T minus 7 days until Vegas... in other news...

Shawn has been gone for almost a week and I am still standing some how. This single parent thing is NO joke. J finally had a better night last night, nothing to brag about just better than the last couple nights. On the other hand though, A had a bad night... I can't win. A got her self grounded for a culmination of things the kicker was the HUGE temper tantrum (screaming and super loud dramatic crying) while in timeout and it was for something pretty small. In stead of just doing her 20 min and moving on she dug a huge hole and ended up getting herself grounded. I sent her to bed early (7:00 pm) and grounded her for tonight too. She is currently serving her time by writing sentences something she can't stand. "I will not argue" "I will work on listening better" etc, etc, etc. She is a very stubborn, determined, strong willed, and the list goes on. She is learning things from a different perspective compared to what she was/wasn't taught in her past 8 years of life. I have a feeling she is going to grow in to a really strong woman and blow this world away with what she will do in this world!

With A in school all day I have a free 6 hour window to tackle my to do list and get things done. I dropped her off at school today and took a side trip to Starbucks for a little me time. Came home and decided that I was going to paint our front door. Yes, the front door. This inside of it has been a dirty white since we lived here and I have told myself that some day I would paint it black... so, today I did. If a door can look sexy, ours now does!! It came out just as I imagined and I couldn't be happier. I sent text message pictures of before and after to Shawn... I knew he would have something to say, he always does when I pull a "house project out" I have so many plans for this house we call a home and I can't wait to start checking those project off one by one. I bought an old metal file cabinet the other day from one of my favorite stores, Habitat for Humanity, a store where people who are renovating donate things from there homes. I have purchased so many treasures from there re-newing them and giving them a new life in our home. The file cabinet will be a new addition to my scrapbooking corner... after I am done scrubbing it and spray painting it a true red. I am anxious to finish this project before the weekend if its possible. Normally I look forward to the weekend but not this weekend... I have drill which means little sleep (less than I already get), up at the crack of dawn, LOTS of coffee, LONG day... One weekend a month, I can do this. Cant wait till its over though because that means that much closer to a trip to Vegas to see Shawn. We plan on living it up for 4 whole days, kid free and enjoying the adult alone time before  we are separated again for a month and then shortly after the big year long separation. Part of being married to a soldier and I am more than willing to do it since I am a soldier too and understand more than most Army wives.

Still hot and nasty for the weather forecast here. I am looking forward to Sunday there will be a news special with General P. about Afghanistan on Meet the Press. I met him while I was deployed to Iraq in 2007-2008. There is not enough coverage on the TWO wars that are still going on in this world. I daily pray for my fellow soldiers and there families. I know most won't understand but I hope that I get to do a tour in Afghanistan myself before the deployments are no longer. Just gotta get through this long weekend ahead.