Children and work don't mix
An interesting couple of days with the work and children balance. In fairness I am pretty lucky with both children, neither are particularly sickly kids. (Erin used to be until her nut allergy was diagnosed) In general I can plan life around school hours. I have two jobs on a Friday morning in Newton abbot, but on Thursday night or should I say morning, I was woken by Erin telling me that Cory was crying? (I didn’t hear anything) It was 3.50 am. I shot out of bed to find a very distressed Cory in the bathroom vomiting violently. He has been sick only twice in his life (unlike our pro Erin) and didn’t know the sick feeling, so he didn’t quite make the bathroom but did manage to spray the hall, bathroom floor and it seemed everything else but the toilet. Bless him. He was distraught about it. Erin is fast becoming a great first aider since joining St. John’s cadets and went into nursey mode and gathered a bowl, comforted Cory and settled him back into bed whilst I began the clean up.
Obviously by 4.30am I am quite awake, both children have settled back into bed and I muster a cup of tea because I am thinking he may be sick again and well, now I’m awake. 5.15am I decide to try and sleep (worst mistake ever) I am cursing under my breathe that this sort of disaster is always when he is away so I am not in a sleep frame of mind anyway. When the alarm goes off at 7am I am not feeling the Friday joys, neither is Erin and certainly not Cory but I still have to get Erin to school. I ask Cory should I stay at home or shall I go to one job but he asks me to stay with him as he is scared of being sick again. Fair point, in fact he looked dreadfully pale.
I have no one else to help, no family that could help so I set about letting both jobs know I can’t make it in. I feel dreadfully guilty to let not one but two people down and it takes me a while to let the relevant people know and phone the school - by which time I am already running late with Erin who is tired and grouchy, she thinks she deserves the day off too! Ha ha not a chance little lady, not a chance and we do the school run, whilst I swing by the local store for some of the best medicine ever - a bottle of lucozade! I ask one of the mums if she might collect Erin after school and just drop her off as I don’t want to leave Cory for too long. She does this for me and it is a great help - It’s a simple thing, but it is an immense help.
Richie sends me a text at lunchtime to say he is leaving and asking if there is anything we need picking up? I simply reply ‘Matchsticks, wine & dog food please’ seriously, this is just what he walks in with!
Cory is feeling a little dizzy on Saturday as he has not eaten anything, but of course I can get to my Saturday job as Richie is home (relief) all is well and Cory is over whatever bug he had so will be off to school tomorrow and I can catch up with my work. Today (Sunday) he has caught up on the lack of food.
Over dinner tonight, I get to that question of 'how long do you still have to serve?’ I don’t know why I asked, I remember way back 8 years ago asking how long it would be, I’m pretty sure I remember something about 6-8 years. Subconsciously I have been fed up of the loneliness and maybe the last few days I have questioned time. Now, anyone with a military partner knows that getting a definite date, answer to a question and/or just a general query leaves you wishing you never asked that damn question in the first place, (it is never what you expect) or perhaps sometimes the answer isn’t quite what you want to hear. But, I did it. I asked that stupid question and for sure I didn’t get the answer I wanted to hear '8 - 10 years depending on what they do with the pensions’ damn. My heart broke off another little piece I think.
I write my frustrations in the MU closed page (love this page) I am just simply moaning about being on my own for this amount of time, being a 'single’ parent for the last 8 years but without the benefits to go with it and I mean a weekend off, a child free night, help with retraining or even a 25% council tax bonus would be great; but by the time he 'retires’ our 'children’ will be 19 & 21? Heck, another 10 years seems like a lifetime away. Several beautiful MU ladies wrote wise responses but one wrote “I didn’t know what I was getting into either. Despite being told by lots of people I did ha ha. Mine was for med discharge when I met him - 5 years later whichever twat was flashing that torch on and off taking the piss for 5 years has buggered off and we do have a proper light at the end” Oh my bloody days I was howling with laughter and she pretty much summed it up perfectly only our torch is still going to be flashing on and off for longer than I anticipated!
Well, hey ho where’s the wine eh?! 😆