I honestly get it now... I have figured out why spouses (and their children) go so crazy trying make the perfect care package... think about it... you sit, you wait, you listen when they call, you give words of encouragement and remain calm and strong but aside from that we are helpless to do anything for them... EXCEPT send them a little bit of home.
We are currently preparing our own little piece of home package to be send out soon. The munchkin and I are going shopping for "Daddy supplies" and she is totally psyched! She can't wait to buy him things and send it all in the mail. She has prepared her coloring pages and art work to be send as well and it just warms my heart to known she is gonna make all the difference to her dad. It's the little things ya know?
I never really fell into that whole "military wife" thing. I've always fit into that slot like a square peg in a round hole... you would think I would have been a better fit, growing up an Army Brat but to tell you the truth... I was glad when my dad was done, I just wanted a normal life; where he was home all the time. So this actually makes me feel good, this actually makes me feel a little less awkward and a little more honored to be a military wife. It also feels good to send my hubby some love, just little things to let him know we miss him and are thinking about him.
I can't wait to go out this weekend and get some stuff to fill up the box! I can't wait to decorate the box! The only trouble I'm having is deciding on how to decorate it... Easter theme or our Anniversary theme? They are very close together... or... should I just send separate boxes? LOL! I could really get into this! I have a feeling hubby is gonna need a separate foot locker to get all this crap home again LOL!
What do you send in your care packages? How do you decorate them? Remember... I'm new at this so any advice or suggestions would be awesome!!!
You shouldn't decorate them, at least the outside because that draws unwanted attention. From what I've heard the ones that are decorated on the outside get damaged more often. Also, my husband never wanted to save any of the boxes because he had very limited space, so there's a chance it'll just get thrown out. I used to send a bunch of junk food because he rarely told me anything he NEEDED. I would also occasionally send pictures and around Christmas time I collected cards and drawings from our nieces/nephews.
ReplyDeleteWoah, I missed out on so much! I hope your dad is doing better- how is he?
ReplyDeleteYes, deployments suck. A lot. The best thing for me was to keep busy. During Hubby's Westpac, I visited my parents for two months. I'm fortunate that I had the time to do that. I also played in the Honolulu Concert Band and really got involved in "boat stuff", like homecoming planning and get-togethers and such. With him being a submariner, I didn't get to talk to him much and we Skyped twice during the six months, so it was definitely tough keeping the lines of communication open. But we both shared as much as we could, which helped us to feel connected. (I know, this is vague, but you know how OPSEC is)
You're entitled to feel sad and upset and angry about it. Anyone who says you aren't is an ass. I find it therapeutic to let it out during brief spurts of woe-is-me. You HAVE to do that! Then, once you get it off your chest (which will happen more than once), try to think positively about each situation. One month down and still five long months to go? Nope- one month of kicking ass all by yourself (go you!), and five to plan the most awesome reunion ever. Or, in my case, I planned the big trip right in the middle of deployment, to break it up evenly. That way, I was on my own for the first two months, with family for the next two, then after I got back, only 8 more weeks until homecoming. It helps to break it down like that.
Wow, sorry this is long! If you need words of encouragement at any time, email me or friend me on FB (you know my real name). Milspouses need to stick together!! :)
@ Allison Yeah, I'm sorry I should have been a little more specific. I meant the inside of the box on the decorating part LOL. Yeah, I wouldn't do the outside with anything, it doesn't need the unwanted attention. I'm already a little nervous about sending it. There is a lot of junk food going in it, and just little things he has requested. A few things for his buddy and then just some fun stuff and some drawings from our munchkin.
ReplyDelete@ NHGirl Thanks! Hes actually doing sooooo much better, he's eating right and he quit smoking so I am very proud of that. I still can't believe hes going along with what the doctor ordered! It's a new concept for him but I'm glad he's getting with the program :) Skype sucks LOL! We spend half the time trying to call each other back; our connection is soooooo bad. I think its the connection to where he is that just sucks, but at least it works sometimes right?! LOL! I am finding out that it gets a little easier as the time goes on, you kinda find your routine and get used to doing your own thing. The only time it bothers me is when I find myself doing something that I wish we could do together, and then its like the bandaid on my heart just got ripped off. But I am keeping my chin up and reminding myself that I am (insert # here) months down and have (insert # here) months to plan an awesome homecoming! ;) I am also breaking up the deployment for a little bit, after munchkin gets outta school we are headed to Florida to see family and then when we come back we wont have long before he comes back. I think breaking it up will help alot :)
ReplyDeleteOne common way I've seen people use for decorating the inside of the boxes they send is to use scrapbook paper. You can either do random colors/patterns, or if your box has a theme or is being sent around a particular holiday, you can get matching paper to help tie it all together. I'm planning on sending things like protein bars and other easy to eat but somewhat nutritional snacks so I can make sure he's still getting nutrients he needs when he's crunched for time, plus probably some energy drinks or instant coffee mix for those times when he needs the boost on long days, along with some of that Mio drink mix stuff to help encourage him to drink plenty of water.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the ideas Andrea! Scrapbook paper! Now that is awesome! LOL! I can't wait to make it look all "easter themed" :) I've got some granola bars and then some sweet stuff too. I like the mio idea, I think he will appreciate being able to add some flavor to his water, he says the bottle water tastes a little different where he's at :)
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