Festival of Lights

So, today was a regular but not regular day at work today.  We do "fun" stuff on Wednesdays including art, music, Spanish, fitness, nutrition, etc.  I really needed this day more than the students.  Then, lunch, and afternoon classes.  Another teacher, Deanne, and I are in charge of the Creative Corner class. It consists of making crafts, cooking, writing, and now...we are about to publish our first newsletter!  It is very exciting!  But, with writing the newsletter, I am trying to focus on what will happen in March.  March?  Really?  I just began February yesterday!  Yet, I have to focus on March!!!  That will seem like an eternity from now come Saturday.  We have a dance weekend in Atlanta to begin March and then there is spring break. I am beginning to plan events that aren't including my better half.  It seems so wrong to be ready for the next phase.  It's not that I want him to leave sooner-I actually never want him to leave!  There aren't enough days left to "plan" anything else as a couple or a family.  Now, I begin planning events with others that don't include E.  I had a set of friends invite themselves over for the Superbowl.  Since they no longer have cable, they wanted to see if I had plans...  And, of course, last week I couldn't plan that far ahead so I had NO plans.  Mike, Melanie and Michaela will be coming to watch the Superbowl.  And, maybe Deanne and Brian.  That will keep me busy getting ready on Sunday and help me fall asleep easier Sunday night.  So, day by day, month by month, I will have to make plans and decisions without E.  I will be making simple decisions and probably a few important ones (thanks to Murphy and his laws!).  At this point, I have to remember that this deployment will be better than the first.  E was part of the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003 with the 101st.  This meant only a monthly phone call for us and no email for months.  So, with the technology that has developed, this will be MUCH better than the first and hopefully better than the second as we could rarely skype using video.  I will spend time in my head "planning" our chats, "planning" the boxes I will ship to APO AE and "planning" some much needed breaks from thinking about the family that is torn apart for a while by war.  We love Eric and I know I will say this again later:  We CAN survive without him but we don't thrive without him.  We will always be "planning" for his return.