Why I Didn't "Go Home" When My Husband Deployed

Whenever my husband had to deploy, I was asked by friends if I planned on going home until he returns. I know my parents would welcome me with open arms and I appreciate it. I appreciate them.

I remember when Tom went to Korea for a year, people were surprised to learn that I wasn't packing up my kids and going home.

So why is "going home" not for me?

Let me explain.

1. I feel like I am home.

My home is with my family--as in my husband and children. Maybe I feel this way because I was a military brat. We were always moving around so I didn't grow up in one home. Even when my husband is gone, it's still my home, with my belongings.



2. I like my own things.

As in, my television. Yes, I watch a lot of ridiculous shows on it. My father would not like these ridiculous shows. He has his own schedule of things he watches every night. There is no place for Real Housewives. There is a TV upstairs, but it's in the same room where my son sleeps, so I'd be missing a lot of my programs. Yes, I would watch them online but it's not the same. I also like having my books around me.


3. I need junk food.

My parents don't appreciate junk food as I do. Of course they indulge, but not as much as I do. They mean well, but I can imagine comments being made, "Another candy bar? How about I cut you up some carrots?"


4. I didn't have a baby.

Whenever my husband left, my kids were at least over the age of three. Maybe if I had a baby I'd have considered going home, but honestly, I doubt it. I just really like my possessions and space too much.


5. My kids would have to leave their schools and enter a new one.

Sometimes when my husband left my kids weren't always in school yet. But when they were, it didn't make sense to pull them out of a school and away from their friends. I'd want my kids to have stability.


6. I'm able to visit my family. 

I might not go live with them, but we do visit. So it's not like I'm completely without family.



7. I have my own schedule of how I like to do things.


If I moved in with my parents, this might be messed up. I would no longer be the only adult so I'd have to respect their wishes. When my husband is gone, I already have enough on my mind so I'd be irritated if I couldn't do things the way I wanted to do them.


8. I can manage.

With the help of friends, I'm always able to survive deployments. Of course I have moments when I feel like I can't do it--but my friends are the ones who help remind me that yes I CAN do it. Or they'll invite me over for chocolate and cake. Chocolate and cake can fix anything. (And a lovely cocktail can help as well..)

Did you go home when your husband deployed? Or if your husband is not in the military but has gone away due to work, would you go home? 

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

HEY, IT'S OKAY....



.....to be booking the Disney dining reservations this week. I'm hoping to get Be Our Guest and 50's Prime Time since those are where Tommy really wanted to eat.



.....to be relaxing at home for the 4th of July. My husband will be grilling some food. But the virus is spreading all over our area again, so it's best to be at home for the moment.



.....to be watching Hamilton with the kids on July 3rd on Disney +. We've never seen the show but LOVE the songs.



.....to currently be reading You Were There Too by Colleen Hoover. It's fantastic so far!



....to have picked up these 4th of July cookies. They're delicious. And patriotic.

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The Trials Of Getting A Disney World Park Reservation

We had plans to go to Walt Disney World in June to celebrate my son's graduation. Then the pandemic happened, Disney World closed, and we were like, "Um. Now what?"

Then it was announced that Disney World would open in mid-July and we were like, "Okay, we need to move our dates."

So we did. To August.

But we weren't done yet. It was announced that everyone had to make reservations for the Disney World parks, and oh, also no park hopping.

People were like, "What's the point of going then?" I asked my son what he wanted to do. I mean, this is HIS celebration trip. Some people get graduation parties: he wanted a trip to Disney World because he loves it there.

He said he wanted to go despite the changes. Some people are like, "But the pandemic and the the magic won't BE THERE!"

Okay, well, Disney has made masks a requirement and I know they'll help keep things safe. Also, you make your own magic.

Anyway.

It came time to make Disney Work park reservations on June 22nd. It started at 7 AM EST which mean 6 AM for me. I set my alarm, woke up, was confused, remembered what I needed to do, and logged on.

Only I got this pink castle:

I thought, "okay, cool, it's a few minutes before 6, maybe it'll click over to reservations."

It did not.

I got a bad gateway at one point.

Then I got the castle again.

Then I got this orbit waiting room.

