Tuesday, February 25, 2014

"What do you DO all day?"

Let me tell ya, friends... I hate this question.

Now, I understand that 99.9% of the time, it is just an easy question to ask this for-the-time-being-stay-at-home-wife to explain how she fills her day without a job and has no malice behind it. I get it, and it's okay if you've asked before! But the other .01% is just irksome, and makes me feel that just because I am not working full time that I sit on my couch, eating ice cream, and catching up on my afternoon stories every day (not that this is bad occasionally ;) ). It gives the sense that my worth is tied up in whatever the source of my paycheck is. It's just not true, folks. That being said, I WILL share with you lovely people what activities I do indeed partake in with my more flexible schedule.

1. I have learned to cook! Not that I didn't know before, I just had about 3 recipes up my sleeve that I repeated over and over for convenience. One of my favorite things that has come along with being married is enjoying spending time in the kitchen with Luke (because yes, he helps me make dinner at least 50% of the time since he is perfect like that) Along with cooking, I have developed meal planning system that basically consists of me sitting down every Sunday night with my cookbooks and Pinterest tab open, and planning out our meals for the next 2 weeks. This relieves so much stress on my part after spending a few months of waiting for Luke to get home, discussing my 3-meal bag of tricks and trying to decide on something, thawing out/searching for ingredients, and so on. This left us eating around 6:30-7:30 most nights, which is not so fun with hard-working, hangry* husband. It also keeps me away from the post Commissary, which is a scary, scary place sometimes.

*HANGRY (han-gree) adj. : a state of anger caused by lack of food and working 10-12 hour days; hunger causing a negative change in emotional state. See also: ARMY HULK MONSTER.



2. I've raised a rascal of a puppy to be a somewhat docile, lady-like creature. She seriously has given Luke and I a run for our money in the patience department. There was about a month after we got her that I really brainstormed reasons to take her back ("She's the lapdog of the devil!") But slowwwwwly and surely she is calming down into a sweet and smart pup.

("This is how I used to sit on Papa Lucifer's lap!")

3. On top of being a new wife and honing in on my domestic skills (which were very lacking by the way), I am also learning the ins and outs of Army wife life. People roll their eyes when I tell them this, but YES, it is sometimes a lot of work. I go to meetings to learn lingo, meet new spouses, learn how to file my taxes in two states, deployment readiness, and even Army etiquette*. Army spouses are some of the most helpful, kind, and genuine people I've ever met. They have great perspective and are always willing to help, since mostly all of them have been in a younger wife's shoes before and understand what it's like to ask the question, "Am I REALLY going to move 17 times in 20-some years?" (Yup, it happens.)

(Excuse Lucas's mustache... it was a troop fundraiser for Mo-vember)

*Not like you'd think a-la-1950's etiquette, but more so how to greet your husband's commanding officer at a Military Ball without saying "I like your hat!" or "Are you the mean man who makes my husband get up so early?", which fork is the dinner fork and which is the dinglehopper, hosting large parties for people you may or may not know, etc. It's actually pretty fun!

4. I have single-handedly taken apart a washing machine, discovered what ailed it, and fixed it. Again, the things I would do to avoid a laundromat are impressive.

(VICTORY!! Viva la laundry!) 

5. I started a part-time job. I am currently a certified Health and Safety Instructor for the American Red Cross. I teach Adult and Pediatric CPR, First Aid, and AED classes, and just got certified to teach Babysitting Clinics yesterday! I love it, and it keeps my teaching skills fresh. Plus, I can save your life if so needed.

6. I craft. I craft to my heart's content and no one stops me! I love investing in the hobbies that were just not very possible in college and during my first year teaching. I have crafted so much in my house that I'm almost embarrassed by it when people come over. I hosted a Bunco party in December for some other Army spouses, and wanted to bury my head under the table as each person exclaimed, "Oh my! Did you MAKE this? And this? And this?" Yes, I'm a craft hermit. It suits my homebody self well.

 (Katie's Christmas present) 

(Birthday board for a friend's daughter)

(Dining room wall with vintage military pictures and wedding pics)

(Dining room "chalkboard" made from black foam board, white paint, and Pinterest stolen-ideas. Looks super complicated, but it's very easy, just time-consuming.) 

(Living room artwork from an old atlas page)

(Luke's desktop, woodburned and stained)

(Christmas chalkboard) 

(Fired Up! plate from my trip home with my sisters!)

(Our dining room table... no, I did not "make it" but I pain-stakingly painted and stained it during our first month here. It took forever and a day, but it's my favorite project yet! More on this one later.) 


7. I have genuinely enjoyed being flexible, relatively low-stress, and giving my "yes" to things whole-heartedly.  I jump in to volunteering without aching for my Saturday afternoon back, I join in on lunch plans with friends, and am generally a much easier person to deal with all around. I know I will probably never have this time of my life to repeat with an undemanding job, no kids, and less than a million things on my to-do list. I'm embracing it while I can, and am thankful for the time I had to do all these great things!! I'm blessed!

What would YOU do all day if you had lots of flexible time?? 

5 comments:

  1. Sit and craft with you!! :) xo lub

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  2. I would do exactly what you are doing. Plus babysitting. It sounds wonderful!

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    1. Well then, I think a vacation is in order for you to come visit me! ;)

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  3. I can't imagine my life without my kids right now. If I had no kids for a day, I wouldn't know what to do with myself! Haha! I think it would feel wonderful to relax finally....

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    1. Jeanly, that's why I'm appreciating it while I can! I know life after babies is the end of life as I know it.. and the end of any semblance of free time ;)

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