The Surprise Party

Annalise works hard to decorate the "Welcome Home" cake.

The Guest of Honor - DADDY!!!!

Annalise in her party dress.

This is my favorite picture of the weekend.

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I feel like I have experience to draw from when it comes to getting kids ready for a deployment. This thing we're doing now (which I now like to call an extended business trip) is a new experience for me. If it was a deployment, I'd know that it's important to do things like make a calendar for the kids, plan a halfway party, set my own emotions to "full defense" mode and hunker down for the long haul. This time I'm pulling from a whole different bag of tricks and I have to admit that I'm suddenly swimming in a hybrid of emotions that I think I do but don't really understand. I suspect my kids feel something similar.

Shortly after John got to Florida, when I had prepared myself for him to be gone for 4 full months, he called to see if the weekend of March 26th would be a good weekend for him to visit. (Is that a trick question? Um, yes!). We booked the tickets and I told the kids Dad was coming to visit. I would often hear them in the backseat of the car (which was recently named "Big Ben" for your reference - "Paul Bunyan" was a strong second runner up) debating over how many ballet classes Annalise had until Dad came home. Hearing that, I decided to finally make the calendar that I had been meaning to make and the countdown began. Justin seems to grasp the concept of time as well as the idea that his Dad is gone because he has to be. Annalise is not there yet. She wonders when life will return to normal and when the Navy will finally let Dad come home. This is all slightly more difficult for her given that she's trying to understand when/why we're leaving Portsmouth and where John fits into that process. She clearly does not remember San Diego and she associates life with New England. This has to be hard on her...

I was so excited to see the way Annalise planned and planned for John to come home. She's been watching Max and Ruby on TV (the show with the bossy big sister that Justin hates). At one point, she watched with wide eyes as Ruby planned a surprise party and she told me that she wanted to host one for her Daddy. There were decorations to deal with, a cake to be made, a house to be cleaned, and guests to invite. The most imortant detail of all was the dress she would wear! She was determined until the last minute that her entire class would attend (Brynn, Gwen, Gabbie) as well as Leah and Regan. She was irritated with me when I told her it would be a family party but she adapted and gave us all instructions. John was to wait in the car while she ran upstairs to change into her dress and then we would all hide behind the counter while he walked upstairs. We obliged and John was thoroughly "shocked" when we all jumped out and yelled "Surprise!" at him once he reached the top of the stairs.

The party went well and the weekend was blissfully normal for me. We took Mark to dinner with our family at Jackie's Galaxy, Justin played with Bayley, we all went to ballet together, and John took the kids to the park while I went for a pedicure. John and I argued the way married couples do and I feel happy that even though things are off kilter for our family, we have the ability to hash it all out and fix what is wrong. I'm very happy with the fact that everyone can fall into routine so easily and it makes me know we are a strong family. (Important to note - the argument was small. It was over a remote control.)