Then I got a blue screen.

You see, reservations opened up for everyone who had a resort stay and tickets. So there was THOUSANDS of people trying to log in at once.

Finally, FINALLY, the orbit waiting room let me log in. But it said my password was incorrect and I was like:

Source

I went BACK to the orbit waiting room. I was able to log in again.

IT LET ME IN.

We arrive to Disney World on a Monday and I was able to make a different park reservation for each day we were there.

The park reservations look like this in the My Disney Experience App.

That's another step down! We did it! Will it be different to not park hop? Yes. But it'll be okay. It's also odd that the parks aren't open super late. When Tommy and I went last year, we stayed until midnight. But. We'll still have a blast. Because it's Disney World!

Still. It was crazy getting those reservations.

Also, if you do call a Cast Member during all of this, BE KIND. It's not their fault they can't do certain things. For example, tickets for 2020 aren't on sale yet. Do not yell at them. They are only passing on information. Remember that they are human beings. 

We are looking forward to our trip and yes, we'll be safe.

Unboxing The June BoxyCharm Box

It's that time again! Time to unbox the BoxyCharm box. It's a monthly subscription box filled with beauty products. My teenager and I share it. She's more into makeup and I'm more into lotions and skin care items, though I do try some of the makeup.

Here's what was in the June Box:

This one is probably for me. It's QMS Medicosmetics Lip Line Corrector. I have lots of lip lines so I'm excited to try this out. It says the MSRP is $200 so I hope it works!

Natalie has been using the KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub because she hates when her skin gets all bumpy. Her skin does feel smoother. MSRP $18.

I tried out the Perfect Glow BB Cream SPF 30 and liked how it felt. It didn't feel weird or greasy. MSRP $35.

This Diamond Glow Power is a favorite of Natalie's. She's used it a few times. MSRP $27.

But Natalie ABSOLUTE favorite that made her gasp when she saw it was the Kylie Skin by Kylie Jenner. She loves Kylie products.

She was excited that she got a full size because she had been wanting it from Ulta Beauty but didn't want to spend $24.

She says it makes her face feel nice and clean, and it smells amazing! The bottle says it's packed with Vitamin C and E.

As you see, we got lots of fabulous things this month.


You can order your own BoxyCharm box here. There are different options. We're on the regular monthly BoxyCharm box which is $25 a month.


What is awesome is that you fill out a form before you get your first box on what you'd mostly like in it. For example, Natalie wanted mostly makeup, so I made sure to write that down. You also can pick what colors you prefer.

If you want your own box click here or use the code Amber-AREMLXCK at checkout! We'll get charms if you do this so we can shop at the store on the BoxyCharm site with them. You can cancel whenever you want.

What was your favorite item this month? Natalie says hers is Kylie Skin and mine would be the lip liner corrector.

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

HEY, IT'S OKAY....




......to be staying with my parents for a few days with the kids. We're doing some fun stuff. We were supposed to be in Disney World this week, so this helps dull the pain, ha.



.....to have managed to get park reservations at Disney World for August. It took a while to get actual reservations to the parks--it went live on the 22nd and the site kept crashing. But a few hours later and I got them! We get to go to all 4 parks.



......to have gone to the Natural Bridge Caverns so far. It was gorgeous. We're also doing the Snake Farm and Buc-ees. Plus The Melting Pot for dinner!



.....to have played the Jelly Belly BeanBoozled Fiery Five Spinner with my kids. Whew, they are spicy (the beans, not the kids), but it was fun to play. I tried all the flavors and sriracha is my favorite. (There's also carolina reaper, jalapeno, cayenne, and habanero.) You can use the code AMBER15 to save 15% on orders over $25. This would make a great gift for people who like their food with a kick to it. These do! Buy here.

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Things That Happened On My Birthday

My birthday was June 19th. I shared it with Juneteenth, and I admit I didn't know much about it. I took the time to learn more because I love history, and I think the more knowledge one has, the better. If you're curious, read this:

I got some gifts:

Since my husband was off work, we decided on a lunch date. Many dining rooms are open now with safety measures in place. We do wear our masks when we aren't eating and we have hand sanitizer so we feel safe.

