Monday, November 17, 2014

My Dos and Don'ts of Deployment

Tom is currently at deployment training. He'll come back for a bit and then deploy. We've said goodbye many times and I've realized that I might do things a little differently. Here are the Dos and Don't that happens when Tom deploys.



--I DON'T iron any of his stuff.

Some spouses apparently take care of uniforms and such. I never did. I've never ironed a day in my life. In fact, when Natalie got an iron as a birthday gift, she thought it was a bed for her baby.




--I DO slip tiny love notes in all his bags.

When they deploy, they bring lots of bags. I try to slip a note in each bag. Mind you, Tom doesn't always find these notes. Sometimes they do get lost. But the ones he does find, he enjoys.




--I DON'T pack his stuff.

Spouses have said they pack for their soldiers and I'm like ???? Did they lose their hands? Tom has always packed his own things. He actually folds his clothes better than I do. I sort of shove my items in my suitcase. Meanwhile, Tom folds neatly so if I did it, he'd be all, "Did a CHILD pack for me?"


--I DO buy some things on his list.


Tom usually just buys new packs of underwear and socks. It's easier to pack and then if he needs to, he can just toss them all out before he returns home. The item I get confused on is deodorant. He asks for Old Spice, but there are like a billion Old Spice products on the shelf. I understand how men feel when we ask them to bring us home Tampons.


--I DON'T like sending those creative care packages.


I tried to do some, just to surprise Tom. He knows I hate to craft and it was a bit of a shock for him to open a box and see...a theme? But I was not a fan of doing them. I just wanted to toss everything in the box, tape it, and mail it. When he goes this time, there won't be any creative care packages. I might tape pictures on the flap or a love note. Or a funny photo of Stewie from Family Guy. But that's about it. This is my extent of being crafty: cutting out arms so my kid could wear a bag:



--I DO try to look nice when he comes home

Nothing terribly fancy. I mean, I need to be comfortable. If I showed up in a tight dress, I'd look constipated, because if I can't breathe properly, I'm not happy. I also dye my gray hair. Yes, I have them and most of the time I just let my roots grow because I'm not in the mood to sit for two hours to get rid of them. But for a reunion? I'll do it.


28 comments:

  1. ironing is one of my last fave things to do in the world...everrrrrr!

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  2. x). I ironed Frank's uniforms while he worked as a security guard because my mother had me ironing since I was eleven. She hated it so she made a "deal" with me that if I ironed she would quit smoking. She did quit for about a month but never resumed ironing. As for packing, Frank being the military brat is great at packing while I struggle to get things in the suitcase in the first place!

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  3. Haha! I've never ironed anything either. My husband doesn't trust me to iron his shirts since I never have, so he just does it himself!

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  4. Hurray for no ironing or packing. I often sit with him to keep him company or check things off his list while he packs but I do it so I can slip in the silly love note or two when he is off getting the next item! Glad I'm in good company!! Great post!

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  5. New comment form! Cool!! I think I'd do it pretty much the same way. Except I'd plan out some really awesome care packages. I'd never actually put them together, but I'd plan the heck out of them!!

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  6. I personally think the things you do are the most important anyway, so good for you! :) Good luck when he goes...keep us all posted!-Ashley

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  7. Ironing is basically the worst thing ever. You know what's not? That bag with arm holes cut out. That is SPECTACULAR!!!

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  8. Yes, yes, yes. My husband is in charge of his own stuff. And those over the top care packages?!? My husband is just not that fortunate, I guess.

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  9. My husband so does the ironing around here, too! Seriously, got an ironing board for my bridal shower from my aunt almost 10 years ago and as soon as I opened it, I told him this was his gift ;)

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  10. I'm with you - I never pack or iron for Chris!!!
    Care packages aren't my thing either - I don't do the creative thing and anymore it seems like that is a requirement:(

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  11. I think it's sweet to pack him notes! And no, I wouldn't pack my hubs' bags either. How would he find anything later?

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  12. I do not iron.

    Natalie's arm hole bag rules.

    I think your way of doing things is important to you guys. The little notes, way more important than ironing someone's clothes.

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  13. What every works for you. As long as you are both happy and he knows how much you love him.

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  14. I don't handle any of the packing or ironing or anything to do with his gear. That is all him. He knows when it needs to be packed or sorted or whatever.

    I love the note idea but I have never done it before.

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  15. All of these are the same for me. Except for the care packages. I go crazy decorating boxes. It gives me something to do to pass the time. I love slipping in the notes before he leaves also. Except some times its hard since he packs so meticulously.

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  16. I don't handle any of his crap. Though when he was out training we were posted and I HAD to pack all his crap so I could store it to list our house on the market. He re-did it all when he got back anyways.
    I had never even heard of themed care packages with the first 3 deployments and my husband is never anywhere where they have abaility to cook or store things or use electricity most of the time....so I don't really bother with that stuff. He's on his 4th deployment now with a little more access to 'luxuries' (yay first deployment with internet!) so I have sent one themed box. It took a lot of effort.
    And I don't iron. That's why they went to boot camp, so they could do that shit themselves.
    And I once packed love notes in each of his pairs of underware. Then he came home from 3 weeks in the field and I realized he hadn't found ONE. So I don't because ew. It's better I not know.

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  17. I don't iron either. I tried once and actually ironed wrinkles into the pants. I quit. Aint nobody got time for that.

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  18. You're my kind of girl. I tried ironing once. It didn't go well. I would never pack for Cassidy because he would be bewildered.
    Basically, being crafty or domestic would bewilder him. I guess he likes me as is, which is weird.

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  19. I almost never iron unless it's for a special occasion. I have sent care packages but they have not been themed or crafty, just things I thought they would like.

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  20. the ironing board as a doll bed cracked me up!

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  21. My husband packs his own stuff. I figure he knows what he needs for a deployment better than I do. I tried to decorate his care package for OCS, and it was a disaster. I did make themed packages for his deployment, but I did not decorate.

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  22. I love this and I'm totally with you on the ironing and the creativity part. I am a walking Pinterest project reject.

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  23. I swear we are twins separated by....something :)! I hate to iron, I hate to sit and have my hair colored (WHY does it have to take so long), and I'm the least crafty person you'll ever meet. But I do love my husband, as you so obviously do too!!!!

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  24. Yep. No packing here either. My husband would hate that!

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  25. I so don't get the point of ironing either!!

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  26. My mom always makes the joke at the store "what is that??" when pointing at an iron. I never iron my hubs clothes. Wrinkle free shirts for him!

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  27. You are adorable and I love that your daughter thought the ironing board was a bed LOL! I don't iron either. Even if I tried (and I have), it's not good enough. Whatever. Do it yourself. Problem solved! major lol at the tampon thing

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