate enough to have financial and emotional support from a spouse, unlike actual single parents.
But we certainly do parent solo for a period of time while our service members attend school, go on temporary duty, or depart for a deployment.
7 Military Spouse Goals for 2018
I don’t like Ne Year’s resolutions. A resolution is a firm decision to do or not do something and results in a black and white pass or fail. If our intention is to incite change in our lives, there has to be room for error, which is why I like the word “goals.” A goal is the object of a person’s ambition or effort, which means you achieve success every time you make forward progress.
Recon Rendezvous: Our Holiday Traditions
Remember how last month we chatted about our fans’ favorite Thanksgiving traditions? Well, now we are shifting gears and are ready to jump into some Holiday Hooah. That’s right, we are checking out some very cool milspouse Christmas traditions! So grab that cup of hot chocolate, snuggle up, and let’s make a list and check it twice—because these traditions are all super nice!
Gratitude Despite the Storm
When my third child was just 6 months old, I already knew I was ready for my fourth, a girl. I just knew. My husband and I started to make plans, gear up, and even began buying her hair bows, her first ballet leotard, and I began my short list of names.
Murphy’s Law: A Primer
If you’ve been around the military for even a short amount of time, you’ve probably at least heard a mention of “Murphy’s Law,” the theory that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
It actually has a pretty science-y history with some philosophy and math thrown in. But you don’t need to know all of that.
All you need to know is that once your service member leaves, I can almost guarantee you will get to know Murphy.