We decided on The Cheesecake Factory but when we got there, we were told we could only do take out. I said that was fine, so long as they gave me plenty of bread, which they did.

I also went to Barnes & Noble, which is one of my favorite stores because....BOOKS.

Meanwhile, back at home, The Child was confusing the cats:

We had cake:

And I got more gifts.


I always giggled at the chicken feet tongs on a KFC commercial, so Tom found some for me:

I also got an otter:

My daughter Natalie loves The Child as much as I do.

The Child is using the Force to float away.

But he came back. We really need to name him something other than the Child. Maybe Steve? Brock? Greenie?

(Steve was bought on Amazon here or I've seen him at shopdisney.com)



I had a wonderful birthday. And next week I get to enjoy The Melting Pot with my mom so the fun will continue.

Graduating During A Pandemic

Well, my son was going about his senior year and then the pandemic hit. Everything changed. He had to finish the year online. And oh, graduation was going to be virtual.

People complained. A virtual graduation? No. Not cool.

The school district listened. They said there would be a short ceremony recognizing each graduate. There was only 4 guests allowed. Masks mandatory. Temperatures would be checked. And when they said short, they meant it: 10 minutes long. No lingering.

I was fine with it. My son was fine with it. Who wants to sit around for 3 hours? He didn't. I didn't.

And so we arrived at his school at his allotted time. His four guests were with him: myself, his father, his sister, and his Nona.

I thought everything was set up well. Sections were blocked up and you followed bear paws on the floor. Bear paws, because the bear is the school mascot.

Along the way you could stop and take photos. Tommy saw several of his teachers who said how much they'd miss him.

You could take off masks for photos, but we usually kept ours on.

It was surreal to pass by familiar spots that Tommy has spent for 4 years. He would point, "Oh, I'd sometimes sit there at lunch." I know it must've felt strange to him.

But sometimes strange isn't bad. He'll always have these memories. He can tell his future kids, if he has any, "Yeah, I graduated during a pandemic. We had to wear masks. It was fast."

His time on stage was brief, but he was fine with that. A professional photographer was there to take shots.

I choked up a few times, I won't lie. That's my boy and he's done with school. Well, for now. He is attending community college. But even that'll be different since it'll be remote classes for the fall.

He said goodbye to some more teachers on the way out. He was given a t-shirt and a sign. Oh, and of course he had his diploma. The teachers made lots of noise when each graduate walked out for the last time. Tamborines, whistles, lots of woohoos.

And then that was it, and it felt strange, but okay. It's not the complete last time we'll be at the school. Natalie will be there after she completes 8th grade. Tommy will once again walk the halls. But for now? That was it. That's a wrap.

Tommy said as we walked to the car, "I'm going to miss that school. I'm going to miss going to class."

My heart squeezed a bit. Was it how I thought his high school career would end? No. But I appreciated what the school did to make the graduates feel special. There will still be a virtual graduation, but I am so grateful they allowed the students to say goodbye.

We took more photos at home, since they didn't want you to linger at the school.

My husband isn't big on photos, so I didn't make him take that many. I can see his jaw start to clench when he's had enough.

Yeah, you can't control Tommy's expressions.

And Tom was basically done at that point. I know some men are out there and they love photos. My husband? Is not one of them.

I told him he could go after this and he high tailed it into the house before I could change my mind.

Natalie left as well. "I gotta get back to Animal Crossing!"

We got a shot with my mom, and again with the expression, because Tommy gets impatient with photos as well. But my mom looks good!

I took a photo with my boy:

Tommy was all, "Can I be done?"

I said please, just a few more.

I got one with his diploma:

He took a photo in the shirt he got. I truly hope all his wishes come true:

And here's the sign he got:

I wanted to get one final shot of him with his Toy Story toys. He used to be obsessed with them. I thought about selling them at one point, but I couldn't. All I could think about was how he used to carry Woody and Buzz around. He had the slinky dog at one point, but it got so twisted that we had to get rid of him. For the longest time he was obsessed with Mr. Potato Head.

So no. I couldn't sell them.

And so they watched as our boy became a man.

We're all excited to see who he'll become.