First Day of Preacademy, Pt. 1

JT left this morning for his first day of preacademy. He set his alarm for 5:30 a.m. and I got up too and tried to help him get ready. He had a ton of stuff he had to carry to the car, and insisted on taking it all himself because he will have to get it all out of the car himself.

I wish it didn't take several cups of coffee just to get myself awake through the day. I spent the morning doing all our laundry. I had to stay up with JY last night who was crying for no reason at 11 pm and wouldn't calm down until close to 12:30. It woke JT and he rocked her for a little while in the rocking chair but eventually he got tired and I took over.

People ask me when her bedtime is. I tell them "Whenever she decides it's time." With a baby, you can't just say, "Go to bed." You have to coax them to sleep. If they're not sleepy but in a good mood you might be able to leave them alone, but if they're cranky you're not gonna get a wink of sleep yourself until you comfort them.

I promised JT a nice dinner and I should get going on it. I'm attempting a relatively uncomplicated lamb chops recipe I found in Men's Health (his favorite magazine). I am not a cook. I am honestly terrified of my kitchen. This is usually JT's thing, which he does with pleasure and artistry. Suddenly it's my job to make sure he has a healthy dinner five nights a week, maybe seven... even when I'm working at night. Ah well--I figure that with all the new things my husband has to learn and all the new challenges he has, I can muster up enough courage and energy to cook him a decent meal each day and keep the house looking clean. This is my task.

Rewriting the Manual

At this moment, JT's got one hand in the cradle, holding JY's, and one hand on the keyboard. When I asked him what he's up to, he said, "Writing."

I did a double take. "What are you writing?"

"Oh, just compiling the parts of the manual that describe the class sergeant's duties. I'm taking this list and expanding it to include the detailed instructions from this part over here."

He's rewriting his training manual.

We were trying to figure out what certain words and directions mean. Why do they say "cover" when they could just say "hat"? And what in God's name do they want you to do when they tell you to "move your right hand in a circular motion perpendicular to your body until it is at a ninety-degree angle, and your elbow is close to your body, and your forearm is at a forty-five-degree angle to your elbow"???

Meanwhile, I'm doing a little writing myself--a grocery list. We've been relying on fast food for about a week now, both of us too tired to go shopping or do any cooking. But I know JT would love a home-cooked dinner when he comes home from preacademy on Tuesday, so I'm going to make him a nice one: lamb chops!

JY is almost ready for solid baby food. We're starting her slow on rice cereal mixed with breastmilk. She's developed a bad habit lately of sucking on her right wrist. It's got this huge red bruise on it like a high school hickey. To entertain her while I write this, work on my grocery list, eat my breakfast and get ready to go out, I've tied a little jingle toy around her foot. It clangs its bells when she kicks. Oh, the tacky things your mommy resorts to--you poor little baby!!